John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein

ping baby, when, happening to glance across several beds, and rows of box, he saw approaching the Daughter of the House. Probably she was looking for him, but he did not think s

n the middle of the garden, which was his fortress, his p

side of the little building, John liked to do his rainy-day and very-hot-weather work. F

ale; and her light hair fluffed itself all about her head, under her wide hat. She wore gold spectacles which greatly enhan

satisfied with the knowledge that the plants through which they swim were put there to purify the water; they are all the time tryin

wn, miss?" pointing to a garden-bench near by, "and I will see what I can do for you."

have. I will do that this evening, and then I will see to it that you shall have those plants, whatever they may be. I do not pretend to be much of

that I have come across!-more beautiful and lovely than anything on the top of the earth; you may be

?" asked the young lady;

ushes and vines and hedges; all sorts of tender waving plants, all made of seaweed and coral, growing in the white sand; and instead of birds flying about among their branches there were little

e seen?" asked the Daughter of the

here was one place where I saw more beautiful sights, more grand and wonderful sights, unde

!" said she, ta

n into something in the night,-we never could find out what it was,-and we stove a big hole in that brig which soon began to let in a good deal more water than we could pump out. The captain he was a man that knew all about that part of the world, and he told us all that we mu

n nervous when I was cruising off Porto Rico. Do you know, mi

he; "I never

it down north of Porto Rico, so that the bottom of it shall rest on the bottom of the sea, the top of that mountain w

as in this deep place; but it is perfectly horrible to think of sinking down

any boats?" ask

erchantman who had lost her boats in a cyclone. One of the things our captain wanted to get

n the water by this time, gave a little hitch and a grind, and stuck fast on something; and if we hadn't been lively in taking in all sail there would have been trouble. But the weather was fine

bout that part of the sea, and, although he knew we were in shallow soundings, he w

at it was. However, we were not sinking any deeper, and that was a comfort; and the captain he believed that if we had had boats we could row to St. Thomas;

er from New York was the other. He was an awful nervous, fidgety, meddling sort of a man, who was on this cruise for the benefit of his health, which must have been pretty well worn out with howling, and yelling, and trying to catch profits like a lively boy catches flies. He was always poking his nose into all sorts of things that didn't concern him, and spent about half

ker was; but I had the advantage of him, for I believed that I could find out, a

aughter of the House, who was

inches high and a foot square, and with both ends open. Then you get a pane of glass and fasten i

perfectly amazed at what you could see through that glass at the bottom of the box! Even in northern regions, where the water is heavy and murky, you can see a good way down; but all about the tropics, where the water is often so thin and clear that you can see the bottom in some places with nothing but your naked eyes, it is perfectly amazing

into the sea; and so I made one, taking care not to let the stock-broker know anything about it, for I didn't want any of his meddling in

hat he might get out of the business if he helped to save the brig, the captain and I, with a few men, quietly let down into the water the aft hatch, one of those big

utside; so, if we could do anything, this was the time to do it. I looked down into the water on our starboard bow, and I soon found the place where the brig had been stove in, probably by some water

different colors, and the white glistening sand, and the fishes, big and little, red, yellow, pink, and blue, swimming about among the branches just as if they had wings instead

ntrancing vision!" said t

than half a minute; for when I turned my water-glass so that I could look under the brig, I could no

d and I stared, until I felt as if my eyes were coming out of my head! At last I had to believe what I saw. Th

fashioned vessels, built 'way up high like a four-story house. These two antiquated vessels were lying side by side and close together, with their tall poops reaching far up toward t

world than those two great old-fashioned ships and myself. The more I looked the more certain I became that no such vessels had floated on the top of the sea for at least two hundred years. From what I had read a

o be wrecked there, side by sid

been fighting each other to the death, and they had gone down together, side by side. And

he stern of the brig, and there was that stock-broker, shouting to me to know what I was lookin

let me get down on your raft. What is it you've b

came along and told him not to try to get down on that hatch, for if he did he would topple into the water and get himself drowned, which would have been certain to happen, for he could not s

had been. It did not make any more difference to him whether those two ships had been down there two

ips has got treasure aboard, and what we've got to

uld you do t

Cape Cod, and it didn't take him two

work day and night in that hold, water or no water, and we'll stop it up. Then we'll pump the brig out, and I believe she'll float. Then we'll mark this place with a buoy, and we'll sail away as fast as we can, with our company all formed

