THE STORYTELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3391, 24 March 1894, Page 13

THE STORYTELLER.

THE DEAD IHTES SECRET, 1 CONCLUDED ....; , . Hawke's ship sailed and all went well with her, On his arrival in England, as soon as he had taken up his wages and (purchased a suit of clothes, he went down to Ramsgate,, where, in a little off street not far entrance to the pier, dwelt his brother Reuben, This man was by trade a boatmaker. He also owned*' some bathing machines. The brothers had not nietfor some years, nor had they heard from or of each other since they were last together. Yet when Christian, after beating with a little brass knocker upon a little green door, turned the 1 handle and entered straight into a dwelling room, his brother Reuben, who sat at tea with his 'wife, two girls, and 1: his wife's grandfather, exhibited no surprise. Their greeting was simply, "Hello, Christian!" "Well, Rube." Christian sat down and partook of tea with the family, and related his ] adventures, to the" great ; entertainment of the grandfather, who laughed till his cheeks were wet at all the pathetic parts, such as Hawke's description of his thirst and his feeling of loneliness when upon the ocean and when lying the boat at the island. The women cleared away the tea things and, went out; the old grandfather fell asleep; then said j Christian to his brother; "Rube, I'm, down, here to have an airnest chat along with yer." "So I guessed," said Reuben, who resembled his brother in face, manner, and tone of voice. " Still got that cutter o'youm ? "D'yer mean the Petrel?" "Ay.",,. ..,. , " Yes; she's a lying in the west gully. She airn'fc me some good money last year as a pleasure boat. I've been thinking of sending her out a-fishing." "What'sher tonnage?" "Eighteen. Want to buy her Christian?" "Not! : Suppose you and me goes down and takes a look at her." Reuben put on his coat and cap and tho two brothers issued forth, two square figures, the shoregoer rolling in his gait like the seafarer, as though in fact he was as fresh from the heave of the sea as the other. They walked along the pier till they came'abreast of a stout little cutter lying at her moorings in ; the thick of a fleet of smacks hailing from Gravelines, Penzance, and oilier places. Christian viewed her in silence with the critical eye of an old sailor and a ship's carpenter to boot. , "How old is she, Rube?" ; "Nineyear." " She'll do, said Christian, "Rube, I'm going to spin yer a yarn." They went leisurely along the pier, and as they walked Christian told his brother about the skeleton in the tree and the document in Spanish which he had found in the dead man's snuffbox and the paper, also the clay pipe mounted in the bone of an albatross's wing, and the small gold cross. Reuben listened with an eye bright and keen with interest and conviction. The mere sight of the silver box was as convincing to his mind as though he had been carried to the island and stood looking at Argensola's bones and the hole in the tree in which the box of jewels lay hid. That night the two brothers sat up late, in discourse. Christian put £lO upon the table. " That's all I own in the world," said he, " It'll help to victual the boat." "We shall want a navigator." said Rueben. " I'm rather ignorant myself of that art, and I don't suppose you've learnt yourself to read yet, ha'ye, Christian? There's young Bob Maxted knows all about shooting of the sun/ TJs two and him'll be hands enough. Shall we make shares?"

"No," said Christian;"you and me divides. T'otber'li come along on wages." ; "There's no, doubt ajwut the situation of the island, I suppose," said Reuben. "No,": :....,

"Let's look at that Spanish writing again."

Christian produced t thf snuff-box and Reuben opened the paper. "Are you cocksure,"said fastening his eyes upon the din* scrawl, "that there Pedro, as youcall him, gave you the right meaning of this writing 1"

" Yes. And there was ray owi* ixpurience to back his varsion,"

"I'm rather for having it made into English again, Christian," said. Reuben, thoughtfully. "Young Jones down at Consul Hatnmind's office SDeaks Spanish. What d'yer say?"" "No, I'mnoU-going to trust, any man but yoursolf with thesecret, See here, if we come back rich—as'U follow—and you've bin meanwhile and shown "that there paper to someone who understands. it, what T ll be thought? 'Thegaffff be Mowed; the relaytives of that there Mary Ann'll be getting wind of our haul, and'll come upon w for the jewels." This and the like reasoning satisfied Reuben, who presently returned the paper to Christian, an<? after drinking a final glass of grog, the 1 two brothers went to bed.

