Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-01-19

famished passengers were cared TO
and the bark on her course again, tn
mate called the captain aside. Il
seems that was not a ghost / saw to
day, sir: the mans alive"
"What do you mean? Who,
alive?"
"Why. sir, one of the passengers
we have just saved is the same man
saw writing on your slate at noon. ]
would swear to it in court o
Justice
Upon my word. Mr. Bruce,
replied the captain. "this gets more
and more singular. Let US go anc
see this man."
They found him in conversation
with the captain of the rescued ship
They both came forward, and express
Ell, in the warmest terms. THEN
gratitude for deliverance from a horri-
ble fate-slow-coming death by ex-
posure and starvation.
The captain replied that he had but
done what he was certain they would
have done for him under the same
circumstances, and asked them both to
step down into the cabin. Then
turning to the passenger, he said, 81
hope, sir, you will not think | am
triling with you; but | would be much
obliged to you if you would write a
few words on this slate" And he
handed him the slate, with that side
up on which the mysterious writing
was not. Il viii do anything you
ask" replied the passenger; but
what shall | write?"
~ few words are all l want
Suppose You write, Steer TO the
nor west. -
The passenger. evidently puzzled to
make ont the motive for such re-
quest, complied, however with smile.
The captain took up the slate and ex-
amined it closely; then stepping aside
80 as to conceal the slate from the
passenger, he turned it over. and gave
it to him again with the other side up.
"You say that is your handwriting?"
sail he.
Il need not say So" rejoined the
other. looking at II. "for you sa" me
write il"
And this?" said the captain,
turning the slate over.
The man looked first at one writing
then at the other. quite confounded
4 At last, "What is the uleaning oil
this?" said he. al only wrote one
/ Cf these. Who wrote the other?" =
That's moro than can tell you,
sir. My mate here says You wrote it,
sitting at this desk. at noon to-day"
The captain of the wreck and the
passenger looked at each other, ex-
changing glances of intelligence and
surprise; and the former asked the lat
ter, "Did yon dream that you wrote
on this slate?"
"No sir, not that | remember.
You speak of dreaming. said the
captain of the bark. What was the
gentleman about at noon to-day?'
Captain" rejoinel the other. "the
whole thing is most mysterious and
extraordinary, and / had intended to
speak to You about il as soon as we
gotta little quiet. This gentleman,
! (pointing to the passenger. being
much exhausted, fell into heavy
sleep, or which seemed such, some
time before noon. After an hour oil
more he awoke and said to me, Cap
tain, we shall be relieved this very day.
When | asked him what reason he
had for saving SO. he replied that he
had dreamed that he was on board a
bark. anil that he was coming to our
rsscue. He described her appearance
and rig; ani, to our utter astonish-
ment, when your vessel hove in sight
she corresponded exactly to his descrip
j. tion of her We had not put much
faith in what he said: yet still we
hoped there might be something in it,
for drowning men. you know. viii
catch st straws. As it has turned out
I cannot doubt that it was all arrang
ed. in some incompreh,nsibe way. by
an overrulinS Providence, so that w,
might be saved. To Him be all thanks
for his goodness to u.s.
There is not doubt" rcioinet
the other ceptain. THAT the writin,
on the slate. let it have come there a.
it may, saved all our lives. | wa
steering at the time considerably soutl
OF west. and | altered my course tC
nor'west and | had a look -out aloft
to see what would come Of il. "Bu
you say" he added. turning TO th'
passenger. THAT You did uot dream
of writing on slate?"
NO. sir. have no recollection
whatever of doing SO. | got the i'm