The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-03-29

don't find the fellow he must be a good
hand at hide-and-seek. Order up all
hands"
Every nook and corner Of the vessel,
from stem to stern, was thoroughly
searched, and that with all the eager
ness of excited curiosity-for the re-
port had gone out that a stranger had
shown himself on board; but not liv-
ing soul beyond the crew and officers
was found.
Returning to tho cabin, after their
fruitless search, "Mr. Bruce" said the
captain, "what do you make Of oil this2'
Cant tell, sir I saw the man write;
you see the writing. There must be
something in it,"
"Well, it would seem so. We have
the wind free, and have a great mind
to keep her away and see what will come
Of it."
"I surely would, sir, if 1 were in your
place. It's only few hours lost at the
worst"
"Well, wo'll sec. Go on deck and
give the course norwest. And, Mr..
Bruce" he added, as the mate rose to
go, "havo a lookout aloft and let it be
a hand you can depend on"
His orders were obeyed. About 3
o'clock the lookout reported an iceberg
nearly ahead, and, shortly after, what
ho thought was a vessel Of some kind
close to it.
As they approached the captain glass
disclosed the fact that it was a dismant-
led ship, apparently frozen to the ice,
and with a good many human beings on
board, Shortly after they hove to, aud
sent out the boats to the relief Of the
sufferers.
1t proved to be a vessel from Quebec
bound to Liverpool, with passengers on
board. She had got entanglod in the
ice, and finally frozen fast, and had
passed several weeks in a most critical
condition. She was stove, her decks
swept-in fact, a mere wreck; all her
provisions, and almost all her water
gone. Her crew and passengers had
lost all hopes of being saved and their
gratitude for the unexpected rescue was
proportioually great.
AS one of the men who had been
brought away in the third boat that had
reached the wreck was ascending the
ships side, the mate catching a glimpse
at his face he started back in conster-
nation. 1t was the very face he had
seen three or four hours before, looking
at him from the captains desk.
At first he tried to persuade himself
! it might be fancy; but the more he OK
amined the man the more sure he be-
came that he was right. Not only the
face, but the person and the dress cx-
actly correspondcd.
As soon as the exhausted crew and
famished passengers were cared for, and
the barquo on her course again, the
mate called the captain aside. at seems
that was not ghost l saw go by, sir;
the mans alive"
"What do you mean? Who's alive?'
."Why, sir, one of the passengers we
have Just saved is the man I saw writ
ling on your slate at noon 7 would
swear to it in a court of justice"
"Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" replied
the captain, "this gets more and more
singular. Let us 60 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-sow
coming death by exposure and starva-
ton.
The captain replied that he had but
done what he was certain they would
have done for him under the circum-
stances, and asked them both to step
down into the cabin, Then turning to
the passenger he said, 81 hope, sir, ]
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 upon which the mysterious writing
was not 81 will do anything you ask,
replied the passenger "but what shall
I writer
CA few words are all I want. Sup
pose you write, "Steor to the nor west.
The passenger, evidently puzzled tc
make out the motive for such a request
complied, however, with a smile. Tht
captain took up the slate and examined
it closelyi then stepping aside so as II
conceal the slate from the passenger, h
turned it over and gave it to him agaiI
with the other side up.
''You say that is your handwriting?
said he.
81 need not say so, rejoiued tn.
other, looking at it, "for you saw m,
write it,
"Aud this?" said the captain, turning
the slate over.
The man looked FIRST at one writing
then at tho other, quite oonfounded.-
At last, "What is tho meaning of this?'
said he, "I only wrote one Of these
Who wrote the othor2"
"Thats more than l can tell you, sir
My mate here says you wrote it, Sitting
at this desk at noon to-day
Tho captain Of tho wreck and th
passenger looked at each other OK
changing glancos Of intelligence anC
surprise; and the former asked tho lat
ter, "Did you dream you wrote on thi
slater"
"No, sir, not that 1 remember"
''You speak Of dreaming" said th
captain Of the bark; "What was thi
gentleman about at noon to-day?'
J "Captain," rejoined tho other, eth
IygLo1o china. ia T1OCt u1vatoriOuq and ov