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About The Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) 1908-1969 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1920)
PIECE Eien BEING THE AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE TtcACHDt nKrnvFRFD'IN THF BAHAMA, rtvrM TH THF PIIRIir ' 'iW5U:l 7 '(W ) 'I of Yly La 6? RicliaixJ Le (fallrmf Book I. CHAPTER L Introduce! tha Secretary of the Treat- ury of Hie BrlUnnlo Majesty's Goo ernment at Nassau, New Provi dence, Bahama Islanda, During the summer of 1903 I w paying what must hare seemed like an interminable visit to my old friend John Saunders, who at that time filled with becoming dignity the high-sounding office of secretary of the treasury of his majesty's government. In the quaint Utile town of Nassau. In the island of New Providence, one of those Bahama Islands that lie half lost to the world to the southeast of the Caribbean sea and form some what neglected portion of the British AVest Indies. Time was when they had a sounding name for themselves in the world; when- the now sleepy little harbor pave shelter to rousing freebooters 'aud tarry pirates, tearing In there un der full sail with their loot from the Spanish Main. Bat those heroic days are gone, and Nassau is given up to a sleepy trade in sponges and tortoise shell, and peace Is no name for the drowsy tenor of the days under the palm trees and the scarlet poinclunas. Here a hr.mlful of Englishmen, clothed In the white linen suits of t!:o tropics, carry on the government after the traditional manner of Brit ish colonies from time immemorial, each of them, like my friend, not with out an English smile at the humor of the thing, supporting the dignity of offices with Impressive names lord chief Justice, attorney general, speak er of the house, lord high admiral, colonial secretary and so forth. My friend the secretary of the treasury Is a man possessing In an un common Ucruc that rare and most at tractive of human qualities, conipin lonableness. As we sit together In the hush of his snuggery of an evenlug. surrounded by guns. Ashing Hues and old prints, there are times when we scarcely exchange a dozen words be tween dinner and bedtime, and yet we have all the time a keen and sat isfying sense of companionship. It Is John Saunders' gift. Companionship seems quietly to cote out of htta, without the need of wools. And occasionally we have as third In those evening conclaves a big. slow smiling, broad-faced young im-rehnut of the same kidney. In he drops with a nod and a smile, and takes his place In the smoke cloud of our meditations, radiating without the effort of speech that good thing humanity; though one must not forget the one subject on which now and agjln the good Charlie Webster achieves eloo.uence In spite of himself duck shooting. John Saunders' subject Is shark fishing. Duck shooting and shark fishing. It Is enough. Here, for sen sible men, Is a sufficient baslsafor life long friendship, and unwearying. In exhaustible companionship. It was In this peace of John Saun ders' snuggery one July evening In 1903, the three of ns being duly met and ensconced In our respective nrm chairs, that we got onto the subject of burled treasure. It was I who smart ed us off by asking John what he knew about buried treasure. At this John laughed his funny little quiet laugh. "Curled treasure!" he said; "well, I have little doubt that the Islands ore full of It If one only knew how to get at It," "Seriously?" I asked. "Certainly. Why not? Weren't these Islands for nearly three centu ries the stamping ground of all the pirates of the Spanish Main? Morgan was here. Blackbeard was hero. The very governors themselves were Utile better than pirates. This room we are sitting iu win the denofont of the biggest rosues of them all John Tin ker the governor when Bruce was here building Fort Montague at the east end yonder; building It Against pirates, nnd little else but pirates at the Government houso all the time. A g"cat old time Tinker gave the poor fellow. You can rend all about It In his 'Memoirs.' Nassau was the ron deivous for all the cutthroats of the Caribbean sea. Here they came In with their loot, their doubloons and pieces of eight ;" nnd Johu's eyes twin kled with enjoyment of the1 rich old romantic words, as though they were old port. "Here they squandered much of It, no doubt, but they couldn't squander It all. Some of them were thrifty knaves, too, ivnd these, looking around for some place of safety, would naturally think of the bush. The triggers keep their little hoards there to this day.'' "It Is their form of stocking," put In Charlie Webster. 