Nebraska advertiser., 1867-01-10
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some more excitlng employment. join
ed a whaIer. We were unlucky some
how. bring no luck auywhsre--and
we were nearly empty. We were cruis.
ing up here TO the north, and thinking
os making for home. as The weather had
changed and the ice forms precious
quick in those lalitades. when il once be-
gins. The captain naturally wanted TO
hang on to The last, for the chance Of
another haul. ss,sinrss ,,,,
One bright afternoon, just after eight
bells, made up the log. and took it TO
the captains cabin. bIlkpocked at lhe
door, and as nobody answered. / walked
in. ] lhoDgns il odd the captain hadn't
answered me, for there be was, sitting
at bis desk. with bis back 70 me. writing.
Seeing be was employed. told him
had brought the log, laid il down on the
table behind him. and as he made no
answer, walked out. / went On deck,
and the first person met was the cap
tain was puzzled-I could not make
out how be bad got there before me-.
"HOw did you gstpP here e. said;
II just left you writing in your cabin.''
az have not been in my cabin for the
las. half hour the captain answered /;
but, though he was chatting, and ] didn'1
like it. aiu aeu
There was some one writing atiyOur
desk, just now" / said; s'if il. wasen'l
you, yeu had better go and see who it
was. The log is made up. ! have left
il in your cabin. sir - and with that !
walked sulklIy away. hadsnO idea o.
being rhafed BY the captain. to whom ]
had aiken a dislike.
Mr.. BrOwn,n said the captain, who
saw was netlled, you must have been
mistaken my desk is locked. But come
we'll go down and see about it.'' 'a'
/ Z .rTff r. "A
followed the captain into the cabin.
The log was on the table, the desk was
closed, and The cabin was empty The
captain Tried the dssk-it was locked.
You see, MF Brown }, he said laugh
ing, "yOu must have been mistaken the
desk is loci ed y f, ~ aalaors1
was pos tive. asbsg 20 -
Somebody may have picked the lock, !"
said.
'But they cOuldn't have closed i
again." the captain suggested; '.bu'. TO
salsfy you, / will open il, and see if the
contents are safe, though there is not
much here TO tempt thief"
He opened the desk, and there
stretched righ. across twas sheet of
paper, with the words. ~Steer N. W."
written in an odd, cramped hand.
The caplaip looked At the paper, and
then handed il to me. iaT .l
"Yon are right. Mr. Brown; some
body has been here. This is some
hoax. !" ~ - -
We sat there some time talking, and
trying 10 guess what could be the subject
of such a joke-if a joke it wcs mens 70
be. Iltrledto identify the back Of the
man had seen at the desk. with that Of
sny Of the crew. / could not do it. Il
is true, / bad first taken the man for the
captain, but now points Of different sug-
gested themselves. / had not looked
very atteniveIy Al the figure. but still. /
was under the impression tha; the coat il
had on was brown. and the hair. which
appeared under the cap, seemed, rs ! re-
member, 10 have been longer and whiler
than the captains. There was oaly one
man on board who resembled 10 the lea St
the figure I had seen. suggested 70
The captain lhas il plight have been old
Shiel, the bOatswain. He did not ike
to suspect the old man, who was a .grea.
favorile besides. wha. motive could be,
or indeed any one else. have had in Iry-
ing to change the course Of the vessel 2
Not TO appear to suspect any 0ne in
particular. the captain determined to
have up all the crew. We had them up.
one by ons. We examined them, and
made all those who could write, write
isSteer N. w." bat we gained no clue.
lone hing was very clear--i, couId not
have been forward al the time / was in
the captains cabins The mistery re-
mained pnsolSed. aessa @ s7h
That evening, | sal drinking my grog
with the captain in bis cabin. We were
neither of US inclined 10 be salkative.
tried 01hink Of home. and ghs pleasure
il would be 10 seeaOld England again,
but stiIl my thoughts alway wandered
back 70 that mysterious writing. I tried
% read, but ! caught myself fnriveIy
pesping At the desk, expecting 70 ssp ths
figure sitting there. 9 81 Els
'iasses zoiTss9s msai elbTohs ,sslaa