The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1867-03-26

We're becamedl Not ripple was on the
water. The day passed away monotonous-
ly enough. The crew slept. | read and
smoked. and eleven o'clock that night found
me in my chair at the head of the table IN
the cabin. Ca>par, who had quite got over
his fears, lay on the hatch at the head of
the cabin stairs. | could hear the pat, OF
his tail as a sort of greeting to themat as
he kept passing him in his walk up AMI
down the deck. This evening my thoughts
wegs.tranquil, for | was reading a volume
of LongteIIow's poems and was in the
milst of EvangeIine, when l heard a howl
from Casper and the scurry of his feet as
he scampered forward. Looking up saw
my visitor Of the previous night again de-
scending the companion He seemed
much weaker, and came slowly down,
clutching the handrail with his one sound
arm and hand He walked across the cab
in more feebly than before, AMI his resPl-
ration was heavy and labored when he
reached the table
He glanced at the table with an anx-
ious look as if to see whether the chart
was still there. 1t was not. He then gazel
at me with disappointed aud sorrowful
stare anil disappeared. | remained quiet
ly in my chair for some ten minutes after
tie - ire had departed. When | wen
on deck | found the mate again endeavor-
~ to sOothe the dog, who snap u
,Dorlol -, HI, lorr,t until - t,4,g ,,re,r, > :,
approach him. Leaving him there went
below, and throwing myself dressed as |
was, on my cot | tried to sleep. Unre
freshing aud feverish was the sleep which
visited me that night, and | arose in the
morning totally unfit for work of any kind
al with my nerves entirely unStrung
What was expected of me? For what
purpose had been warned what must
| do? Thus unused during the entire day
Easpar kept close TO his kennel all the time
and steadily refused to eat or drink. When
ever any one of us approached hlm he at
tempted to snap at US. and appeared as j
entirely under the influence Of some grea
fear The calm had continued during the
entire day, and we made no progress what
ever. Again evening approached and the
same hour found me as on the two previous
nights. sitting at my table. This time
eagerly awaited my visitor. Would the
figure again appear? l found myself hop
ing that it would. This time did not at
tempt to read, for my tn ughts were toe
troubled to permit of any concentrating
my mind on any book, The same chart
with the blood-staln on it, lay on the table
before me- Would my visitor, if he came
again, touch that spot, or would he give
me some other sign which might indicate
to me the course | ought to pursuel TIN,
time there WAS no Ca>par to warn me,
but | felt that the figure was coming even
ere it appeared Presently saw 1t again
coming down the stairs. This time it was
evidently far weaker than before, for with
difficulty could it stand, and it toIed down
the steps in manifest sutferingS and agony.
At last it reached the cabin floor and at
tempted to advance toward me; but no
sooner had it let 60 the haud-ruI than it
sank down exhausted. | sprang up and
rushed toward it; but the moment | moved
the spectre vanished, and when | attempt
ID to raise the fallen figure my hands touch
ed the cabin floor,
And now a light seemed to break upon
me- rushed upon deck, when | found
the mate and crew setting all sail to catch
the breeze which hal just sprung up. |
Immediately gave order that the Dolphjn' s
course should be altered to that which
would bring Us to the spot marked SO plain
" on the cnart by the drop of b!ooi. Al
that night [ paced the deck No sleep
seemed possible to me until :his hidden
mystery should be revealed. We made a
beautiful run, and with daylight | hoped
to find What! | knew not.
The dawn brought disappointment. A
dense fog lay on the face of the ocean
We could discern nothing at ten yards dis
lance from the vessels side. According to
my calculations and by the log we should
have been not far from that spot on the
wide sea where hoped to find a solution
of the mystery. Toward noon tue wind
died away, and at length deserted US alto
gether Then the fog slowly rose, and |
at once, glass in hand, ascended the rig
ging. With eager gaze | scanned the hor-
izon ahead and on both bows, but DO wei
come object met my eyes. Disheartened
at | knew not what, | was about coming
down when | chanced to look directly as
tern. Almost directly iu our wake, bat far
astern of US lay an object. which by the aid
Of glass, l made out to be an open boat. |
could not discern anything in it and it ap-
peared to lie like log upon the water
The gig was soon lowered according to my
orders and a mate and boats crew were
dispatched to inspect the beat as it lay far
astern. | felt quite unequal to going
myself, SO agitated was |, but had pres
ence of mind enouoh to order some brandy