'Precisely, Well, as I was saying, those c'd fellowa would bury their hoards In some cave or other, and then go off and get hanged. Their ghosts perhaps came back. But their money Is still hero, lots of It, you bet your life." "Po they ever make any finds?" 1 asked. "Nothing big that I know of. A Jug full of old colus now and then. I "Those Old Fellows Would Bury Thtlr Hoards," " found one a' year or two ago In my garden here burled dowtj among the roots of that old fig tree." "Then," put In Charlie, "there was that mysterious stronger over at North Cay. He's supposed tu have got away with quite i vile," "Tell me about him," said I, "Well, there used to be an old ec centric character In the town here a hnlfbrecd by the name of Andrews. John will remember him " John nodded. "He used to go around all the time with a big umbrella, and muttering to himself. W used to think him half CMty, Cone so brooding over this very subject of burled treasure. Bet ter ItMik out, young man I" smiling at mo, "lie used to ho ulways grubbing about In the bush. Well, several years ago there came a visitor from New York, 'anil he got thick with the old fellow. They used to go about a lot together, and wore often off on so called fishing trips for days on end. Actually, It Is believed, they were afler something on North Cay. At all events some months afterward the New Yorker disappeared as lie had come aud has not been heard from since. But since then they liavo found a sort of brick vault over there which has evidently been excavated. I have seen It myself. A sort of walled cham ber. There, It's supposed tho New Yorker found something or other. That'i the slory for what It's worth." As Charlie finished Johu slapped his knee. "The very thing for youl" he sold; "why have I never thought of It be fore?" "What do you mean, John?" we both asked. "Why down at the office I've got the very thing. A pity I haven't got It here. You must come In and see It tomorrow."- "What on oarsh la It? Why do yon keep us guessing?" "Why, It's un old manuscript that come Into my hands a short time ago, Charlie, you remember old Wicks old Billy Wlcks-'Wreiker' Wicks, they railed him " "I should say I do, A wonderful old villain" "But the document, for heaven's sake," I said. "Tho document first; tle story will keep." "Well, they were pulling down Wicks' own house Just lately, nnd out of tho rafters there fell a roll of pa per now I'm coming to It a roll of pnper, purporting to be the account of the burying of a certain treasure, tell ing the place where It 'Is burled, aud giving directions for finding It" Charlie and I exclaimed together; and John continued, with tuntullilng deliberation; . "It's a statement purporting to be made by some fellow on his death tedsome fellow dying out In Texus a ctondnm nlrate. anxious to mat" his peace at the end and to give bis friends the benetlt of bis knowledge." Hill, John I" said I, "1 shan't sleep a wink tonight." "1 don't dike much stock Iu II," said John. "I'm Inclined o think It's i hoax. Someone trying to fool Hie uld fellow, , , , But, boys, It's bed time, anyhow. Come down to tin olllee In the morning n ml we'll loot It over." Rti our meeting broke tip for tin lime being, and tailing my cnmlle I went upstairs, to diciiin of caves over flowing with gnldpleces, olid John Tin ker, tierce and mustachioed, slniidln: over me, a cutlass between his tucth nud a revolver In each hand. Jfi 111 -jj fl Sec. wU wtfounl in jour awikase oil! THIS lens shows some of the dirt that can be found in any crankcase after a few weeks of driving road dust, carbon and fine particles of metal. Such dirt circulates with the lubricating oil through the engine, together with gasoline that escapes past the pistons and dilutes the oil Have the dirty, diluted oil in your crankcase drained out-nou-before unnecessary wearbegins. We can do that best for you with Modern Crankcase Cleaning Service convenient, quick, economical. We use Calol Flushing Oil, the scien tific, thorough flushing agent which does not con taminate the fresh oil. We assure proper lubri cation for your engine by refilling the cleaned crankcase