Lawyer Geyer offered me a commission for him and fitted out
this vessel and is paying our expenses. He also offered us half the
reward if we were successful."
"What reward?" interrupted Arnold. "Why don't you hurry?"
"Keep still, rattle-head!" admonished Tom. "He's hurrying."
"Well," continued Jack, "it is said that years and years ago the
Spaniards had a fortress built on what is known as Biloxi Bay. It seems
they wanted to fortify this section of country and built a fine place
there. As time went on and the country became settled, this fort was
quite a refuge for settlers in times of trouble. It is said that once a
commander of the fort was wicked enough to turn against his own people
and that he incited the Indians to rise against the settlers. After they
had taken refuge in the fort he got them to put all their gold and
jewelry into his strong box which was a stout oak chest, and then he
planned to get away with it."
"The piker!" cried Tom. "I think he should have been shot."
"He was," continued Jack, "or so the story goes. Some say he was shot by
his own people who discovered his treachery and some say he fell
defending the fort and incidentally the gold against an attack by
Indians. But whichever way it happened, report says that the gold was
buried in the fort by the survivors and has never been unearthed since.
Many people have tried to get it, but it is reported that a curse hangs
over this wealth and that no human being will be permitted to recover
it, unless related to the officer.
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