CHAPTER XXIX.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3099, 15 September 1899, Page 6

CHAPTER XXIX.

THI OILLIBBAND. The fate which had overtaken Burgess, tbree years previously, bad revealed to the watchers the direction of the current which flowed through tbe fateful channel. They thus knew exactly where to look for any wreckage that might be cast up by the •ea, aad they pitched their camp accordingly. The flrst day's search showed them • number of planks belonging to the vessel, Which were strewn along the beach. This was somewhat disappointing, for it pointed to tbe conclusion that tbe Qellibrand had gone to pieces. They were consequently agreeably surprised when on the third day, at low water, they saw the waves breaking over the old hull of the barque tbat bad so long bsen entombed in the gorge. They swam out to it, but as the'sea was gstting rough, thsy could do nothing more than make a hasty survey of the wreck. They bad not calculated on the fact that it would be extremely difficult to get into the hold of the vessel in the position she was stranded, but it seemed fortune was in their favor. During tbe night a strong southerly gale rose, accompanied by a particularly high sea; and when daylight dawned ,to their joy, they saw the Qellibrand had been washed far np on the beach. At low tide tbe vessel would be high and dry, and patiently tbey waited for the wat--r to recede. With something of awe in their hearts they approached the barque when the tide went out, and they were astonished to find the vessel in such an excellent state of pre. ■ervation. They fully expected to have seen a battered eld shell.but in some places the stont planking was quite sound. Save at the stern, wbich had been exposed to the atmosphere, •here was little sign of decay. A strange peculiarity, also, was thk almost total absence of barnacles. I In tbat terrible marine gorge, apparently, I BOt even a barnacle could live. All of the masts, the bulwarks and a portion of the decking were missing. The masts had been snapped off on a level with tbe deck, no doubt when the vessel was swept under the rocky ledge where sbe caught; The bulk was lying broadside on where it been swept up, and as tbey clambered op they saw that the hull was actually watertight and full of water. Tbe two gold seekers had brought with them an axe, saw and other tools, which they thought wonld be necessary, and they at once eagerly set to work to let the water out. This tbey found was not such a very easy matter. Tbe wood of the hull was as tough as leather and of extraordinary thickness, and they were fully two hours occupied in displacing a plank where it had to be taken ent; This work done, the drainage of the hull went slowly on; but, as tbe tide was rising, •hey were /compelled to cease further exertions nntil the next day. Tbat night, as Trenoweth and his friend •at beside the huge fire they had kindled, they speculated as to what would be tbe oat. come of the following day's quest. Charleston was particularly sanguine, but Trenoweth did not have such high hopes as his comrade. It was not at all certain, he argued, tbat the gold stolen from the Nelson had been pnt aboard the Qellibrand.' In fact, it wae currently reported tbat most of tbe Stolen treasure had gone in a ship that had •ailed for America tbe night the robbery took place, and a portion had remained in Tietoria. . Charleston, however, was firm-In his belief that the hulk so near them was the heat into whioh the gold had been taken. . He had no doubt about it, as years before he had received information which placed It beyond argument, : Thus Ihe night bore. on rand both men were to excited that sleep waf oat of the question. Charleston occasionally relieved the sab* leet by narrating to bis companion aome of