Next day and for some dayy afterward they were full of business. Young Maxted was willing: to sail with them; they gave out vaguely that they were bound tothe West Indies, partly on pleasure,, partly on business. The truecharacter of their errand was not revealed to Maxted, who had agreed for £6 a month to navigatethe little ship into the West Indian seas and back again, Reuben drew all his savings from the bank, £20,. and this and Christian's £lO formed their capital. They provisioned themselves with forecastle fare, adding some bottled beer and a fewgallons of rum, and on a fine morning at daybreak, when Ramsgate still slumbered and the hush of th& night yet brooded over the harbour,, the three men hoisted their mainsail and jib, and blew softly dowai the gulley and round the head of the pier into the English Channel, which was by this' time white with, the risen sun, and beautiful in the-south-west, where a hnudred ships, that had lain wind bound in thedowns were flashing into canvas and moving like a cloud before thelight easterly breeze. All went well down channel with the little craft. She was a stout and buoyant sea boat, with a dominant sheer of bow, coppered to thebends like a revenue cutter, and' uncommonly stout of scantling for a vessel of her class. She was i». good trim, and she plunged along stoutly, making fine weather of some ugly seas which ridged to her bow as she drove aslant through the bay. By this time young' Maxted had been made acquainted with the cutter's destination, and. was steering a course for the littleisland. He plied his sextant nimbi j and clearly understood his business.. The brothers represanted to hint that the object of their voyage was to recover some treasure which had been washed ashore out of a small Spanish plate ship and buried. "We ain't sure," Christian Hawke told him, "that the island we're bound to is the island where the wreck took place. But the herrant's worth the cost and thetime, and we mean to have a look round anyhow." Maxted was silent; perhaps, with, the proverbial heedlessness of the sailor, he was satisfied to takethings they happened. The actual motive of the voyage could be of no interest to him. All that he had to do was to steer the little ship to an island and receive so many sovereigns in wages on their return.

They made a swift run for so small' a keel; in fact, the island was in. sight at the gray of dawn thirtythree days after the start from Earnsgate. Christian Hawke, with a. telescope at his eye, quickly recognised the central hill, the soft cloudlike mass of green shadow made by the wood or grove on the right, and the slope of the green land to theivory dazzle of sand vanishing in the foam of the charging comber. He warmly commended Maxted's navigation, aud both brothers stared with flushed face9and nostrils wide with expectation at the beautiful little cay that lay floating like a jewel full of gleams upon the calm blue brin* ahead.

They liove to and roundedl at about a mile from the, land, and tKen'fet'go their anchor m'sixteoiv faihduis of water. ,They next.'launchedtheir fat jolly boat smack 'fashion '; through the gangway, and Christian and Reuben 'entered her and pulled away for land, leaving Maxted in charge of the cutter; but little vigilance was needed in such weather as that: the sea was flat and bare, and.as brilliant as thWsky; {hesun the water trembled in a, glory of diamonds to the, delicate brushing of'a hot" light' breeze. Nothing broke' the silence, upon, the .deep save the low, organ-like music of the turf beating on the western and . northern boards"; of. the is-. While Christian, pulled— Reuben steered, the,, boat, with an oar--he, talked of his sufferings; when., in these parts, how,his jaws. had been fixed iiia iiorricligapejjy thirst,-and of, the terror (hat had • beseiged him when Ke looked up'into, the,trees and .beheld. ..the •skeloton.n .They made,(3ii;ecfc for.the Jittle (! creek into' which Christian,.had driven ijiisi boat and where, he! had slept on; thatfirst and only night, he had 1 passed on the island,,and ,when ;her. forefoot, igrpunded .they , sprang,. ami hauled the boat high and dry, and, they with : hearts loud; in .their, ears directed their .steps: toward: the little..wood., ■:■'., Christian; glanced wildly about him,> imagining that in everything his sight: went to hel beheld a tokenof theisland having been recently visited. ! : ■■- .'

