T

HE INTENSE ambition of the present age is the acquisition of wealth, in larger or smaller amounts, according to the cupidity or fiduciary propensity of the aspirant. One such effort is narrated in the epilogue of the succeeding story, a story that takes its niche in the columbarium of other futile and abortive quests for hidden or lost wealth; ranging from the attempted discovery of millions secluded by the antique buccaneers to the participation in an Anneke Jans estate.

In 1883, two Americans, P. R. Williams and John Kerr, under the firm name of Williams & Kerr, were engaged in the private banking business on Rio de Santa Maria, Santiago de Cuba. As is customary among the Latin nations, many Cubans deposited valuables and money without the customary banking transaction, and for such depositors Williams & Kerr became custodians to a large amount. Whether the seething unrest preceding the Cuban revolution caused the firm to apprehend the looting of the bank (whose business had grown to large dimensions and become very prosperous), or whether they deemed the time felicitous to loot it themselves, is unknown; but the latter course was decided on, and they concealed a quantity of valuables and money and decamped with the remainder. Possibly their avarice was irresistibly provoked, and they deemed that its gratification would be lost sight of, or forgotten, or condoned, in the turbulent maelstrom of blood and cruelty characterizing the Revolution. In the flight, Williams was captured and shot to death; Kerr and his wife, after many exciting and dangerous adventures, escaping to Buenos Ayres, all interest in them lapsing in Cuba, as they were presumed to have been drowned. The fugitives were unaware of this, however, and for a couple of years led a nomadic

and fearful life; tremulous of recognition, apprehension and extradition, and during which Mrs. Kerr, through nervous fear and the restless journeying, became seriously ill. That she might rest and recuperate, Kerr gave her $50,000, and she went to California, ultimately, in 1886, settling in Oakland, where, for some time, she received letters regularly from her husband in Buenos Ayres. This communication suddenly ceased, and again Mrs. Kerr became seriously ill, remaining in that state for some time; when, to the astonishment of her physicians and friends, she rallied, recuperated and announced that she was going to Santiago de Cuba. She made all the needful preparations for her journey, but on the eve of departure was again taken sick, and for many weeks was attended by Mrs. A. M. Smith, trained nurse, who became both a careful and effective ministrant and a devoted and affectionate companion. After a long period of sickness, Mrs. Kerr realized that the wings of the Angel of Death were wafting her breath from her, and the need for settling her affairs in order imminent. She called Mrs. Smith to her bedside, thanked her for her care and solicitude, and said: "You have been a true and precious friend to me during these last days, and I want to try and show my gratitude to you, for I never can adequately recompense you for your kindness to me. attending to my toilette, you may have noticed that I always carry about me a little leather bag; that bag contains a valuable secret, and that bag and its contents I now give to you, with a trust attached to the gift. You take the bag and open it, and I will explain the meaning of the paper you will find therein."

In

Mrs. Smith did as directed, and, on undoing the string, found a piece of discolored paper, which she placed in Mrs. Kerr's nervous and wasted hands. Un

folding it gingerly, the latter said: "This is a chart indicating where a million dollars in Spanish gold and a million in Spanish currency are concealed under the floor of a room in a certain house in Santiago; and which was hidden there by my husband that it might not be seized by predatory revolutionists. The people there said that he was a thief; they killed his partner, and they would have also killed him, but by the aid of friends and the liberal use of money we escaped to Buenos Ayres. There I became very sick, and my dear husband sent me to California with $50,000, and confided to me this secret of the hiding place of the money, as he realized that he could never return there and unearth it. It was our intention that he should rejoin me here, after which I should go to Santiago and recover the fortune. But, after a time I ceased to hear from him, and now I shall never be able to fulfil his and my desire to get the money. Therefore, I want you to do so, and, if you get the funds, use a large part of them to build and maintain an Old Ladies' Home in Oakland, as a testimony of my earnest appreciation of the great kindness I have received from so many of the good people here."

Mrs. Smith promised to faithfully execute the terms of Mrs. Kerr's bequest, and then the latter explained the cryptogram, which designated a building on Santa Maria street, opposite the old Catholic cathedral, as the mausoleum of the fortune. This building, the Senor de la Rue, an old friend of the Kerr's, had written them fifteen years previously, was called the Hotel Alba. În that building the firm of Williams & Kerr had had its office, and of the suite one was Kerr's private office. This room was one of the largest in the house, was on the ground floor, and could readily be identified because in one corner there was a large block of stone forming a part of the adobe floor. This stone would be found to have chiselled on its nether side a rough similitude of a cross, and at the extremity of one of the arms would be found a small projection of wax, inside of which would be found a valuable ruby ring that before that had been for one hundred and fifty years as an heirloom in Mr. Kerr's antecedents. Directly under the cross and

Aladdin's ring, buried beneath some seven feet of debris, in an excavation made from the solid rock, would be discovered two large iron chests, and one wooden one, which contained the money and many very valuable documents. "Those papers must be burned to the very last shred," shouted the now frenzied woman, and the dazed and fascinated nurse also promised strict compliance with this injunction.

Thus the secret came into the cognizance of Mrs. Smith, and under the proviso that she must be its sole custodian, until such time as it seemed feasible that the measures should be taken to exhume the treasure from its sarcophagus. Shortly after the peculiar and important interview, Mrs. Kerr realized the validity of the quatrain of Omar Khayyam :

""Tis but a tent where takes his one day's rest

A Sultan to the realm of death addresst; The Sultan rises, and the dark Ferrash Strikes and prepares it for another guest."

