41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
How
"
"
The Lure o 9
Gold
quickly, my side of the craft rising high.
At the same
time there was a shock as of the striking of a wave.
"
"
That was a hard one !
I heard a passenger call out.
I love one of these crazy flatboats !
"Likely to turn turtle any minute,"
said another pas
senger, with a gasp.
As the little craft heeled over on my side, I heard a
commotion forward, where some of the topmost bag
gage of the hastily thrown together pile
the deck.
had fallen on
I turned to look ahead in the darkness, and
heard the lighterman swearing and the Captain bawling
out orders.
At that moment I heard a
water, and, turning quickly, my eye
"
"
chug
in the
did not catch the
precious square object it had held in view all day long.
The legs of the cumbersome Bill were, I thought, ob
scuring my sight of it;
but as they were quickly with
drawn, the man starting forward with a "What s the
matter, there ?
The
"
"
chug
I saw at a glance that my treasure was
gone.
ing of the heavy box into the water.
I had heard was made by the fall
"My gold is overboard!" I shouted to Captain
"
Transome. Stop her please stop her "
!
The Captain stood within ten feet of me and his face
was in the light
of a lantern that was sitting
on the bag-
[46]