The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-02-08

plain, leglble characters, stood the words.
STEER TO THE NoR'wEsTl'
Have you been trlAing with me, sir?'
added the captain, in stern manner.
'On my word as a man IS sailor, SIR
replied Bruce, L know no more of this
matter than you do. 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
toward Bruce, he said, Write down,
Steer to the nor-west.'
The mate complied, and the captain,
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 request,
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 uot one of the various hands resem-
bled, in any degree, the mysterious wri-
ting.
When the crew retired the captain sat
deep in thought. Gould any one have
been slowed away?' at last he said. The
ship must be searched: and if 1 don't find
the fellow he must be a good hand at
hide andseek. Order up all hands,
Every nook and corner of the vessel,
from stem to stern, was thoroughly search
ed, and that with all the eagerness of ex-
cited curiosity--for the report had gone
out that stranger had shown himself on
board; but not living soul beyond the
crew and the officers was found.
| Returning to the cabin after their fruit
less search, 'Mr. Bruce said the captain,
what the devil do you make of all this?
Cant tell, sir. I 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 great mind to
keep her away and see what will come of
it. r
I surely would, sir, if I were in your
place. It's only a few hours lost, at the
worst
well, we'll see. Go on deck and give
the course nor'west. And, Mr.. Bruce,
he added, as the mate rose to go, shave a
lookout aloft, and let it be hand you
can depend on
His orders were obeyed. About three
O'Clock the lookout reported an iceberg
nearly ahead, and, shortly after, what he
thought was vessel of some kind close
to it.
As they approached, the captains
glass disclosed the fact that it was dis
mantled ship, apparently frozen to the ice
and with good many human beings on
! it. Shortly after they hove to, and sent
out the boats to the relief the sufferers.
, 1t proved to be vessel from Quebec
bound to Liverpool, with passengers OIL
board. She had got entangled in the ice
3 and finally froze fast, and had passed sew
eral weeks in most critical situation
She was stove, her decks swept-in fac
q mere wreck, all her provisions, and al
t most all her water gone. Her crew ant
: passengers had lost all hopes of bein.
: saved, and their gratitude from the unex
: pected rescue was proportionally great.
b As one of the men who had beel
j brought away in the third boat that ha,
, reached the wreck was ascending th
e ships side, the mate, catchiss a glimps
of his face, started back in CONSERVATION
r 1t was the very face he had seen, three o
four hours before, looking up at him fror
the captains desk.
r At first he tried to persuade himself
might be fancy, but the more he examine
e the man the more sure he became that b
e was right. Not only the face, but th
o person and the dress exactly correspond
p ed.
l. As soon as the exhausted crew an
IT famshed passengers were cared for an
J; the bark on her course again, the mat
'- called the captain aside. 1T seems ths
was not ghost saw to-day, sir; til
mans alive
a What do you mean? Who's alive?'
y why, sir, one of the passengers "
have just saved is the same man I sa
E. writing on your slate at noon. l woul
y swear to it in court of justice;
Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce rep!ie
the captain, this gets more and mo-
E. singular. Let US 60 and see this man
ii They found him in conversation wi,
it the captain of the rescued ship. Th'
both came forward, and expressed, in tt
e, warmest terms. their gratitude for deli
re erance from horrible fate-slew.comir
death by exposure and starvation.
lg The captain replied that he had b
d, done what he was certain they wou
to have done for him under the same circur
20 stances, and asked them both to stt
down into the cabin. Then turning
id the passenger, he said, i hope, sir, "
be will not think 1 am trifing with you; b
IS. I would be much obliged to you if y.
would write few words on this slat,
n, And be handed him the slate. with tn
n side up on which the mysterious writiI
was not. i will do anything you asl
if replied the passenger; but what shall
ur writer
n "A few words are sll want. Su
pose you write, Steer to the nor-west.'