• " How' lorijj'll l it be since you were' herej'Ohristiah ?"• mum bled' Reuben, in a"■'' note subdued" by expectation' and other passions.;'• ! , '' ' : . ;

" Five; months," ; said Christian,' hoarsely.'' ' ;: '' /"" '' ''""''''"'''?:' : They 1 came 'to : , the margin' of the little wood/and arrived at'the source of the stream' that ran glitterina; and' straying like pearls amid the tall, green'grass'.that' grew in the bed of, it. "Reuben grasped Christian by! the arm. V

" What's that cried, ; , | It'was a human skull, and close beside it were'the complete bones of, a human skeleton, together, with a. little, heap of I rags.,,;lt .looked; us though the .stuff had beeiv raked together, for. vemoyal ; and for T gotten. ..,., ~., :(';.,;,. ;,:■

"That wasn't how they was left," exclaimed Christian, 'coming, to a halt and .looking at the .bones and, rags. " Thare'g f been a hand arter me. here, in that'job.",., ~ , ! ;; ..\ : ,., . "A boat's .crew may ha'..landed andshovel.led the, stuff, together out of a sprt;o' respect, for the remains of something that; might have been a . sailor,".;, ; exclaimed..:,., Reuben, " Where's the tree with the hole in ifcl"',.v '■,;'.;' :?i' r,- -. ■ :,' Christian walked to.; the' place! where he had>been seated when he saw tlie.skeleton aloft. ■ ■.•■■ - • ." That'll ibe;the tree," said' he. -' It was a large :! tree,'the trunk of; the bigness of an English -ch&tnutbut (1 watfted'in altitude; its' beauty was in'the spread and curve of its branches. ' In ; thehinder part of the' trunk—speaking with regard to; its bearings from the 1 source of' the stream—ab'oufc.five feet above; the ground was a laige hole,' partly concealed, by ! the festooning 'drapery of t!ie : leaves of a rich and Vigorous parasite, which soared in coils to the summit of the tree. Christian put his hand in, ! ',',' V' " ' " Stand by' for snakes V shouted EeubbiV., ; ''".', The other drew out a little common brass tobacco box. TJVliatfs here f cried 'ht"[',/[ "Try'for';the jewel box!" exclaimed Reuben. ',; ~j. !i; ..-. ._. ..' Christian entered his'hand again and felt. . ..,, ;.,. .. : ;>; . : "'there's nothen more here," said i>e.j; :,,',' : ./".;, : v : ;',- "Has jt fallen the l.ottomf "There ain't no thole, for it to fall through,'", cried "Christian... "It's tight as a locker.",:. :.. ' ~,.•' • He lpp ( kd. i at ! |he | ,c.ommort...little. brass tobacco'.l»ox, then opened it, and .found. inside, a slip '.of, paper folded to the. shape 'of the. box, as though in,'imitation of the snuffsioQ. ' The handwriting.was bold sera wl, in "irjk.,' ( Wif;n £ trepbliiig. .'asheii' "face 'i'te,p6br : fellow' DresenWl|tbeV"papo'r to His brother, who, putting- ou his, glasses, read aluild as follows: ' ?; .,. " I' would have been glad to take

a small l share' tb f help to find the jewels, but you would not put a littleftmoney;in|a| was|hojigh by interpreting Luis de Argensola's dying request in writing, I was the instrument of your discovering thai there lay a treasure to your hand; I therefore arranged with,another to seek 'for .the < jewels; the' situation of the island being exactly known 'to ilmej \ -because: ;of your ignorance*of the Spanish language, and iperhaps* of 'the art of reading,; for at .the; end* of' the document in three iilines, i which! ,it did not suit my ! ;,purp'ose!'t6 interpret to you, Don' Luis states how .the island bears, that; in;short,.itis,ibetw,eeE ten and fifteen mile 9 east ofßum Cay.,: My friend, I have ; found the jewels andithankypu for a fortune They consist of ;pearl and .diamonc necklaces,, brooches, biacelets, ear ; rings, smeUing. bottles, ringa, anc diamond ; ornaments fpr v the,;hair I shoul(J. say they not jetchjesi Yourjamig;o : :o Kingston— i., ■^' : . ...!,_;

~" I have left the skeleton iojjrpur )ipus ; care to cpffin and carry; tothe •epresentaiiyes' at VlHagarcia. You ir ill'£nd , ~ ' of the tady ; \Tariana de Mesa in a, cave, on the «rest'side of the* islandl" ; , The two' burst into a .storm of. anil the' littleVwood ran| with;,forecastle and 'long-shore, imprecations. ' When' they had exhausted their passions they knelt and drank from the spring of water, ! th'en ! walked to thd boat, launched he/*! and 'returned to'the cutter.

They arrived' 1 iii England safely in duel • course, But' some time later Reuben was obliged to compound with his creditors; Christian Hawko died in. 1868 on toardship, stilla ; carpenter;/ '' u t% { ' ! ' ; ';