Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-06-05

| back to that mysterious writing. L tired
to read, but l caught myself furtiyely
peeping at the desk, expecting to see The
figure sitting there.
The captain had not spoken for some
time, and was sitting with his face bur
led in his hands. At last, he suddenly
looked up, and said,-- p
"Suppese we alter her course to North.
west, Mr.. Brown?"
don't know what it was: cannot
hope to make you understand the feeling
in my mind that followed those words;
it was sense of relief from a horrible
nightmare. | was ashamed of the child.
ish pleasure I felt, but I could not help
answering eagerly, Certainly; shall
give the order?"
I waited no longer, but hurried on
deck ahd altered the course of the vess.
ell. ....
1t was clear frosty night, and as ]
looked at the compass before going be-
low, felt strangely pleased, and caught
myself chuckling and rubbing my hands
at what, cannot say,-I don't know
then, but great weight had been taken
off my mind.
l went down to the cabin, and found
the captain pacing up and down the
small space. He stopped as came in,
and looking up, said, abruptly
at can do no harm, Mr.. Brown"
eff this breeze continues" an.
swered, tive can hold on for thirty
hours or so, but then, I should think
"But then-we shall find ice. How's
the wind? ?"
"Steady, North by East"
We sat down and finished our grog
1 had the morning watch to keep next
day was too restless to sleep after it, SO
I kept on deck the whole of tho day
Even that did not satisfy me. | was
continually running up into the tops with
my glass, but every time | CAME down dis.
appointed The captain was as unquiet
as myself. Something we expected to
happen, but of what it was to be We
could form no idea. The second officer
| believe, thought us both crazy; indeed
l often wondered, myself, at the state ]
was in. Evening came, and nothing
had turned up. The night was bright,
and the captain determined to carry on
under sail till morning.
Morning came; and with tho first
gray light / was on deck. TWAS bitter
ly cold. Those only who have seer
them can form an idea of the delicate
tints of the morning sky in those North
ern Seas. But was in no humor to
appreciate the beauties of nature. There
was a mist low down on the horizon:
waited impatienty for it to lift. II soor
lifted, and l could not be mistaken, BIO
yound it could see the simmer of ice
l sent down to tell the captain, who came
ohdeck directly.
at is no use. Mr.. Brown" he said
"you must put her about"
swat one moment" / said; "wai
one moment, the mist is lifting moro, j
will be quite clear directly"
Tho mist Was indeed lifting rapidly
Ear to the north and west we could Sc,
the ice stretching away in one unbroker
field. l was trying to see whether there
appeared any break in the ice toward,
the west when the captain, Selling my
arms with one hand, and pointing
straight ahead with the other exclaim
ed
"Good Heaven! there is n ship there
Tho mist had risen like curtain, nnc
there, sure enough. about three miles
ahead, was a ship seemingly firmly pack
ed in the ice. We stood looking at il
in silence. There was some meaning af
ter all in that mysterious warning, was
the first thought that suggested itself te
me.
"She's nipped bad, sir" said old Shiel
who with the rest of the crew, anxiously
watching our new discovery. l was try.
ing to make her out with the glass, when
the flash Of gun, quickly followed by
the report, proved that she had seen us
Up went the flag, Union downwards.-
We needed no signal to know her dis
tress. The captain ordered the second
officer off into the boat. I watched him
as he made his way over the leo with q
few Of the men towards the ship Thew
soon returned with eight of the ships
crew. 1t was dismal account they
gave of their situation. They might have
sawed their way out of the ice, but the
ship was so injured that she could moi
have floated an hour. The largest o.
their boats had been stove in, the others
were hardly seaworthy. They were pre-
pairing, however, to take to them as 6
last resource when our welcome arriva
put an end to their fears. Another de.
tachment was soon brought off, and tht
captain with the remainder of his crew
was to follow Immediately.
wentdown to my cabin and tried tc
think over the singular fate which had
made us the preservers of this ships
crew. I could not divest myself of the
idea that some supernatural agency was
connected with that paper in the desk
and 1 trembled at the thought of wha
might have been the consequences if W,
had neglected the warning. The boat
coming alongside interrupted my rev
erie. In few seconds / was on deck.
l found the captain talking to n fin,
old sailor like looking man, who he in
troduced to mo as Captain Squires.-
shook hands with me, and We Remained
Sc1L,o o{.,on T nocL ~ Iaos~