with Zerolene of the correct grade. Make a regular habit of Modern Crankcase Cleaning Service.lt gives better engine perform ance and longer life to your car. . MONMOUTH GARAGE Graham & Son Props. CHAPTER II. Tht Narrative of Htnry P, Tobias es-Plrate, as Dictated cn His Doth bed, In tht vMr of Our Lord 1850 Tho goid John hid scarcely mad. his leisurely, distinguished appearand at his desk on tho iiioi'mw when I tot entered by one door ami I'hurllt Web ster by tho other. "Now for the document," we boll exclaimed In a breath. "Hero It la." he sold. Inking up i rntlier grliny-looklng roll of foolscni from In front of til in, which, ns hi pointed out, was evidently the wml of a person of very llttlo education and botiiti to read ns follows; County st Travel, gists ol Tumi, December IM. Willis my end Is war, I muk lh ful lowing iuuiikmiI ol niy own fre will sin without aollcltatlon. In full eierciae of i n. y facultlea, nnd fuel Hint 1 tin doing lit) duty by so doing. 1 waa born In iht rlty of Liverpool, K"C land (n th tth day ol Decumiior I.MI My footer waa a eaaman slid when I wto youni 1 followed tin Hums occupation And It happened, that when, oa s paaita, from Spain to th Weal tndiee, our mill was sturlicd by rroo-trudari, tho called thiittlvi, but they wcr plraiti N til did our but, but wars ovtr ltowrd, sod the wtiula crow, sxrp tlirot, won killed. I u on ol tti Mum limy did not kill. Tiny curried ui bonnl thrtr ship and kept us until nrxi diy wlwn Ihi.y kd ua to Join tham Tlmy irird to K"t ua to Join tham willing ly, but wa would nut, whan tliay pmaim enruicud nnd loaded ttin-s Ottinton and Inahad each una ol us befora the nioull. ol uch cannon and told ua to Hike our choice to loin thorn al they would luucb the lima and that damn oulrk. It la ua. tana to say w a. coined verthlu( baton death, so wa cams on ol Ilia pirates' crew, both of my companions wara killed In Iras Urn than sis momha, but I waa with them lor more than two years, In which tlm we collected a vaat quantity f vi muiiv nuui ooterviit enilte wa CBpiuieu i and w burlud a great amount In two I different lots. I helped to bury It with my own hands. Tlie loratlun of which It la my purpoa to point out, so that It can be lound without trouble In lha Bahama lalnnda. After I had been Willi them for nior than two years, we were attacked by a la rue warahlp and our commander told us to ftsbl for our Uvea, as It would b death If w war taken, tlut tha suha of our ship wara too arnall lor the war ahlp, so our ablp soon txitun to sink. when tha man-of-war ran alonsaid of our veaaeli and triad to board ua. but w wen- Sloklng too fuat, ao ah bad to haul oft amort,, whan mir reaaer'aank with every Uilnt on hoard, and I weaned by swim mlng under tha item of th ahlp, al oura sunk, without being aern, and holding on to tha ship until d.trk, when I awain to a portion ol tha wrecked vernal floating not lar away. And oa that I floated. The neat morning th ship was not seen. I waa . picked up by a paaalng veeaal the next day as a shlpwrrked seaman. And let me say her, I know that no on eacaped allv from our vaaael except myaelf and thoaa that war taken by tha man-of-war. And thoaa war all eitrutad aa plralee-eo I know that no other man knowa of thla treneure eept myai.lt and It must be and Is where we burled It until today and unleaa you get It through thla statement It will remain ther always and do no on any good, Tnarerore, It la your duty to trnc up and get It for your own benefit, as wall aa others, so delay not, but act as soon sa poasioia. I will now describe the placet, locations. marks, etc., etc., ao plainly that It can be round, without any trouble, The fliHt li a sum of one million snd s nair doiiari (U.wo.ooo)- At this point John paused, We all took a long breath, nnd Charlie Web nter gave a soft whlstlo and suiuckcd his lips. "A million and a hr.lf dollars. What hoi" , Then I, happening to cast my eye through tho open door, caught sight of a face gazing through tho Ironwork of tho outer olllee with a died and glittering expression, a fuce anything but prepossessing, the fnco of a half breed, deeply pockmarked, with a coarse hook nose and cvll-Iooklngeyes, unnaturally close together, It was evident from his expression that he had not inlsscd a word of the reading. "There Is someone In the ouler of fice," I Bald, and John rose and went out. "Good morning, Mr, Saunders," said