41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
"
/ am Relieved of my Burden
gage pile. I saw him blink unconcernedly
and then
stare stupidly as I called out again:
Captain, Captain, my gold is overboard "
!
He swore a blood-curdling oath and called the lighter
man.
"What about this?" he asked. "Man says he has
lost his gold overboard." His speech was thick and
almost incoherent, while his tone was full of indifference.
But the lighterman was all
sympathy
in an instant.
"Bill," he shouted, "signal
for a stop!"
In those first breath-breaking moments of my ter
rible loss it seemed to me that it took the villainous
Bill half an hour to get his lantern and make the signal
;
and when he did so there was no response from the tug.
I heard the quick of the launch and
"put-put!"
instinctively I felt that the presence of that nightcruising
craft was in some way
connected with the loss
of my treasure. I turned quickly to the lighterman.
"Your man Bill," I cried, "pushed my
box over
board, and those fellows who are following us in the
launch will try to get
it. I m going to take the small
boat towing behind there and see that they don t rob
me. Will you come and help me ?
"I can t,"
he said. "I can t leave till she stops.
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