The Placer herald., 1860-04-07

ity--for the report had gone out that {
stranger had shown himself on board, bu
not living soul beyond the crew and the
officers was found.
Returning to the cabin after their fruitless
search, Mr.. Bruce said the captain, 'wha,
do you make of all this?'
Can't tell, sir. saw the man write; YOU
see the writing. There must be something
in it,
We'll, it would seem so. We have the
wind free, and have a great mind to keep
4 surely would, sir, if were in your
place. It's only few hours lost at the
worst
We'll, we'll see. Go on deck and give the
course nor'west. And, Mr.. Bruce he add.
ed, as the mate rose to 90, have look out
aloft, and let it be hand you can depend
on
His orders were obeyed About
O'Clock, tie look ont reported an iceberg
nearly ahead, and, shortly after, what he
thought was a vessel of some kind close to it.
AS they approached, the captains glass
disclosed the fact that it was a dismasted
ship, apparently frozen to the ice, aud with
good many human beings on it. Shortly
after they hove to. and sent out the boats to
the relief of the sufferers
1t proved to be vessel from Quebec,
bound to Liverpool, with passengers on
board. She had got entanged in the ice,
and finally frozen fast, and passed several
weeks in a critical situation. She was stove.
har lorL IL. oil
her provisions and almost all her water gone.
Her crew and passengers had lost all hopes
of being saved, and their gratitude for the un-
expected rescue was proportionatey great.
AS one of tie men who had been brought
away in The third boat that had reached the
wreck was ascending the ships side, the
mate catching glimpse Of his face, started
back in CONSERVATION. 1t was the very face
he had seen, three or four hours before, look
ing up at him from the Captains desk
At first he tried to persuade himself it
might be fancy; but the more he examined
the man the more sure he lecame that he
was right. Not only the face, but the per
son and the dress exactly corresponded.
AS soon as the exhausted crew and fam
ished passengers were cared for and the bark
on her course again, the mate called the
captain aside. 1T seems that was not a
ghost saw TO day, sir; the mans alive.
What do you mean? Who's alive?,
why, sir, one Of the passe'g gers we have
just saved is tbs same man | saw writing on
your slate at noon. | would swear to it in
court
Upon my word, Mr. Bruce, replied the
captain, this gets more and more singular
Let us 90 and see this man..
They found him in conversation with the
captain OF the rescued ship. They both
came forward, and expressed, in the warmest
terms, their gratitude for deliverance from a
horrible fate-slow coming death by expos
ure and starvation.
The captain replied that he had but done
what he was certain they would haved done
for him under the same circumstances, and
asked them both to step down into the
cabin.-Ihen turning to the passenger, he
said, 4 hope, sir, You will not think am
trihing with you if you would write q few
words on this slate And he handed him
the slate, with that side up on which the
mysterious writing was not. 4 will do any
thing you ask replied the passenger; but
what shall write?'
"A few words are all | want. Suppose
you write Steer to the north west
The passenger, evidently puzzled to make
out the motive for such a request, complied,
however, with smile. The captain took up
the slate and examined it closely; then step
ping aside so 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 that is your hand writing
said he
i need not say so,' rejoned the other
looking at it, for you saw me write it.
And this? said the captain tuning the
slate over.
The man looked first at one writing then
at the other, quite confounded' At last,
what is the meaning of this! said he. 4
only wrote one of these. Who wrote the
other!'
That's more 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 passen-
ger looked at each other exchanging G lances
of intelligence and surprise; and the former
asked the latter, did you dream that you
wrote on this slate!'
No, sir, not that remember
you speak of dreaming said the captain
of the bark. What was this gentleman
about at noon to-day'
Captain rejoined the other, the whole
thing is most mysterious and extraordinary;
and had intended to speak to you about it
as soon as we got a little quiet. This gentle
man. (ponting to the passenger,) being
much exhausted, fell into heavy sleep, or
what seemed such some time before noon.
After an hour or more he awoke and said to