Lompoc High School - La Purisima Yearbook (Lompoc, CA)

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by them the rest of that day, but there was a feeling of tenseness and danger that hung over all present, like an ominous black cloud that foretells a storm. The Spaniards were sullen and disobeyed orders, or if they obeyed them, it was a notic- able reluctance. That evening the cylinder could not be found! The laborers had kept care- ful watch to see that it was not disturbed, but nevertheless, it was gone' It can't be far away from here, it hasn't legs with which to escape, observed Mr.Luthy. More than likely it is covered up by some of the dirt we have thrown out. We had better look in that pile of dirt over there by the well and thru the trash we put in that hole by the big tree, was Mr. Mark's suggestion. All right! Let's go ' sang out Martin. After about an hour's steady work they were ready to rest a while. All there was to show for their efforts were a few Indian beads and a heavy cross made of' beaten silver. However, they were not to be discouraged by this, so back to work again they went with a will. This time their efforts were rewarded. 'lhe cylinder was found intact under a heap of rubbish near where it had been left. This good luck provoked a remark from Mr. Mark. That's a good one on me. For safety, I put it under that very pile of trash. In all the excitement of the discovery of the other things I forgot that. For during that afternoon they had found three gold bowls, probably used to contain holy water. It is a good thing for you that you didn't do it for a joke, said Martin, laughingly. That eveniing they met in the private oilice of C. M. Elwood, a surveyor who was a friend of all the curio seekers. Very carefully they opened the cylinder and, after some trouble, extracted ax heavy parchment, yellowed with age. What does it say? all asked in unison. The title says 'Acta Confirmationis Sanctae Purissimae' or, translated into English, 'Records of the Holy Establishment Purissimae' said Martin, the scholar. There is too much here to read over in a night, so it means we will have to wait several nights before we know what is in this. Consequently, several evenings later, they all assembled in the survey0r's office. Let's get down to brass tacks, said Mr. Luthy. I'm tired of being ignorant of the contents of that record. Hold your horses for about fifteen minutes, and I will guarantee that you'll be satisfied, for the time being, at least, said Martin. Then he continued, Here is an extract that is most important to all of us. The record says: Est thesarus in insula fere milia passuum quinquaginta hinc. Vide tabulamf' Yes, but what does that mean P asked Mr. Luthy. That is worse than Greek to me. Translated into English it means: 'There is a treasure on an island about fifty miles from here. See the map.' And here it is. All eagerly scanned the map. It seemed that the island was one of the Channel Islands. Every thing was marked off carefully. The treasure's location was designated by a big red cross. .lust then as slight noise was heard in the hall outside the office. It sounded like the creak of a board that had been stepped on. There was just this one noise, then profound silence reigned once more. This served to put all on their guard. They talked in subdued tones and were very careful to see that they did not utter the directions given on the map for finding the treasure. Now we must go after this as soon as possible, said Mr. Elwood. It is 17 '

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tensely, so that at the first glance, I hardly believed it was he. His mouth was open as if crying out, and his lips were a livid purplish-blue, the color of cold lips, and, in spots, were speckled in red. But the thing that fixed my attention was his gaze, a horrified, terrorized look. He heemed to be seeing something which absolutely possessed his faculties. He was looking intensely up through space toward the ceiling. The intensity of his gaze caused my eyes to turn unconsciously to see what he was looking at, and it was then that I received my greatest surprise. For, there on the yellowed ceiling paper, was a red letter, Sigma It was put on with some substance that was neither paint nor ink, for the paper was not stained with the oil nor did the color run on the porous paper. There was nothing else there. I got up and went to call the family, when I saw that the door was locked. I went to the window and it, too, was cecurely barred. I got the key off of the table, from the same place it was placed the night before. I opened the door and called Martin, who came up and looked at the dean. His face showed that he expected something like this to happen. We got the doctor from the town, and he examined the body in the presence of Martin and me. There were no signs of any violence on the body, so the coroner returned a verdict of death from an unknown cause. Martin vouched for my character and, for lack of any evidence, everyone was cleared. I attended the funeral, when my friend's body was laid away in the Buckden cemetary. I left for Durham the next day, and here I am. I do not attempt to explain what occurred during that visit, for I can find no reason for it. So I leave it for you to form your own conclusions. CNote, by author, while proofreading: Martin wrote me, telling me that the red Sigma dissappeared from the ceiling just one month to the day after my friend's death. The paper in no way showed any signs of disturbancej Donald Cherry, '24- -if SPANISH GOLD During the summer of 1922, an important discovery was made at the Mission La Purissima Concepcion, about three miles from Lompoc. Indian skulls, bones. and belongings were found. There were numerous collections of coins, both Spanish and Mexican, unearthed by thc toiling excavators. Martin Luthy, his father, L. Mark, and two Spaniards, Sr. Vesquez and Sr. Toro, were the chief figures in the excavating business. Mr. Luthy and L. Mark were dealers in antiques, and Martin, a boy of eighteen, was assisting his father in the work. The two Spaniards were merely laborers, working under the direction of the others. ..... . One hot day in mid-July the workers were startled by a loud exclamation utter- ed by young Luthy. When they had gathered around him, he showed them a cylinder made of baked clay. Both ends were closed by plugs of clay and the whole was generously smeared with black tar. Must be something valuable in there, judging by the amount of labor put on the outside, said Mr. Mark. l'll het its a record of the doings of the padres and the Mission here, conjectured Martin. Well, put it up until we have time to look at it some place else, said Martin's father. Then he continued in a lower tone so the Spaniards could not hear, I distrust those two 'Greaselsf and it will le best to take no chances. That noon, while at lunch, the party of men directing the enterprise noticed that the Spaniards did a lot of muttering in their native tongue. Occasionally they shot black looks towords the others. No open move of hostility was made 16

