Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-07-08
rupted by general shout of remon-

man she wants story of shipwreck,
what's he to do? | told the very best
| could" And with another grin, Mr..
Barkum who seemed not so much to
have told his story as to have had it
ierked out Of him, apparently well sat
is fled with the effect he had produced
"Humph!' was uttered in a hoarse
growl behind him, at which we all start
ed--for it came from no other than the
"silent man;"-an old sea-captain, who
had been picked up nobody knew where
or how, and who had not uttered a syl-
able since he had been on board. He
would stand all day long looking over
the stern of the vessel, gloomy and in
tent,-giying no answer to whomsoever
addressed him. But now he stopped
over Miss Graham and laying one rough
hand on her shoulder while with the
other he pointed out beyond tae stern
OF the vessel:
''She'n do it," he said in hoarse
whisper, "she'll do it-she's bound to
do ito
And he walked rather unsteadily to
his OH position.
Giles been at our grog-bottles; that's
what's opened his lips. He never has
any of his own, and you saw him come
up from the saloon," said Captain Gra-
ham shaking himself out of doze.
But his sister was all astonishment.-
"Who is she, and what is she bound to
do? 1t can't be this ship, for he pointed
out to sea-
"Never mind, MISS" said Mr.. Min
china lean ycllowfa faced man, who
looked like an American, though he call
ed himself English. "Perhaps he's got
somebody after him; who knows?' and
he winked mysteriously not so much at
any one person as at the whole ships
crew. Though when I'm after man
myself, | take good care he shan't know
much about it, ISL.
"You after a man, Mr.. Michin! why,
what do you go after him for?"
"Well, mann, for various reasons;
sometimes fol one thing and sometimes
for another. Now, there was the Cap
tain of the Golden Fleece. | followed
that man four years, and I'll tell you
how it happened.
"The Golden Fleece was bound from
California to Liverpool, and, besides a
very valuable cargo Of furs and such
IKE, she had on board n quarter of
milionin gold-dust andnuggets. Pretty
pickins among that, | can tell you,-and
50 thought the Captain--Jones, his
name was. Now, [ dare say, Captain
Jones didn't like the risks of voyage
home; so after he had been at sea ten
days, he ran the Golden Fleece on
rock about mile from the shore, and
then he and the crew took to the
boats. Well, of course he wrote home
to the owners how the Golden Fleece
wrecked off the coast Of California, and
how he and the crew only just escaped
with their lives. And Of course, the
csgIiers didn't like it; nor the under
writers didn't like it; for they were in
for quarter Of a million besides the
worth of the vessel, and the fifty thou
sand pounds sterling that the cargo was
valued at; and that's no joke.
$50 after few months they sends
for me, "Mr. Minchin,' says they, this
is very lame story"
at is, says !, very lame
Captain Jones don't come home,"
says they.
''No,' says I, NOR I don't suppose he's
very likely to come home"
"AIr. Minchin, will you go out and
see after the Golden Fleece"
81 WILL" says I.
G Aud Will vo,, - cove <box, egoorn
something about Captain Jones? Never
mind the time, and never mind the ex-
pense, but don't come back to England
without Captain Jones'"
eff Captain Jones is to be found"
says I, ''I'll bring him dead or alive
"WeIl, mann, of course this was not
the first time by many that I'd been on
somesuch an Grand; and forone cause or
another I've been sent out from Lloyd's,
to places all over the world almost,
where vessels have been wrecked.
'But not to weary you, mann, and
the company, with an account of the
voyage and adventures and indeed
we had none Of the latter, except that
in crossing the Isthmus of Panama,
which was not so quiet then as it is
now, we wiped out small party Of In
dians-''
"Wiped them out, Mr.. Minchin?"
"Well, miss, if we hadn't wiped them
out, they'd have wiped us out, I'll tell
you the whole story some day. But to
go back to the Golden Fleece. / went
along the coast-and [ found her, There
she was just in as good condition as on
the day when the crew deserted her. /
went on board at low water, and found
that Captain Jones had run her on a
a sharp pointed rock, which fitted into
her just like wedge; the water couldn't
get in, and she couldn't get of, or be
got off without considerable trouble. I
went over her and found the cargo all
right enough; nothing touched there,
and very little damaged. But all the
gold was gone, which had expected
from the first. Well, | first Of all got
out the cargo, and sent that home, and
then, did the best I could about the
ship.
CATER that, thinks I to myself, Now
Captain Jones, it's your turn; and a
pretty stiff turn it'll be for you, or my
name amt Minchin. / wasn't in no
manner of hurry you must remember
for knew he couldn't spend the mo-
ney, and / knew he daren't invest it, or
make much stir about it in any way
So my object was to find him, and to
find him quietly, and make him give it
up.
"Well! you'll, may be, hardly believe
it, but it was three years before | could
come upon that mans track. [ did
come upon it at last, though, and [ was
pretty sure / had found him in a Mr..
Weeks, settled in Canada. Naturally