Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-12

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which seemed to rebound and spread from
cliff to Gig till it faded far away in the
northern soltudes, where death only reign
ed in eternal silence, and amid eternal snow.
"There goes our last hope," said the
captain "but | am thankful | can still say,
His will be done and trust my children
to His mercy"
any wife don't need much praying for"
said the quartermaster. She'll fight her
way, bet"
Just then the purser, who had been
staring at the horizon, trying to pierce the
gloom to the right, leaped on his feet,
shouted, screamed, cried, embraced the
captain, and danced and flung up his hat.
Every one turned round and looked where
he was looking There the saw light
sparkle, and then red light blazed up, and
then rocket mount in aslong tail Of fire
till it discharged nosegay of colored
stars 1t was ship answering their light.
Then came the booming sound Of ships
gun. 1t was a vessel lying off the pack,
and they were saved.
An hours walk (they were all strong
enough now brought the captain and his
men to the ships side. The ship was only
three miles off along the shore, but the
fog had hidden it from them when they had
returned to lay down and die.
AS honest rough hands pressed theirs,
and helped them up the vessels side, and
honest brown faces smiled welcome, and
food was held out, and thirty sailors at
once broke into a cheer that scared the
wolves on the opposite shore, Captain Rit-
son said " Thank God, friends, for this
kindness Pm plain man, and | mean
what say but my hearts too full now to
tell you all feel. Purser, | did losehopc
just now, when saw the raft carried of"
One autumn afternoon. four months la
ter, three men entered Mr.. Billiards. Office
and inquired for that person.
| He is engaged just now," said new
clerk (the rest had lett ,iand pointing to an
inner glass door that stood ajar. Engaged
with Captain Cardew, of the Morning Star;
he sails tomorrow for Belize. Take seats"
The muf1led-up sailor-looking men took
seats near the halEopen door, through
which came low words Of talk
Riston was too reckless" said a dlsa-
greeable voice, "and quite lost his head in
danger"
"No doubt" said another voice. Take
another glass Of sherry, captain"
/ The purseT too, was not very honest, /
/ fear, and very careless about the stores
| By the by, did ever tell you about that
/ drunken quartermaster, Thompson losing
! that ship of yours, the Red Star, off the
Malabar coast. He had just returned from
/ Quebec, so Sennant told me, who sailed
with him. He had been sotting at Quebec,
and when the vessel returned, he said he
wouldn't go. They found him obstinately
drunk. VIII you believe If, he remained
drunk the whole voyage till they came and
( told him he was near Glasgow Then he,
/ leaped up, shaved himself, put on his best
coat and a white tie, and went on shore To-
/ see our agents, old Falconer and johnson,
( fresh as paint. Ha ha -
The other voice laughed too. 1t was Mr..
BIlzzardf f rom his throne of large capital
he was probably about to replace a ledger,
and consult the almanac, as he had done
that afternoon four months before.
/ You must make better voyage with
the Morning Star than Captain Ritson did
with his unfortunate vessel, said Mr.. Biz
zard DON'T be ataid Of the sherry"
/ But Cardcw never drank that glass Of
/ sherry, for the door just tiien bursting open
dashed the glass to pisces in his hand, and
Captain Ritson seized him by the throat.
Pm plain man, Mr.. Blizzard, sir" he
said, " and l mean what say but if ever
there was a mutinous, thjeving, lying false,
shark-hearted scoundrel, it is this man who
sunk the Shooting Star, and left me, and
the purser, and six more Of us. to die of
Labrador on the ice-pack Purser, bring
in that policeman, and We'll have justice
/ done :"
AT the next as5i1es, Carlcw was sentenced
to nine years transportation for frauds on
the house Of David and Blizzard, and for
conspiring to sink the Shooting Star, and
part of her crew, off the coast of Labrador.
A Liverpool paper, a few months ago, men
| toned that a bushranger Of the same name
had been shot in an encounter with the
mounted police. As the name is not
common one, the busdranger and the mate
were probably the same persons.
The firm tried the quartermaster with an
other vessel, and he acquitted himself we'll:
and as for Ritson, he is now the most re
! spected captain in their service.