The Lambertville press., 1860-04-18

"Him Whom ?"
"God knows, SIR; l don't. saw
man, and man l had never seen il
my life before"
"You must be going crazy, Mr.
Bruce. A stranger and we nearly six
weeks out?"
II know, sir; but then I saw him.
eco down and see who 1t is"
Bruce hesitated. "I never was 8
believer in ghosts" be said but, i
the truth must be told, sir, I'd rather
not face it alone"
"Come, come, man. Go down al
once, and don't make fool of yourself
before the crew."
/ hope you've always founG me will
ling to do what's reasonable" Bruce
replied, changing color; "but if it's
all the same. to you, sir, I'd rather we
should both go down together"
The captain descended the stairs,
and the mate followed him. Nobody
in the cabin They examined the
state-rooms Not soul to be found
"Well, Mr.. Bruce" said the cap
tain. "did not I tell YOU YOU had been
dreaming ?"
"1t's all very well to say SO, sir !;
but If didn't see that man writing on
your slate, may I never see my house
and family again !"
"Ah writing on the slate! Then
it should be there still" And the
captain took it up.
"By-," he exclaimed, "here's
something, sure enough ! Is that
your writing, Mr.. Bruce 2"
The mate took the slate and there,
In plain, legible characters. stood the
words, STEER TO rHE NoR'wEsT
Have you been trifing with me,
sir ?" added the captain in stern
manner.
"On my word as man and SAL
Tor, SIR" replied Bruce, ~ know no
more of this matter than you do. I
have told you the exact truth"
The captain sat down at his desk
the slate before him, in deep thought.
At last turning the slate over and
pushing it towards Bruce, said, "Write
down, Steer to the nor'west.m
The mate complied and the cap
tain after narrowly comparing the two
hand writings, said, "Mr Bruce, go
and tell the second mate to come down
here"
He came and. at the captains re-
quest, he also wrote the same words
So did the steward So, in succession
did every man Of the crew who could
write at all. But not one of the va
rious hands resembled, in any degree,
the mysterious writing.
When the crew retired. the captain
sat deep in thought. "Could any one
have been slowed away 2" At last he
said, "The ship must he searched !;
and if I don't find the fellow he must
be good hand at hide and seek
Order up all hands.
Every nook and corner of the ves-
sci, from stem to stern, was thorough
ly searched, and that with all the eag-
erness of excited curiosity-for the re-
port had gone out that a stranger had
shown himself on board; bat not a
living soul, beyond the crew and the
officers was found.
Returning to the cabin after their
fruitless search, "Mr. Bruce said the
captain, "what the devil do yoa make
of all this ?"
Cant tell, sir. saw the man
write; you see the writing. There
must be something in it.''
"Wefl, it would seem so. Wehave
the wind free, and / have great mind
to keep her away, and see what will
come of it."
"f surely would, sir, if were in
your place. It's only few hours lost
at the worst.''
"Wel1, we'll see. Go on deck and
give the course no~west. And Mr..
Bruce, he added, as the mate rose to
go, "have a look out a1oft, aud let il
be a hand you can depend on"
His orders were obeyed. About
three O'Clock the lookout reported al
iceberg nearly ahead, and, shortly after
what he thought was a vessel of seme
Kind close to it..
AS they approached, the captain's
glass disclosed the fact that it was &
dlsmantled ship, apparently frozen tc
the ice, and with good many human
beings Oh it, Shortly after, they how,
to, aad sent out the boats to the re-
lief of the sufferers.
1t proved to be a vessel from Que
bee, bound to Liverpool with passen
gers on board She had got entanelet
in the ice, and finally frozen fast, ant
had passed several weeks ia a mos
critical situation. She was stove he
! decks swept-in fact, mere wreck
all her progiio0s, aud almost all he
water, goae. Her crew and passen
gers had lost all hopes Of being saved