Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-10-12

us.
l slipped the bolt at once, and W.
stood and painted for a moment il
the dark, alone in the house will
the dead captains body. Then my
mother got a candle in the bar, and
holding each others hands, we ad
vanced into the parlor. He lay as
we had left him, on his back, with
his eyes open, and one arm stretched
out.
Draw down the blind, JIM" whis-
pered my mother, "they might come
and watch outside. And now" said
she, when l had done so, 1--WE have
to get the key off that; and who's to
touch it, 1 should like to know?" and
she gave kind of sob as she said the
words.
l went down on my knees at once,
On the floor close to his hand there
was little round of paper blackened
on one side. l could not doubt that
this was the black spot; and taking
it up, l found written on the other
side, in a very good, clear hand, this
short message, you have till ten
tonight"
'He had till ten, mother" said 1;
and, just as l said it, our old clock
began ticking. This sudden noise
startled us shockingly; but the news
was good for it was only six.
"Now, JIM" she said, that key!"
1 felt in his pockets, one after an
other A few small coins, thimble,
and some thread and big needles,
piece of pigtail tobacco bitten away
at the end, his gully with the crooked
handle, pocket compass, and tind-
er-box, were all that they contained,
and 1 began to despair.
perhaps it's around his neck,
suggested my mother.
Overcoming a strong repugnance,
tore open his shirt at the neck and
there, sure enough, hanging to a bit
of tarry string, which l cut with his
own gully, we found the key. At
the triumph we were filled with
hope, and hurried upstairs, without
delay, to the little room where he
had slept so long, and where his box
had stood since the day of his arrival. |
1t was like any other seaman's |
chest on the outside, the initial "B'
burned on the top of it with hot
iron, and the corners somewhat
smashed and broken as by long,
rough usage.
"Give me the key" said my moth
er, and though the lock was very stiff
she had turned it and thrown back
the lid in a twinkling.
A strong smell of tobacco and tar
arose from the interior, but nothing
was to be seen on the top except a
suit of very good clothes, carefully
brushed and folded. They had never
been worn, my mother said. Under
that the miscellany began-a quad
rant, a tin canikin, several sticks of
tobacco, two brace of very handsome
JlSJOlS, d plSCS VI DdI SlANOl' an OAu
Spanish watch, and some other trink-
It's of little value and mostly of for
,ign make, pair of compasses
mounted with brass, and five or six
curious West Indian shells. 1t has
,ften set me thinking since that he
hould have carried about these
hells with him in his wandering,
utility, haunted life.
In the meantime we found nothing
f any value but the silver and the
and neither of these were
n our way. Underneath there was
n old boat-cloak, whitened with sea-
alt on many a harbor-bar. My moth
r pulled it up with impatience, and
here lay before us, the last things in
he chest, a bundle tied up in oil .
10th, and looking like papers, and a :.
anvass bag that gave forth at a 4,
ouch, the jingle of gold. 9
'Tll show those rogues that I'm v
n honest woman" said my mother.
I'll have my dues and not farth- C
lg over. Hold Mrs Crossley's bag"
nd she began to count over the o
mount of the captains score from t.
le sailors bag into the one that 1 p
as holding. G
1t was a long difficult business, n
II the coins were of all countries
nd -doubloons, and louis-d'o rs,
nd guineas, and pieces of eight, and a
know not what besides, all shaken
'gether at random. The guineas, IL
10, were the scarcest, and it was g
it'll these only that my mother knew
wv to make her count. -
When we were about halfway Il
rough, I suddenly put my hand up m
/ her arm, for 1 had heard in the "a
lent, frosty air, a sound that .,
ought my heart into my mouth Ii
.e tap-tapping of the blind mans dl
lex upon the frozen road It drew b'
,arer and nearer, while we sat hold /,
g our breath. Then it struck sharp II