-broker?' said I. 'Going

g his fist down on the table. 'Whatev

rom that spot and perhaps never see those two ships again. There was no knowing what more

that leak and to pump out the brig. If this fine weather keeps on I think we can do it in that time. An

can I do i

p, armor, and everything. It belongs to a diver that was out with me about a year ago in the Gulf of Mexico. He had to go North to attend to some business, and he told me he would let me kn

my whole soul was so jumping and shouting inside of me at the very idea of going down and searching into the secrets of those

sort of thing before were detailed to attend to the air-pumps and all the other business. The stock-broker he was like a bee on a window-pane; he was buzzing, and k

The captain and all the crew, except the men who were attending to me, then went to work to mend the hole in the side of the b

st attention to everything I knew, and I got down to the bottom all right, having a hard t

ter a good deal of trouble, I got on board the vessel which I was sure was a Spanish galleon. As I stood on her upper deck, looking around, I felt as if I was in a world

see if I could find the treasure that I hoped was on board of her. Here and there about the decks I saw swords and pistols and old

n I tell you that a cold chill ran down my back when I saw something moving inside, just as if it was a man getting up to see what I wanted. It turned

ghtened to death!" said t

nd there I saw something to make anybody jump. Sitting on a locker, right in front of the door, was the skeleton of a man. The room had been shut up so tight that no fish big enough to eat bones could get in; but the little things that live in the water and can get through any crack had eaten all of that man except

about their really getting him back to Spain at the time when he was to be brought home in irons. But thinking more about it, I knew that

nest to find the treasure, and I

the House. "You really found the

lid, and had seen that it was filled with big gold pieces, when I felt a pull on my signal-rope, and knew that they wanted me to come up. So I put my fingers into the crack and got out a few of the coins. I could not take a whole

hered there, waiting to hear what I had to tell. They had stopp

, we shut the door on him and kept him out. Then I told the captain everything, and I showed him the three gold coins, which I had kept all the time tightly clinched in my right hand. I can tell you the eyes of both of us wer

can get the brig pumped out in twenty-four hours; and if a stiff breeze should spring up to-morrow afternoon-and I am inclined to think it will-we don't want to be

ire to know what was on board the other ship, which I was sure was Engli

like a snake watching a bird. He didn't stamp around and ask any more questions: he just kept his venomous eye on me as if he would like to kill me because

it. There were more signs of fighting than there had been on the other ship. Muskets and swords were scattered abo

hat her crew had been a regular set of half-buccaneers, willing to trade if there was trade, and fight if there was any fighting on hand. Anyway, the two vessels had had a tough time of it, and each of them had met her

but I couldn't find any signs that she had carried treasure. I hadn't the least

r the deck that they had never moved in all these years. Of course I wanted to know what was in them, for, although it

the hogshead was empty, and I clapped the bung in again as quick as I could. I wasn't accustomed to sounding barrels or hogsheads under water, but as I knew this was an empty on

m back full of West Indian rum, which was a mighty profitable article of commerce in those days. But she had fallen into temptatio

be hauled up on board the brig, I began to feel a sort of trouble with my breath, as if I might suffocate if I did not get out soon. I knew, of course, that something was the matter with my air-supply, and I signalled for them to pump lively. But it was of no use; my supply of fresh air seemed to be cut off. I began to gasp. I was terribly f

it. It, too, was unattached at the other e

ned and which was just in front of me, and the instant I pulled it out I thrust in the end of the air-tube. To my great delight, it fitted tightly in the bung-hole. And now in an instant I felt as if I was sitting upon the pinnacles of Paradise. Air, fresh air, came to me thr