the strange stones of life in the early days of 'settlement in the' straits, and when darkness waned and the first blush of morning suffused the eastern sky be was still talking glibly o! singular scenes he himself had witnessed. Two hoars liter the seekers left their camp and wended their way to the bulk of the Oellibrand, or what tbey supposed was tht Oellibraad, for the name had long since ■beea washed -away; •_ ' When the tide receded sufficiently they got to the vessel and found tbat the water was sufficiently low in the hold to allow of ait examination being made. In order to permit of this being properly dome, it was deoided to take out some of the deck planks. • y This was not a difficult job, as much of it had Been' loosened by the breakage oi the masts. In an hour's time a considerable opening had been made and sufficient light was admitted to banish the gloom inside. They had provided thetnaalrea with a rough ladder and.plaoing it in the hold,Trenowetb descended. He bad a lighted candle to assist in the search, and he went into the uncanny place with something very like fear in his heart. lt was, he thought, like entering a grave; and he half expected to see the spectres of the runaway crew, who must; have been drowned when the vessel drove into the awful channel, rise before, bim. There was still two or three feet of water in the hoi 1 and he had almost reached it, when a frightful splashing close to his feet nearly caused his heart to stop. It seemed to him as if a dosen of men were floundering in the watei and trying to get at him. In descending he bad dropped his candle, and the light which came down was but feeble. He called on Charleston, who was standing alone, to come down, and his comrade hastily descended, crying as he went : "it is only fish, man I Do not be frightened I" This reassured Trenoweth, and, though the floundering still continued, he recog nised tbe real cause. When Charleston handed Edward the light he at once saw the cause of bis alarm. An enormous king fish bad by some means got into tha hold and, as tbe water ran out, the huge flsb was partly stranded. The two men got off the ladder and began their search in the hold. It was at once apparent that the barque had not been laden when wrecked, and this .earned to confirm Charleston's belief that ihe had been run away with for some important purpose. With the exception of the stone ballast, there was nothing in the main portion of the hold, but the after part was partly boarded up, the partition being some six feet high. There was a door in it, the iron of whioh was rusted away. The vessel was sunk at the bows, aad this drained the part that was partitioned off. Tbis portion of the hold was not lighted at all, but with the aid of tbe two candles sufficient illumination was obtained. The first object that met the seekers' gaie gave them somewhat of a shook, though it was not quite unexpected — a human skull lay just inside the doorway, but no other portion of the skeleton was visible. Charleston stooped and picked it up, and found tbat it was in a fair state of preservation. As was natural, both men looked keenly at it and noticed that the top was broken in, as if by a terrific blow. At the time Trenowetb thought the injury had been caused after death, through being washed about ; but he afterwards learned something which pot a different complexion on the case. A rumor reached his ears that there had been a scene of murderous assault on board tbeGellibrand shortly before the wreck took place, and that the only man on board who understood navigation bad been foully murdered. 'A ben the gold-robbers seised the barque they put all on board, with one exception, into a boat and sent tbem off. This exception was the captain, and they ordered him to take them to the Tasmanian eeast. He was forced to comply and when, two days later, the coast was actually sighted, they deliberately murdered him, thinking tbey could manage for themselves. A storm rose before they could effect a landing and blew tbem back to Clarke's Island, and their doom. The retribution was certainly a speedy one. Trenoweth and Charleston carefnlly examined round for any other ghastly relics wbich might exist, but not another bone could they find. Going cautiously forward they found evidences that the place had been used as a sleeping apartment. A good quantity of horsehair was strewn around, but the canvas that probably held it had long before disappeared. Some broken wood, like the rungs of chairs, was also scattered about, but the devouring sea had eaten np everything else. The seekers were about to go to the other end of the boat, when something caught Trenoweth's eyes at the extreme end of the apartment wbich caused him to make a closer scrutiny. Jambed against the stern, he saw that there were several small boxes piled one above the other and secured by a board which ran from the floor to the bottom of the deck. Tbis gave the appearance that it had formed a portion of the stern, but he found it was not so. Calling Charleston, he prooeeded to try and get tbe board away. This was not hard to do, as the sea water had eaten away the nails which formerly held it. Both of them at once saw that the long-wisbed-for discovery had been made. There were six strong boxes, such as were used for the carriage of gold by the early escorts. y_ The thick iron bStafr which had at one time bound them hadSom pletely rusted away, and even the iron of the locks had gone. Lifting the top one down, Trenoweth easily, pulled off the top and, as the light shone in, it revealed a mass of rough, dull gold. _• .. Tbe seoond one. contained smelted gold, and the remainder, on examination, were found to hold loose gold chiefly, though soma bullion was also in them. Three years previously Trenoweth would leaped with joy to have thus a fotrune in his grasp A>ut now the discovery.had little charm for bim.

j ; JHe -waß already..a weaituy. man, witu jriches far beyond his wants ; but, as he .looked on the glitterine metal he could not repress a thrill of satisfaction tbat he bad aohieved success, in his quest after the treasure. :jJA. . ..;-.,y ■■■. '■'' A-A ''.--: •. '-'' i He wondered how many lives bad been sacrificed in trying. to get possession of tbe gold. He knew of three at least, and there were probably a dOJsen' others^ It was certain that all on board the Qellibrand^ were lost, but it was never known ex actly what the number was. . "You see now tbat I was quite right in what.l,.told you^" Charleston at last said, jirith .pardonable. pride. • «' ¥es, we havja the gold ; bat what are we going to do with it f In fact, I hare some compunction in taking it at all," replied Trenowetb. "It is very easy to dispose of," answered his companion, picking up a bar of bullion and looking fondly at it. "We ara halves, of course," he added. " I suppose we can soon circulate it if we like. By the by, we must not forget poor Parsons' family," Edward said. '" We can provide for them. That will be our first duty," answered Charleston. " And, aB for your claim to it, is it not ' treasure trove V " " Yts, so far as you are concerned.for you found it; but it is not 'treasure trove* to me. At any rate, you take half and do what you like with it and I will do the same witb my share," Trenoweth replied. After this conversation, the two men began to carry the boxes out of the apart* ment to the foot of tbo ladder, and soon after they had them all out of the bold. A further search made in ths boxes revealed nothing of importance, and the next step was to transport the gold lo the camp. Next morning Charleston want to his place and returned with a horse and cart, and during the night the boxes were safely lodged at his residence. The old hull of the Qellibrand was not inferfered with, and it gradually got broken up and tilted over. At the present moment the visitor to Clarke's ißland may see some of the remains of the stout hull at the spot where it was stranded.