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7'.r-V'- 7 'il ."-Vi.5i. y JULY 18, 1919. 1 Pieces of Eight Being the Authentic Narrative of a Treasure Discovered in the Bahama Islands in the year 1903 Now First Given to the Public. BY RICHARD LEGAILIENNE , BOOK I. t The author, who tells the Cflon a visit to his friend, John orV Briusii qflicial m tne tnwn of Sac r... un mn islands, conversation XiU' .,,'-.ried treasure. isffi - - - rvn II. Saunders produces a cHtf7t supposedly written by Henry fcf'-nmv a pirate, telling of tw3 r:5' S'Ve -old had been secreted in pU3 V Tne'r conversation apparently teKr-a and the document disap- pia.' .- " " " ' ,Trp ill Tha writer charters a CKA'-W jiagsxie Darling, and sets for "the treasure. As they (3 aboard a passenger, whom & 7?,or"ins:inetively distrusts. CHAPTER IV. W'Vch Tom Catches an Enchanted Pih.snd Discourses of the Dangers cfYre.r.urs Hunting. -:1ii'ninc: was a little overcast, . .'. -ri northeast wind soon set the ctcs aoving as it went liuniming ta & sills, an-,1 the sun. coming out In glory over the crystalline waters, u$ a fine flashing world of it, full if exhilaration and the very breath of with awl adventure, very uplifting to tie heart. Safsan looked very pretty in the morning sunlight, with its pink v and jiite houses nestling among palm tees and the masts of its sponging schooners, ana soon we were ttureusi of tie picturesque low-lying fort, Fort Hostage, that Major Bruce, nearly two hundred years ago, had such a time building as a protection against res entering from the east end of the harbor. It looked like a veri table piece of the past, and set the Imagination dreaming of those old days of Spanish galleons and the black lag. and brought my thoughts eagerly back to the object of my trip, those ioAons and pieces of eight that lay la glittering heaps somewhere out in te island wildernesses, lien Tom came up with my break- te. The old fellow stood by to serve Then Ten Came Up With My Break fast. e as I ate, with a pathetic touch of slavL'ry daJ"s in llis deferential, '' 'liitherly manner, dropping a tetit remark every now and again ; !- hMl drawing my attention to the bursting through the clouds, he .?he poor man's blanket is com 15 af' Sih" phrases in which there ed a whole lot of pathos to me. miT5ently' when Dreakfast was over, a i stood looking over the side into e Credibly clear water, in which Hons hardly possible that a boat on floating, suspended as she i&s nvpr -j, i.- guns UJ. liquiu wee. (im,- 4i . ... . 0 mrougn wnicn at every Mnt it seems she mugt dizziiy fali. Trim nj T , - . 4oto gazea aown, iosi in jjC. elljow saying with peculiarly uucuon: "e wonderful works of God." 11 Was n . ho h 7 unwelcome passenger, e ! , si'ently edged up to where taw 1 l00ked at him, with the hat ,. 'J ciear in my eyes as to as. m of disagreeable animal he "free1 I hart 'f ely" 1 saJd, and moved away. t een trvinrr tn -Pool mnro IHnrl. nnrtprlncr orliot'her T Amnion . 0Hro V. . .v.. ofGft. v .' uat the wonderful works finished me. Polntin 't captain." I said presently, hd. ume saiIs coming up rap- VhtT.,Us- "What's this? I e harbor fastest boat In Captain. B" singer," said Captain was a man of few The Susan B- was a rnkish-lnnMnf? Mth ouid r t mi ana sn ' '-till. Vrt J. - but I did fnn T arT111 slgnal t0 1116111 ln S8 to 2?' hfs Presence was be I8 radv tl n my nerves, and I 2thjn:J?n8,et "edgy" at anything iS5jmta4ed state of mind SYNOPSIS. "which I presently took out on George the .engineer, who did not belie Ms hulking appearance, and who was for ever letting the engine stop and tak ing forever to get it going again. One could almost have sworn he did it on purpose. ; , My language was more forcible than classical had quite a piratical flavor, in fact ; and my friend of wonder ful works of God" looked up with a deprecating air. Its effect on George was nil, except perhaps, to further deepen his sulks. "And this I did notice, after a while, that my remarks to George seemed to have set up a certain sympathetic ac quaintance between him and my pas senger, the shackly deckhand being ap parently taken in as an humble third. They sat forward, talking-together, and my passenger read to them, on one occasion, from a piece of printed pa per that fluttered in the wind. The captain was occupied with, his helm, and the thoughts he didn't seem to feel the necessity of sharing; a quiet, poised, probably stupid man, for whom I could not deny the respect we must always give to content, however, simple. He was a sailor, and I don't know what better to say of a man. So.l'or companionship I was thrown back upon Tom. I felt, too, that he was my only friend on board, and a, vague feeling had coirie over me thai within the nest few hours I might need a friend. "Are we going too fast for fishing, Tom?" I asked. . . -- - "Not tpo fast