White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-04-04

rate wreckers used to argue, She
broke her back on our coral reef, so
she's our meat Also, Of course, was
too polite to say so, but 1t looks to me
as If the counts distinguished ancestor
had been holding out flstful on his
august monarch. BY all the rules of the
game of war, as played In those days,
the commander OF kings ship was
supposed to turn in to the royal ex-
chequer whatever he grabbed
"That occurred to me" said Jessica.
"Of course, the count must have
thought of it, but should say that
it was just one of several things he
didn't see the need of telling u.s.
"Oh-so I wasn't the only one to
have that hunch.''
mo. But about the Fourquet. I
think we might as well overhaul her
now as any time, if only to save poor
Tom his job on the paper and wasting:
what little money he's put by"
why, yes" agreed the doctor mock
ingly. "Let's go right out and help
ourselves"
"That would be best, think. Be-
sides, this sneak of a Sebastien might
be more clever than the rest of them.
You'll have to go to Bath tomorrow
morning, Gardy, and get diver with
his gear. And be sure to make a signed
and witnessed agreement that he is
| to work for pay and not on lay
know good deal about these things
I didn't sail with father nearly three
years for nothing"
The doctor made protesting ges-
ture. "But, my dear girl, don't talk so
glibly of spending money until you
have something to go on
But I have" said Jessica, and looked
out at the swell mounting over the
point of greatest danger on the ledge.
What do you mean, you have?"
II mean, Gardy, that the only dan
gerous point Of the Corvette ledge to
vessels of ordinary draught is the cor
vette herself"
"What?"
"Just that, Gardy She was wedged
firmly there bottom up and partly pet
rifled and crusted with barnacles and
covered with heavy mass of kelp
long before we had any coast and geo.
detic survey. At uncommonly low tides,
with heavy ground swell running, you
can see the big brown skate-like mass
of it Just under the surface, in the
trough"
That's impossible-absurd! 1t all
has been sounded out"
"a sounding lead would clink on her
the same as on a rock" said Jessica
"Her timbers are calcified They get
that way when always entirely sub
merged, especially in cold water like
this. You know how those old fighting
ships were built. Solid masses of oak,
the frames set close together They
enormous block of the finest seasoned
wood"
The doctor shook his head, albeit his
gray eyes were cleaning. "All the same
it isn't possible. For one thing, she
sank right where she struck"
"She didn't" Jessica admitted "She
struck MacFarlane's ledge over there
about three furlongs to the northwarG
and got dismasted. They cut away the
wreck as she was settling and drifting
down here with the tide. Then she
sank, rolled over and made of herself
; the bad spot on what was afterwarc
charted as Corvette ledge. think the
chances are that they knew at the
| time what it really was but that af-
terward it was forgotten"
, But, Jerusalem" the doctors pro-
fessional calm, that had grown to BIZ
, his habit, was forsaking him in hi
excitement "the swell would have
rolled her away"
"She had to fetch up somewhere
Gardy. It's all rocky down there; sht
must have rolled over into cleft
where she struck Her ballast shifted
! as she went on to her beam ends, ane
, her guns made her top-heavy ane
, helped hold her down. That and hel
ballast was dumped on to the under
, side of her berth deck The swell /!
never heavy enough this far up into
| the bay to move the deeper water
much"
II Jessica's theory seemed preposter.
Gus, and yet her illustration of it wa.
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