The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1861-10-12


Whispering about how he feared there was no
luck 10 be looked for when drowned mon aud
| 0hostesses began ~ work the ship"
The first streak u dawn was hardly aeon when
sail could be made out in IT, far on our lee bow,
which the ofiieers supposed to be the frigate
Westwood and /, however, were Of opinion that
u was the French brig although by sunrise we
lost sight Of her again. Every one in the cul1y
talked u our unfortunate friends, and their mel
ancholy fate; even Ford and Wintorton were
missed, while old Mr. Rollock had been the life
Of the passengers.
But there was naturally still more felt for the
poor girl Forteocue; II made all Of US gloomy
for day or two; though the fresh breoze, and
the lndiaman's fas, motion, after our wearsome
spell Of calm, did great deal to bring things
round again.
westwood was greatly taken up with my &C
count Of the brig and her people, both Of us
agreeing there was somewhat suspicious about
her, though thought she was PROBABLY neither
more now less than SLAYER, and he had a no
tiOn she was after something deeper: what that
might be, twas hard to conceive as they didn't
sppear like pirates.
"Wcll, Tom" said TO Westwood ono day,
~ wish these good folks mayn't be disappointed,
but do suspect this blessed mate OF ours will
turn out 10 have run us into some fine mess or
other with his navigation! Did you Jtice how
blue the sky looked this morning, over TO east
ward, compared with what it did just now whore
the sun set2"
NO said westwood, mot particularly; but
what Of that2"
"why, in the Iris" replied /, 1--WE used al
ways to reckon that sign, hereabouts, of our
being near the land just you see, now, tomor.
row morntg, II the dawn hasn't a hazy yellow
look in it before the breeze fails IN which case,
'tis the African coast to a certainty. Pity these
1lysOn Mundungo' men, Jack calls them,
shouldn't have their eyes about en- as well as
on the log slate. | daresay now" cootinued |,
laughing, "yOu heard the first mate bOthcring
lately about tho great variations of the compass,
herc2 Well, what do you suppose the rea-
son Of it-but that sly devil u kitmagar show
log in his block for grinding curry, under the
feet Of the pinnacle, every time he was done
using it. saw him get kick one morning
from the man at tho wheel, who CHANGED to look
down and notice him. Good solid iron IL II,
though painted and polished like marble, and
tire circumcis,d race i unluckily considered the
whole blnnacle a. a SOFT Of second Mecca for SO
Curity.'
"Iianc tho fellow, said we,,wood. ''but
don't scc much to laugh AZ, Ned. Why, if you
arr right, We shall all be soaked and fried into
African fever before reaching the Cape and
we've had mi ,iurtuL,s enough already. Only
tnuk &C an exquisite creature Ike Miss"
"Oh, " interrupted /, ftncylng master Tom
IcyAf htel' t. show suili lent admiration for
Ter, "bet,Ixt an old humdrum, and conccitcd
fool Ike that, wi could you cxpcct2 An /
ray is,my dear plrson, stand by for pinch when
| II comes
Twas a beautifully fine night, clear aloft, and
| toe moon rising large On oar .ar5oird bow, out
Cf a delicate pale sort Of haze rs the ship head
| ell south ard with the hresze; ,0, fore and aft
| the decks were a.tir with Us all.
OF Coursc, no sooner had caught sight Of Sir
| Charles uydr, than looked for his daughter,
! and at last saw some ono talking 10 "A young la
DIV, seated near the after prd,ings with her head
turned round seward, whom 1t didn't require
much guessing 70 me to name.
Not having +, on her at all siDce the affair Of
the boats, stfolcd aft when was rather SUI
p-i,cd TO find that her comp inion was Tom
| Nestwood, aud they seemed in the Thick Of an
Interesting di ,ours'. The instant got near,
however, they broke II of.
The very moment bttor thought flashed in.
| 10 my mnd-iUr 10 my Fancy she looked yeNed
| ut seeing me, and a co'or seemed mounting up
TO her check, oven through the fairy sort Of
| glimmer on II.
Could Tom W,stwood have been acting no
nore than the clerical near such a creature? aud
| If fellow like him took it in his head what
| chance had II TIE next minute, accordingly,
thc rose OIL her seat. gave mo slight bow, in
answer to mine, and walked direct TO the gal
l,ry stair, where she disappeared.
1--WE were talking Of that unlucly adventure
the other day." said Wcstwood, glancing at me-,
but rather taken aback, as thought.
"Ay2' said !, carelcssly.
"Yes, continued he, "Miss Hyde had no idea
| you and | were particularly acquainted, and
| seems to think me a respectable clergyman; but
] must tell you, Ned. she has rather a suspicious
| opinion Of yourself
"Oh, indccd!" said /, sullonly.
"Fact, Ned" said he, 'she even remembers
having seen you before, somewhere or other-l
| hope; my dear fellow, II wasn't on the stagel
'lla, la! how amusing, | said, with the
best laugh I could get up.
| AT any rate Collins, he went on, "she secs
| through your iegned way of carrying on, and
knows you're neither griffin nor llnd-lubber but
a sailor: for fancy this is not the first time the
| Young LADY has INST with tins cloth. WHAT do
YOU suppose she asked me now, quite seriously2
"Oh ! coulon't guess, OF course" replied |,
almost With sneer, pray don't"
why, she inquired what could be Tn, design
a ono concealing his profession So carefully; and
actually appearing TO be ON a secret understand
ing with come Of the Sailors. Directly after, she
asked, whether that brig mightn't really have
been pirate, and taken off the poor general
Miss F0rtescue, and tho rest?'
"Ah,' said l. coldly, and If might venture
TO ask, what did you
"Oh, OF course replied Wcstwood, laughing
81 could only hide my amuse ment, and profess
oouhts you know, Ned,
"Nery good Joke, Mr.. WestwoOd,' thought
to myself, but at least you can't weather oI
me quite SO innocently, my fine fellow! didn'
, by the bye, Collins" exclaimed wcstwso
; in little as he kept his eye as,ern, there
, something away yOndor ON our lee quarter tina
/, I've been watching for these last ten minutes
u what do YOU think il may be2 Look Just
7 tie tail Of the moonshne yOndcr,'
v What it might be-, | cared little enough
Q the time; but ! did give glance, and Jaw Ii
Q tie black dot AS II were rising and falling wit
r the long run Of the water, apparently maxim
7 way before the breeze.
, "Only bit of wood, dare say" remarkc
4 l. but whatever it is, at any rate the drift wi
Y take it far to leeward OF u, 50 you needn
1 mind.
l In ten minutes longer, the light swell in ii
, distance gave IL n lift up fair into the moon
I shine; it CLEANED for u moment, and then seen
, al TO roll across into the blue glmmer Of Ii
o sea.
< 'By Joye Collins" said Westwood, gain
$ eagerly at IT, " lis more like bottle 10 m
q sight"
| We walked back and forward, looking eac
time over the tallrail till at length the affair
o question could liz seen dipping and crecpin
It ahead in the smooth shining wash OF the SUI
|, face, Just like TO 20 bobbing across our bow
;. and be missed TO windward.
= slipped down the pOop-stair, and along
Il the orecastle, where told Jacobs; when tW
u or three OF the men went out on the martinga
. stays, with the blight OF a line and couple
l blocks in il, ready TO throw round this tOatin
\ oldity, and haul il alongside it surged past
IL Shortly after We had il safe in our hands
o square built old putchml IN ii was, tight corke
with rcd rag round the neck, and crusted on
l. with salt.
= The men who had got it seemed afraid Of the
- | p-iZe so MVstNIol and | had no dith,uitv