for a barracouta," said Tom ; so we put out lines and watched the stretched strings, and listened to the sea. After a while Tom's line grew taut, and we hauled in a five-foot bar racouta. ".Look!" said Tom, as he pointed to a little writhing eel-like shape, about nine inches long, attached to the belly of the barracouta. , "A sucking fish !" said Tom. "That's good luck;" and he proceeded to turn over the poor creature and cut "'from his back, immediately below his head, a fiat inch and a half of skin lined and stamped like a rubber sole the device by which he held on to the belly of the barracouta much as the circle of wet leather holds the stone In a schoolboy's sling. ' "Now," he said, when he had It clean and neat in his fingers, "we must hang this up and dry it in the north east wind; the wind is just right norMior'east and there is no mascot like it, specially when" Old Tom hesitated, with a slyly innocent smile in his eyes. "What is it, Tom?" I asked. "Well, sir, I meant tojsay that this particular part of a sucking fish, prop erly dried In the northeast wind, Is a wonderful mascot when you're going after treasure." "Who said I was going after treas ure?" I asked. "Aren't you, sah?" replied Tom, "asking your pardon." "Let's talk it over later on, when you bring me my dinner, Tom." Later, as Tom stood, serving my coffee, I took it up with him again. "What was that you were saying about treasure, Tom?" I asked. "Well, sar, what I meant was this: that going after treasure Is a danger ous business . . . It's not only the living you're to think of " Here Tom threw a careful eye for'ard. "The crew, you mean?" He nodded. "But it's the dead too." "The dead, Tom?" "Well, sar, there was never a buried treasure yet that didn't claim Its vic tim. Not one or two either. Six or eight of them, to my knowledge and the treasure just where it was for all that. I das'say'lt sounds all foolish ness, but it's true for all that. Some thing or other'll come, mark my word just when they think they've got their hands on it: a hurricane or a tidal wave or an earthquake. And well, the ghost laughs, but the treasure stays there all the same." "The ghost laughs?" I asked. "Eh! of course; didn't you know every treasure is guarded by a ghost? He's got to keep watch there till the next fellow comes along, to relieve sentry duty, so to speak. He doesn't give it away. BIy no! He dassn't do that. But the minute someone else Is killed, coming looking for it, then he's free and the new ghost has got to go on sitting there, waiting for ever so long till someone else comes look ing for it." "But what has this sucking fish got to do with it?" And I pointed to the red membrane already drying In Tom's hand. "Well, the man who carries this In hrs pocket won't be the next ghost," he answered. "Take good care of It for me, then, Tom," I said, "and when it's properly dried let me have It. For I've a sort of idea I may have -need of It, after all." And just then old Sailor, the quietest member of the crew, put up his head into my nanas, as tnough to say that he had been unfairly lost sight of. "Yes, and you too, old chap that's right. Tom and you and I." And then I turned in for the night. CHAPTER V. In Which We Begin to Understand Our Unwelcome Passenger. As I yawned and looked out of my cabin soon after dawn, about 4:30 next morning, there was no wind at all, and no hope of wind. As I stood out of the cabin hatch, however,, there was enough breeze to flutter a piece of paper that had been caught in the mainsail halyard; it flu tered there lonely in the morning. Nothing else was astir but it and I and I took it up In my hand Idly. . As I did so George reared his hoad for'ard. " 'Morning, George," I said; "I guess we've got to run on gasoline today." "There ain't no gasoline, fiir. It's run out In the night." "The tanks were filled when, we started, weren't they?" I asked. "Yes, sir." "We can't have used them up so soon ..." "No, sir but someone has turned the cocks" . . I stood dazed for a moment, wonder ing Jt,hjtjflflh j-Wiry jts v - f- "Tom and You and I." then a thought slowly dawned upon "Who has charge of them?" I said. ' George looked a little stupid, then defiant. . JJ'' "I gee.V I said ; and, suddenly, with oiiC remembering Charlie Webster's ad vice not to lose your temper with a ne gro I realized that this was no acci' dent, but a deliberate trick, something indeed in the nature of a miniatur mutiny. That fluttering paper I had picked from the halyard lay near mj breakfast table. I had only half rea" it. Now Its import came to me witt full force. I had no firearms with me Having a quick temper, I have made h a habit all my life never to carry a gun because they go off so easily. But one most essential part of a gentle man's education had been mine, so I applied it instantly on George, with the result