The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-01-04

With sad, heavy heart, Lester passed on.
and presently he found two more dead ones,
and one of them was DIyid Griffin. his chic
mate. He kneeled down by the officers
side, and raised the head but it was cold
apd lfeless and the skull was broken IL
Gently, be laid it back upon the sand, and
then moved on again. And he saw more
dead men also Gould it be possible that
ne had been the only one lett alive ! -
Ha !-wait- what 10 this ! 1t moves
it has life !
Captain Lester hurried forward, uo. fast as
his feeble strength would permit, and found
two men lying by the side of a heavy spar.
One Of them was dead but the other gsEed
up into his commander face, and stretched
forth his hands as though he would ask Tor
mercy. His name was Dick Mangle, and
he had been one OF the best seamen on
board the ship.
"Poor Dick :" said Lester, kneeling by
his side and lifting his head. "Are you bad
y hurt?"
They've dine it for us /" the sailor On.
swered, in aweakning voice. "They'ye kill.
Cd Tom. Aint he dead 7"
1t was the body of stout Tom Bricked that
lay close By. and when the captain had
made hmse sure that there was no particle
Of life in it, he reported the same to Dick.
"But," he added, "what do you mean =
Who has done you harm 7"
Haven't you seen 'em !" the man asked,
struggling fer breath.
"Seen whom! What do you mean Z"
demanded Lester, eagerly.
Dick started up to his elbow, and gazed
sroupd but he seemed to find nothing for
which he was looking, and he sank back
again. Had he not made this effort he
might have spoken further, but the act OF
rising had exhausted him, and the last grain
of strength was leaving him.
"What do you mean 7" cried Lester, as
he saw that the poor fellow was SINKING
'Ias any body harmed you :"
Dick managed to rise his hand to his head
to point above the left ear-and, as he
did so, he whispered
"Look out--they asked for the capt'n.--
That's where they struck !" He tried to
speak further. but his voice failed him.
What could this mean! Maurice Lester
started to his feet and guzcd around. Who
had killed his men =!
The captain was disturbed in his medit.
O'ion by the sound of voices no, far off, and
upon turning he beheld four men coming up
from the water. He " ho came in advance
was taIl. muscular man; with a gaunt,
hesvy frame somewhere aboot fifty or fifty
five years Of age and habited in garb oi
blue cloth, cut iRte frock, or shirt, which
wal! secured at the waist by broad pistol.
belt.
Maurice Lester was startled when he be-
held the stalwart leader and his three ruff IN
ly companions and considering a II the cir.
cumstances, it is no wonder that he was
startled. However, he had not much op
portunity for reflection, for by the time he
had foirly made out the party, they were up
on him.
"Hallo." the leader cried, as he saw our
Hero, "here we have nnother." And, as
he came up, he added: sand, guess
we've found live one, too, one that knows
something -Say-who are ye !"
This last sentence was addressed to Mau.
rice, who quickly ans Sered:
"My name is, Lester. And now, to be
fair, what is your name :"
"WeII-i guess you've heard it before
Men call me Ryan Wol'gsns."
"WoLFGAEa !" repeated Lester, with g
start.
"Yes. That is my name"
Then WoLFeANG was not a myth after all
That mysterious wrecker, whose name was
q source of terror to honest sailors, was I
being of flesh and blood, like other men -
i Maurice gtzed upon him with wonder; and
as he gozed, he felt that he looked upon
fiend incarnste. He had often heard of tht
) pirate wrecker, and so dark and mystic ha,
} been the tales which the North. Sea sailor
had told, that he had been inclined to believ
, that the whole theme was a fabrication =
I Now, however, he had no more doubt, 70
the man before him looked as dark an
3 bloody as were any of the pictures he ha
f ever heard drawn Of him upon the forecsstle
3 But our hero was pot allowed much tim
( for reflection. WoIfsung piled him witt
t questions, to al of which lester CAV
Il STRAIGHTFORWARD answers; well knowing tha
, evasion would serve no practical purpose
} and hoping BY his frankness to propitiate tn
merciless fend in whose unrestr aimed powe
i. he knew himself to be.
When the wrecker chief had ELECTED al
=, the information he could, and learned will
4 what rich cargo the vessel was freighted
, and that she had $40, 600 in specie on board
D he smiled grimly. and remarked to one O
his confederates that she would perhaps b
D a richer prize even than the White FaW
3 had been q few years before. The meniio
ri OF the name OF tho Hl.fated ship in whic
Carrie Thornton and her father had bee
J. lost, gave Maurice Lester such shock tha
be nearly fell to the earth. He grew deadI
cale. and his frsme quivered convulsvely.
"Whs:'s the matter :" said Wolfgang.-
"You don't seem to have .r:euch strength left
|, Bring him along, boys, whore We ccaa s0S
n tor him."
II nLo .:.,..A- 49,. .uL:l