Gazette and sentinel., 1860-02-04

somcihing Mr. enough? Is that your
writing, Mr.. Brucr ?"
The mate took tn slate, and there, in
plain, irglhir characters, stood the
words "SrEF. rorIE ~NoE'wEsr!'
"lIavc you been triIing wilhm", sirT
added the captain, ina stern manner
con ny word a. u ma and As a sail
or. sir" replied Rrncc, Il know no more
Of It's matter than you. have told
vogi the exact truth"
The captain sat ipwu 1t his desk the
slate before him, IN deep thought. vt
last, turning thu slate over and pasSin"
tito Bruce, hcsa;l. Write down, Steer
t. the nor'wc,t.''
The mqtc compiled, and the captain,
after narrowly comparing the two hand
writings, said, "Mr. Bruce, 90 and tell
the second mate to come down here"
lie came, and at the captains request,
&c also wrote the same words. So did
the steward. -, in Succession, did ev-
cry man of the crew who could write at
nj. But not one of the various hands
rescmIlcd, in any d"grcc, the mysterl-
Gus writing.
When the crew retired the captain
sat deep IN thought. Could any one
have been slowed away ?" at last he
said. The slip must he searched; and
If don't Gni the fellow, he must be a
q. b.. hand al hidc-and seek. Order up
all hands,
Every nook aud corner Of the vessel,
r. ..,. " .4,~, N-as fInrtlBhlV
searched. and that with the cagcrness
Of excited curiosity Cor the report had
gone ont that q stranger had shown him
self Oh board: hut not a living soul be-
yud the crew and officers was fou}d.
Reforming to t., cabin after their
rruitpSs search, Nj. Bruce" said the
captain. what the devil aoyou make Of
all tlis!"
Can't tell. sir. Isaw the write; you
see the writing. There must be some
thing in it."
"lNclI. it would seem SO. We have
the wind free, and | have a great mind
to keep her away and see what vii
come of it,"
n Il surely would, sir. if | were in YOU
place. It's only a few hours lost, at the
worst"
+, "Well. we'll see. Go on deck ant
p, give the course nor'west. And, Mr.
: Bruce he added, as the mate rose t
90. have a look out alOft, and let 1t b.
. a hand you can depend on"
: His orders were obeyed9 About tire
! o'clock the lookout reported an ice
! berg nearly ahead, and, shortly after
what he thought was a vessel OF som
, kind close to it.
As they approached, the captain
= class disclosed the fact that 1t was
d~ismantled ship, apparently f~rozento tn
ice. and with u good many human b
u inrs on it. Shortly after they hove t
" and sent out the boats to the relief {
the sufferers,
Ii proved to be a vessel from Qucbe
= bound to Liverpool, with passengers c
"a board. She had got %entangled in the &c
u and finally frozen fast, and had passt
. several weeks in d most critical stir
y ton. She was stove, her decks swep
in fac.. a mere wreck; all her provision
q and almost all her water gone. III
- ttlN
:! crew and passengers had lost all hop
Of being saved, and their gratitude 1
~, the unexpected rescue was proportio
at ataly great. ,,,
As one Of the men who had be
brought away in the third boat that h
reached the wreck was ascending |
.ci ship's side, the mate catching a gimp
Of his face. started back i'll conSterl
10 ton. 1t was the very face he had set
ne ,o three or four hows before, looking
at him from the captains desk.
At first he tried to persuade himself
m might be fancy; but the more he exa
ined the manethe more sure he beca
NV that he was right. Not only the ia
,iy but the person and the dress, exac
~ corresponded.
As soon as the exhausted crew q
famishcd passengers were carcdfor, q
the bark on her course again, the m
called the captain aside. 1T seems t
was not a ghost to-day, sir, the ma
ks alive"
"What do you mean, Who's aliv
"Nyhy, sir, one of the passengers
no. have Just saved is the man l saw v
the ting on your slate at noon. wo
swear to it in a court of justice"
Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" repl
&c, the captain, "this gets more and In
ore singular. Let us so and see this ma
They found him in conversation "
me the captain of the rescued ship. r
nee both came forward, and expressed
all the warmcst terms their gratitude