that a well-directed blow under the peak of the jaw sent him sprawling, and for awhile speechless, in the cockpit. "No gasoline?" I said. And then my passenger I must give him credit for the courage put up his head for'ard, and called out : "I protest against that; it's a cow ardly outrage. You wouldn't dare "to do it to a white man." "Oh, I see," I rejoined. "So you are the author of this precious paper here, are you? Come over here- and talk it over, if you've the courage." "I've got the courage," he answered, In a shaking voice. "All right," I said; "you're safe for the present and, George, who Is so fond of sleep, will take quite a nap for a while, I think." "You English brute I" he said. "You English brute i" he had said; and the words had impelled me to in vite him aft; for I cannot deny a cer- tain admiration for him that had mys teriously grown up In me. "Come here!" I said, "for your life is safe for the time being. I would like to discuss this paper with you." He came and we read it together, fluttering as I had seen It flutter in his fingers as he read it for'ard to the en gineer and to the deckhand. It began : "Think how many we are! Think what we could do ! It isn't either that we haven't Intelligence if only we were to use it. We don't lack leaders we don't lack courage we don't lack martyrs ; all are ready " I stopped reading. "Why don't you start then?" I asked. "We're waiting for Jamaica," he an swered; "she's almost ready." "It sounds a pretty good idea to me," I remarked, "from your point of view. 'From your point of view,' re member, I .said ; but you mustn't think that yours is mine not for one mo ment O dear no! On the contrary, my point of view is that of the gov ernor of Nassau, or his representative, quite nearby, at Harbour island, Isn't it?" My pock-marked friend grew a trifle green as I said this. "We have sails vstill, remember," I re sumed. "George and the lost gasoline are not everything. Five hours, with anything of a wind, would bring us to Harbour island, and with this paper in my hand it would be what do you think yourself? The gallows?" My friend grew grave at that, and seemed to be thinking hard inside, making resolutions the full force of which I didn't understand till later, but the immediate result of which was a graciousness of manner which did not entirely deceive me. "Oh," he said, "I don't think you quite mean that. You're Impulsive as when you hit that poor boy down there" "Well," I observed, "I'm willing to treat you better than you deserve. "So, I'll say nothing about this, if you like" (pointing to the manuscript), "and If the wind holds, put you ashore tomor row at Spanish Wells. I like you in spite of myself. Is it a bargain?" On this we parted, and, as I thought, with a certain friendliness on both sides. . There was no sailing wind, so there was nothing to do but stay where we were all day. I spent, most of the time in my cabin, reading a novel, and, soon after nine, I fell asleep In a frame of mind unaccountably trustful. I suppose that I had been asleep about three hours when I was dis turbed by a tremendous roar. It was Sailor (who always slept near me) out on the cockpit with a man undev his paws his jaws at the man's throat. I called him off, and saw that it was my pock-marked friend, with ls right hand extended in the cockpit and a re volver a few inches away from it. So far as I knew it was the only firearm on the ship. "Let's get hold of that first, Sailor," I said, and I slipped it Into-my hip pocket. . "Wake up, Tom," I called, and, "wake vp, captain!" Meanwhile, I took out the revolver from my hip pocket, and held it over the man I. seemed to grow more and more sorry for. . . ' Veve not only got a mutiny ahftwi-rt." I told the captain, "but we've :W. ,,- ?-- Independent, Elizabeth city, got trearithlTBrriish government Do you want ta Stand for that? Ori shall I put you ashore with the restl" Unruffled as usual,' he had nothing to say beyond t ' " . "Ay. ay. sir!" - "Take this cord, then," I ordered him and Tom, "and bind the hands and feet jf this pock-marked gentle-' man here; also or jueorge, engineer ; and also of Theodore, the deckhand. it Was Sailor His Jaws at a Man's Throat. Bind them well. And throw them into the dingy, with a bottle of water apiece, and a loaf of bread. By noon, we'll have some wind, and can make our way to Harbour island, and there I'll have a little talk with the com mandant." And as I ordered, all was done. Tom and I rowed the dingy ashore, with our three captives bound like three silly fowls, and presently threw them ashore with precious little ceremony. Then we got back to the Maggie Dar ling, with Imprecations In our ears, and particularly the promises of the pock-marked rebel, who announced the certainty of our meeting again. Of course we laughed at such threats, but I