not know what had happened; I did not care. I cou

more easily. As I did not wish to wait until the air in the hogshead had been exhausted, I went to work on the bung in the next one,

nd torn by barnacles; the end of it had been clean cut with a knife. I remembered that this was the case with the

they might pull as much as they chose without disturbing me. There I stood, and thought, and wondered. But, above everything, I could not help feeling all the time how good that air was! It seemed to go through every part of me. It was better than wine; it was b

hat the stock-broker was at the bottom of it. Except that man, there was no one on board the brig who would wish to do me a harm. The stock-broker he hated me; I had seen that in his face as plainly as if it had been painted on a sign-board. I knew someth

of my air-tube far into the bung-hole of the hogshead, so that I might not accidentally pull it out; I loosened myself from the bit of timber; and then I made my way to the bow of the vessel on which I was

where there was a great stir and confusion. I slipped quietly over the rail and, without being seen by anybody, made my way into the forecastle. I hurried to my sea-chest. I took off my wet things and dressed myself in an almost new suit of shore clothes which I had never worn on the brig. I did not lose any more time than I could help, but I took unusual care in dressing myself. I put on a new pair of yellow shoes, and turned up the bottom of m

h was not noticed, for there was still a great hubbub, and everybody seemed to be shouting or swearing or shaking his fist. The stock-broker stood

just one look; he turned pale; and then, with a s

eir mouths and their eyes went open, and their swarthy faces were as white as you could was

red himself in a moment. There was nothing superstitious about him, and he

deck while such a row is being raised here about your death, and all sorts of threats being made against me on account of it. Look at him, my b

our pockets with gold and telling nobody. I didn't want to kill you when I cut your air-tube, as I have told these good sailors; but I wanted to make you stop stealing and come up, and I did it. The treasure under this vessel belongs to us all, and you have no right to make a secret business out of it, and keep it

ieved that I had been trying to deceive and defraud them. A good many of them drew their knives and came toward me,

er over my face; I glared at the men before me; and I bro

dare ye threaten me? Ods-bodikins, I like it well! By our lady, ye are a merry set of mariners who draw your blades upon a man who is come upon this deck

yself. The crew fell back as I advanced a step or two, and every man of them sheathed his knife

gerly, "what made you talk like that, and strut about, and pound the deck? Tha

y lungs; it had gone into my blood, my nerves, my brain. I was as a man who swash-buckles-a reckless mariner of the olden time. I longed to take my cutlass in my teeth and board a Spaniard. As I looked upon the villainous stock-broker before me, I felt as if I could take him by the thr

who tried first to murder me, and then to turn the hearts of all these good men against me!' I raised my capstan-bar

eared below. I stood up very bold; I threw out my chest, and gazed around in triumph. The air of the sixteenth century had saved me! Those men would have no more dare

pened their eyes and mouths so wide that I thought some of them would never get them shut

y for the recovery of the treasure on that Spanish galleon. I will take one third of it; Mr. Gayther shall have one third; and one

on which she had been resting, and we were afloat. In ten seconds more we were lying broadside to the wind. Then indeed we had to skip around lively, get up some sails, and put her properly on the wind. Before we had time to draw an easy breath we were scudding alo

The captain had carefully taken the longitude and latitude of the spot where we had been strande

is own pocket; one he gave to me; and the other he gave to the crew to be changed into small coin and divided. The stock-broker got nothing, an

ever got from the galleon?" a

I have the ancient gold piece in my roo

d a good steamer with derricks and everything necessary for raising sunken treasure. But, although the weather was fair, and we sounded and sou

d to the stock-broker. He had chartered a steamer, and he had on board of her a president, a secretary, a treasurer, a board of trustees, and fou

John Gayther?" said the Daughter of

the end of it," re

t reflection, while John Gayther picked up the only

ORY IS

HTER OF

IS C

HWHACKE