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quite imperative that this affair be settled before news of this discovery gets abroad. It was finally arranged that they should 'start within a week. The party was to be composed of Mr. Luthy, his son, Mr. Mark, Mr. Elwood, and Mr. Dirk, Elwood's assistant. Mr. Elwood was to do the necessary calculating as to the location of the treasure. Consequently, he and his assistant left the next day, and, after an absense of two days, came back and informed the rest there was something woefully wrong with his calculations. His instrument had acted queerly, and, upon checking it by the position of certain stars, he found it to be inaccurate. After fruitless efforts to find the cause, he called the rest to his office one evening. When they had assembled, he explained everything to them and asked for help and suggestions. Look the instrument over, perhaps there issomething the matter with it that I have overlooked, said the surveyor. His theodolite was brot out and made the object of their attention. Suddenly they halted their examination because of a cry from the surveyor. I knew it, he cried again and again. Here's what has caused all the mischief, and he held up a small steel screw. Yes, but what has that to do with it? asked the others in bewilderment. Can't you see that this is steel, and that all the other screws are bronze? This screw has been magnetized,-you can see it pull the needle around after it. The deflection is slight, but it prevents an accurate result. Somebody put that screw there for a purpose,-and it was not for a good purpose, either, said Martin. I'll bet that Sr. Toro put that there when he was carrying my instruments over the mountains last week, said the surveyor. Some of the time he was by himself with the instrument, and it was probably then that he did the mischief. This screw here,, and he held up the steel one, has come off another part of the instrument,-the tripod, to be exact. This one and the bronze screw are interchangeable. Toro is a sly rascal, and probably he did it on purpose. He is not so ignorant as you might suspect. Well, we'll be quit of the rascal, said Mr. Luthy, as he reached for his check book. He won't get another chance to do mischief in such a sneaking way. After some more details had been arranged, they prepared to leave the office. Just as Mr. Luthy emerged from the door he saw a shadowy figure slide around the corner of the hall. This corner was near the stairs, and when Mr. Luthy had reached the switch and turned on the lights there was nothing to be found or seen. A second try at finding the necessary bearings was entirely successful. This time the position of the treasure was definitely located. After carefully verifying all calculations, it was decided that the location of the-treasure was on Santa Rosa Island, ten miles due west along the thirty-fourth parellel of north latitude, start- ing where it intersects the one hundred and twentieth meridian of west longitude. Here, according to the Latin manuscript, Est thesarusf' It was definitely settled that all should go to Santa'Barbara, hire a boat for a month, and go after the treasure. They were successful in chartering a craft, and, everything having been prepared for a month's stay on the island they turned their faces to the Treasure Islef' When about half of the distance to the island had been covered, they were surprised to see that a small fishing boat was rapidly overtaking them. No one knew who it was or why they should be trying to catch up with them. In about an hour, the other craft was within half a mile. Suddenly a white cloud of smoke appeared from the other boat, then a sharp report disturbed the stillness i 18