confess that, as I went down to my cabin and picked up the "manifesto," which had been forgotten in all the turmoil, I could not-escape a certain thrill as I read the signa ture for It was: "Henry P. To bias, Jr." That night we made Harbour Island, and met that welcome that can only be met at the lonely ends of the earth. The commandant and the clergyman took me under their wings on the spot, and, though there was a good hotel, the commandant didn't consider it good enough for me. I liked the attitude they took toward my adventure. Their comments on "Henry P. Tobias, Jr." and the paper C had with me, were specially enlight ening. "The black men themselves," thev both agreed, "are all right, except, oi course, here and there. It's fellowa like .this precious Tobias, real white trash the negroes' name for them H apt enough that are the danger foi the friendship of both races. And It's the vein of a sort of a literary ideal ism in a fellow like Tobias that makes him the more dangerous. He's not all to the bad" "I couldn't help thinking that too," I interrupted. "Oh, no," they said, "but he's a bit mad, too. That's his trouble. He's got a personal, as well as an abstract. grudge against the British govern ment." "Treasure?" I laughed. "How did you know?" they asked. "Never mind; I somehow got the idea." . "Take a word of advice. Have a few guns with you, for you're liable tc need them." "I agree," I remarked. "I'll take the guns all right, but I'm afraid Til need some more crew. I mean Til want an engineer, and another deck hand." And, just as I said this, there came up some one post-haste from the vil lage; some one, too, -that wanted the clergyman, as well as me, for my cap tain was 111, and at the point of death. "What on earth can be the trouble?" I said, but, the three of us, including the commandant went. We found the Captain lying in his berth, writhing with cramps. "What, on earth have" you been doing with yourself, Cap?" I asked. "I did nothing, sir, but eat my din ner, and drink that claret you were kind enough to give me." "The half-bottle of claret?" "Yes, sir, the very same." "Well, there was nothing to hurt you in that," I said. "Did you take it half and half with water, as I told you?" "I did indeed, sir." "It's very funny," I said. And then as he began to writhe and stiffen, . I called out to Tom: "Get some rum, Tom, and make it'boiling hot, quick quick ! We must get him into a sweat." Very soon we did. Then I said to Tom: "What do you make out of this smell that's coming from him, Tom?" ' "Kerosene, ear," said Tom. "I thought the very same," I said. 1 Tom beckoned me to go with him to the galley, and showed me several quart bottles of water standing on a shelf. . "Two of these we're kerosene," he said "and I suppose Cap made a mis-; take;" for one looked as clear as the other. - - a - Then I took one of them back to the captain. "Was it a bottle like this you mixed with the claret?" I asked. "Sure , it was, sir," he answered, writhing hard with the cramps. "But man!"I said. "Couldn't you tell the difference between that and "water?" - - - . " - . n. c. " vi thought it tasted funny, boss, but I. wasn't used to claret.", " v And then we had to laugh again, and I thought old Tom would die. , - "A nigger's stomach and his head," said the commandant, "are about , the same. I really don't "know which is the stronger." - --y. ' The Captain didn't die, though he came pretty near to It. In fact, he took so long getting on his feet, that we couldn't wait for him ; so we had practically to look out for a new crew, with the exception of Tom, and Sailor. The commandant proved a good friend to us in this, choosing three somewhat characterless men, with good "char ac55rs.'V .i-.w-w:,; As we said goodby; with a spanking southwest breeze blowing, I could see that he was a little anxious about me. "Take care of yourself," he said, "for you must remember none of us can take care of you. . There's no set tlement where you're golng-r-no tele graph or wireless ; you could be mur dered, and none of us hear of it for a month, or forever. And the fellows you're after are a' dangerous lot, take my word for it. Keep a good watch on your guns, and we'll be on the. lookout for the first news of you, and anything We can do we'll be ther, you bet." (TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) NOTICE I will sell at Public Auction, Schr. Georgia A. Gaskins, with all sails, anchors and chains. Stranded near Hatteras Inlet Station- with ruddei gone and very bad condition. Sale tc take place, July 26th, 1919 on board the schr. W. L. 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The Independent (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
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July 18, 1919, edition 1
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