nn unpleasantly soft and cringing voice. , - "Good morning," snld John, some, what grumpily, "what Is It you want?" It wus some detail of account, which, being dispatched, the man shuffled off, with evident reluctance, casting a long, Inquisitive look at us seated at the desk, and John, taking up the man uscript once more, resumed: .... a sum of on million and one half dollarsburled nt a cny knowa ai licud Men's Blines, noar Nubbiiu, in th Bahama Islands, About fifty feet (00 ft.) south of thla Dead Men's Shoos la a rock, on which we cut th form of a oonmaaa. And twenty font (20 ft.) liast from the cay Is another rock on which w cut a croaa (X). Under this rock It Is burled four tout (t ft.) deep. The other Is a sum of on million dollars (11,000,01X1). It Is burled on what waa known as Short Shrift Island; on the highest polat of this Short Shrift Inland Is a torse cabbage wood stump and twenty feet (20 ft.) south of that stump la the treasure, burled five feet (5 ft.) deep and can be found without difficulty. Short Shrift Island U a place where paining vessels stop to get fresh water. No great aiaiance irom Nassau, so It can be eailly found. The first pod was taken from a Spanish merchant and It Is In Spanish silver dollars. , The other on Short Shrift Island Is In different kinds of money, taken from dif ferent ships of different natloni-lt Is all good monoy. . . Now friends, I have told you all that Is necessary for you to know to roenvnr those treasures and 1 leave It In your hands ami It la tnv reauest that when you roan tmt, you win at one ua nap to recover It, and whan you gt II, It I my wleh that you na It In a way niual K"d to youi aclf and ulhtrs, TIUs Is all I ask, ( I am, truly your friend, ilL'NUV f. TQUIAS. "Henry P. ToWnsT" nl! Chsrlla Webster. "Never heard of hint Did you, John J" "Never I" And then thera was stir In tha outer (illicit. Someone was asking for the seerelury of (he treasury. Bo John rose, 1 must tot to work now, boys, nt can talk It over tonight." And then, limiillng hie the manuscript: "Take It home with you, If you Ilka, tnd look It over at your leisure." As Charlie Webster and I passed mt Into lh. street I noticed Iht fel low of tho sinister pockmarked vlaago muiiillng near the window of Iht In ner oftlco. The window was ntien, and anyone standing outside could easily have heard everything that passed limltle. As tlu fellow caught my tyt he Vnllcd unpleasantly and slunk off lowu the street. "Who Is that fellow T I asked Char !e. "He's a queer-looking specimen." "Yes! he's no good. Yet he'i mora Who Is That Fillowr I Charlie. Alktd lilt linlf-Hltted thiin bad, perhaps, fuce Is against him, poor devil. And we went our wayt till tht tve nlng, to post homo to the further iiinly of the narrative. There, tested on the pleasant veranda, I went over It Carefully, sentence by sentcne. While I was rending, someone called me Indoors, I put down lha manu script on .the llttlo bamboo tablt at my side and went In. When I re turned t few moments afterward tht manuscript waa gontl Continued next week Best of All Holidays TAKING It all In all, It ran ' ba safely ssaened l'.,r J Christinas Is themerriet at.ii ' ' best of all holidays, nnd which Is likely to be ohm rve ' -ages yet to come. No fir rise and fall, new belief" n llglons may sweep h i but that wouhl c dreary and empty t brought no merry '' its minimi roii...' therrime Ion. . day 'to mniikiiiM hearts" of ull'wlih i -and may eueh C'Iii'Ikiuiiii still merrier than the luxl An Ancient Christmas Dish An Indispensable Christmas dish of ancient times was "frumenty" ol "frtimunte." Here Is the recipe for making the dish according to a faith ful old chronicler: "Take clean wheat nnd brny It In a mortar until the hulls he all gone off, and seethe It until It burst, nnd Inke It up and lot It cool: nnd tnke clean, fresh broth and sweat tiilft of nlmuiuls or sweet milk of klnt and temper It all; nnd lake the yolks of eggs, Ilnll It n little nnd set It down aud mess It forth with fat veni son or fresh mutton." Frumenty wtt often served alone without venison or mutton. When served by Itself II wat well sweetened. A BIG. JOKI Duoki Now I hop I wtn't get t treatlta en "How to Swim" for a Chalet mat gift Up In tht Air. Tho Maglstrate-What't tht chant against his man, officer) The Air Cop He was speeding In I high-power racing plane and ran down a child's goplnne.
