Henry C. Rowland

“ His rifle went spinning out of his hands, and quick as a flash Boles had whipped it up and sent a bullet through his head.
In the boat, little Brown had jumped Durand and shoved his head back over the splintered gunnle until it was in the water, and Emilio was on his feet and stabbing at the swimming man with the boat hook, but fortunately couldn't reach him.
"Cut me loose—damn ye, cut me loose!" I yelled, for a man with his hands tied behind his back is in poor shape for a general knock-down and drag-out. ”

“ Boles went ashore the following morning, and arranged it with Mrs. Hunter, and about one o'clock they came off aboard. I saw at a glance that she would make a jolly shipmate, and I really believe that the lark of the whole adventure appealed to her far more than the treasure itself. Everything about our little packet seemed to interest and please her, and when she saw the efforts that Knapp and I had made to make her stateroom bright and attractive, she seemed very appreciative. ”

“ Funny how a little thing like that will sometimes irritate a man, especially when it's so unjust. That bit of lip almost reconciled me to the surprise they were going to get.
There was a moment's silence, and I heard the boat jar up alongside—then came a piercing scream and a roar of voices all together.
"Hell!" roared Boles; then—bang!—bang! Two reports came almost together. ”

“ Early in the afternoon of the fourth day we sighted Mataborong, and by eight o'clock had dropped anchor off the east end of the island, where, according to the chart, the treasure was hid. Our object was to get the box and get away undisturbed, so Boles, Mrs. Hunter, and I went ashore at once, leaving Knapp in charge of the schooner. We had no difficulty whatever in following the directions of the chart, as it was very simple, consisting only of a rough sketch of the island, which showed three little promontories on the eastern end. ”

“ I suggested, "that lieutenant-man will never get a chance to go down there after his loot, and even if he did it would probably cost him as much as it was worth. Let's make the lady agree to a division into thirds: one to her, one to the boat, and one to the 'luff.' After we get the treasure, if we decide that he is getting too much or too little out of it, we can arrange it accordingly. He'll be in no position to kick!" ”

“ Several months ago there was a certain Volunteer regiment stationed at Mataborong in Mindanao. When they took the place, a lieutenant-man named Durand, in kicking out some loose masonry from the edge of a loophole which had been knocked in the wall of the cathedral, came upon a brass-bound box. He got rid of his men on some pretext, and stowed the box away for the time being. That night he got hold of a canoe and paddled his loot over to an island about a mile off shore, where he buried it, making a careful chart of the surroundings. ”

“ The pearls, it seems, had come by a series of thefts from our English friends in Sulu, passing in turn through the hands of first the divers, next that Malayan-Chino-Visayan mestizo crook, in Jolo, from whom they were stolen by a trader, who was swindled out of them by the presidente of Mataborong, who is a very superior and enlightened man. The padre, learning of the transaction, relieved the presidente of this dangerous wealth for his soul's health, but without his knowledge. ”

“ It's always a good plan to be firm with these natives.
It was mighty tiresome for me, so I went down below and read a book called "Lured Away," but it didn't interest me much, and pretty soon I closed my eyes, and just rested a bit. The next thing I heard was the Filipino kid squalling out from the top. I got up and went on deck.
"What is it?" said I, sort of put out at being disturbed.
He jabbered away and pointed to the shore. I looked over there and saw that the people had got in the boat and were pulling down the beach. ”

“ She claims, with some ingenuity, that her ethical point is the strongest yet, as all is fair in love and war, which gives her a double claim. However, since Durand is apt to go after the chest at almost any time, she has got to do her part of the stealing pretty quickly, if she is going to do it at all, and as she seems to have heard of us in some way or other, she wants to charter the schooner to go after the loot. ”

“ Hunter, to whom, in a moment of folly, he told the story of his loot of the box. They came back to Manila together on the Esmeralda from Hong-Kong, and must have had some little unpleasantness on the way, to judge from her manner in speaking of him. As soon as Durand reported, he was ordered immediately to Calamba, leaving the same day.
"Mrs. Hunter, it seems, has in some way got a copy of Durand's chart. She justly claims that the game is a crooked one all the way through; that Durand was the last one to steal the loot, and she in turn proposes to steal it from Durand. ”

“ Do you think that's a nice way to treat an officer and a gentleman?"
"He's trying to pull a gun!" said Brown in a hurt tone.
"Well, pull it for him, and if he gets frisky, clip him over the head with it," said Boles.
I called out to Emilio to come aboard and look after his mate, and, picking up a heavy line, chucked it to the man who was overboard. He grabbed it and I hauled him in and yanked him up over the side. ”

“ The little fellow, who had a drink or two more than he needed, just sat on his hunkers and made fun of the treasure until I told him to shut his face.
Boles tore up three little pieces of paper and held them out to me.
"Knapp, you can draw for the lady—it's for choice," says he. I drew the middle size.
"Second choice," says Boles. He held his fist out to the lieutenant.
"What's this damn foolishness?" says Durand in an ugly voice. Boles' eyebrows came together and he gave Durand a look that brought the blood into his face.
"It's for your share of the loot, Mr. ”