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opportunity would present itself for liquidating the expense necessary for the making of the journey and investigation. No such juncture arrived until 1908, when she disclosed the secret to her stepson, A. J. Inger, that he might impart its general tenor to Mr. John H. Young, who was connected with the Southern Pacific Railway. Mr. Young was pressed with the story and the probabilities of the enterprise, and asked Mrs. Smith if he could bring Adolph Ottinger-a man of means, energy and enterprise, and formerly a well-known ticket-broker of San Francisco-to her that he might hear the story and judge whether he would finance the enterprise. She finally consented and related to Mr. Ottinger the details of the matter, after which he agreed to provide the means for the journey and any other finances requisite for the disclosure of the treasure, but made it a staunch condition before doing so that he should examine the chart, as well as any other papers that might be in the envelope given by Mrs. Kerr to Mrs. Smith. To this condition Mrs. Smith demurred, but consented to such examination after the expedition had reached Santiago. This and other conditions were agreed upon verbally. Other negotiations were entered upon with the following contractual result:

THIS UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT is entered into by the four following parties: Mrs. A. M. Smith, No. 1; A. J. Inger, No. 2; J. H. Young, No. 3, and A. Ottinger, No. 4. These four parties agree to go together to a certain city in Cuba for the purpose of procuring a sum of money, gold bars or other valuables, hidden or buried under a certain building in said city. The exact amount of, or the value of, this treasure is not known by any of the parties. The drawings, plans or other information as to the exact location of said valuables are now in possession of Mrs. Smith, who agrees that upon the arrival of the four parties at this city in Cuba, she will at once acquaint the other three parties mentioned above with all the details as to the location of the building and the exact location of the treasure in the building.

Upon arriving at this city, it is agreed that the four parties shall all work to

gether in good faith, each knowing all the facts and details. All shall enter the building together, and all shall be present when any investigation is made. It is further agreed that all papers as to renting, buying or leasing this building shall be made out in favor of J. H. Young, who agrees that he will not enter the said premises, or attempt to start any investigation whatsoever unless all of the four parties are present.

J. H. Young further agrees that after a thorough investigation has been made, not to exceed twenty days after possession has been taken of said building, that he will turn over the title to said property to Mr. Ottinger, who advanced the money to buy same. Upon getting possession of the entire amount of money, gold or other valuables, it is understood that the entire amount shall be brought to the United States before any division is made, unless agreed upon otherwise by a majority of the four.

Mr. Ottinger, for his trouble and for advancing certain sums of money as described below, shall receive for his share the sum of $250,000-this amount to be the very first sum taken from the whole amount at the time of the division. If it should develop that the entire amount and value of the treasury is less than $250,000 it is clearly understood that Mr. Ottinger shall have the full amount of the entire treasure, and neither of the other three parties are to have any claim whatsoever, unless the value is more than $250,000.

Mr. A. Ottinger agrees that he will pay the following expenses, provided the agreement is fulfilled by the parties mentioned, not to exceed $478, which includes all railroad fare, steamship transportation and living expenses; for example, thirtyday trip, $2 per day a person; three persons, $180; two round-trip tickets, San Francisco to New Orleans, $135; sleepers, San Francisco to New Orleans and return, $23; two round-trip steamship tickets New Orleans to Cuba, $90; money advanced Mrs. Smith, $50.

The above estimate does not include the amount that will be required to get possession of the building, as this amount is unknown at the present time, but A. Ottinger does agree to advance a reasonable amount and use every effort with the

the rear of room 6 was another numbered 7, and the door being open, Young entered it and looked around. His heart almost ceased its function, and his breath came hard and fast as he saw in one corner a large block of stone set in the earthen floor. Assuming an imperturbability he was far from feeling, he entered the saloon, partook of a draught of villainous aguadiente, had a little conversation with the Ganymede, whereby he acquired a little valid data and walked out. He immediately saw his three associates and informed them that he had found the room designated as the repository in the diagram and identified the stone beneath which was the presumptive cache.

Not a great amount of sleep was indulged in by the entities of the quartette that night. The ensuing morning Ottinger instructed Young to lease the saloon and the two contiguous rooms 6 and 7, if the landlord "didn't want the earth" as his compensation. Young accordingly waited on Senor Silhoma and submitted his proposition, alleging that he desired to transform the leased premises into a firstclass American saloon. Senor Silhoma said he would rent them for $37.50 a month, if the owner of the hotel would acquiesce in the arrangement. The proprietor, Senor Silverstina, however, positively declined to allow the sub-letting, and further disappointed Young by stating that the landlord would forfeit his lease if he entered into any such contract. The chagrined Young then waited on Ottinger and asserted that they would have to buy the hotel for $25,000, but this proposition Ottinger refused to accede to until he had seen what lay under the important block of stone. Ultimately, Inger and Young hired rooms in the hotel for themselves, and also obtained room seven as a storeroom for their goods, paying therefor $30 for thirty days' occupancy, and, to

make a plausible showing, put several tobacco boxes and whisky barrels in the room; the thrifty Ottinger asserting that they could be advantageously utilized in packing away the concealed gold on its liberation. Thus far all had gone well and the time arrived for the initiatory digging toward their enrichment.

The prospective diggers obtained picks and spades, but forbore their use, as they found that there were a good many residents in the Hotel Alba, and they were nervously apprehensive of any interruption or detection. But, at last, on Friday, July 3d, at the hour of midnight, they entered room 7 with a supply of candles and a diamond drill that promoter Ottinger had purchased for $35. They pried up the ominous block of stone, and found on the under side a roughly chiseled cross, and on one of its arms a protuberance of what was apparently wax. Removing the cerement, Mr. Ottinger disclosed a magni

ficent ruby ring. By this time the candles carried by Young and Inger were wobbling about in their tremulous hands, and grease was indiscriminately scattered about theirs and Ottinger's clothing; the latter