THE WRECKER 281 



Some time since a vessel showed signals of distress 

 off the Island, and in a moderate storm. The daring 

 wreckers were soon aboard of her and found the cap- 

 tain, with his wife and children, anxious to be taken 

 off. The vessel had five and a half feet of water in 

 the hold. The captain was half owner, and as she was 

 well insured he did not care what became of her so 

 that she was beached, and the crew, with himself and 

 family, taken off in safety. The wreckers, together 

 with the life-saving service, manned the three pumps, 

 got her under way and into the calm waters of the 

 bay, where she was sold by the underwriters. The 

 wreckers' share of the treasure trove was about $40 

 per man. 



Some years ago a vessel was abandoned here and 

 when the wreck was broken up two huge plugs were 

 found in her side below the water line. These 

 showed conclusively that the captain, in order to reap 

 the insurance, had deliberately filled her with water, 

 and then, finding she was sinking too fast, had driven 

 the plugs home so as to enable the crew to get ashore 

 without danger. 



One of the narrators of these tales of shipwreck 

 waddles along with one leg bent out from him like a 

 drawn bow. He has had it broken three times, and 

 now, while it will bear his " heft," as he calls it, he can 

 carry but little addition to it without severe physical 

 distress. The first time it was broken he was aboard a 



