The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-07-11
THE CAPTAIN AND HIS CHARGE.

an old sea dog. and had dwelt so lory on
salt warer that | felt almost a hatred for
the lard.-=--.------
On the Goth of October. 1924, receiiv=
ed ordersto put myself in readiness to
sail for. Cayenne Twas to transport
twenty-five soldiers and convict. [ had
orders to treat this Individual wefl.s and
the letter L had received foaa the D:rec-
tory ea~anethep.-~with huge -rao
seals WHICH was not to open until be-
tween 81 and 2S deg west Longitude !;
that is jase before We were about to cross
the line
Therletter was long packet so vel
closed on eyerv1side that it was iinnos-
sibie tocatch tire slightest gsnn 5selof IT.
contents 3sain nor aTatursllv sapersti-
tiaus, but there wasssone ching il theoloek
offthe1et5el thatI did not atogetherhke,
though 1 could give no reason Why How
ever, Icafried iti4ito the leabifa. alitlsapsk
it under the glass '<uf' a little old Shabby
EnSlish clock Wliith.Was fasfellrd above
my head. / Vas busy iai1,ing tie letter
.undsr the clock. W heps " no should coue
into my cabin bun the esnvietiand hisMi !
This was the first tineI had seen either
of them, and may say that more pre-
possessing couple [ never met The
woman was scarcely. more than fifteen,
and as handsome as a pietare while the
husband was anintelIigent magniiieently
formed man. ioue whose features nature
had never written VILLAIN. = s5 sf
His crime, to be plain, was the misf6r-
tune Of being a hundred years ahead Of
his age. He and Others had ATTEMPTED
something which our Government called
treason, and hlch it punished with death.
1t, therefore. occasloned me considerable
wonder that he should be placed under
my charge-but more Of this afterwards
. He had. as | said. his wife hanging on
his arm She was as merry us a bird );
she looked like a turtle DIVE cooling aud
Nesting beneath his great wing
Before a month had Passed over our
heads, | looked upon them as my own
children. Every morning used to call
them into my cabiu.. The Young fellow
would sit, writing At my table. that is TO
say, at my chest, which was my bed
He would ofsen help ine at reckoning,
aldsoon learned to do better THANH coitia
| was amazed at his ability His young
wife wouli sit upon one of the round
stools in my cabin, working at her needle.
One day we were all threa sitting IN
this way. when | said 5 rf
do you know. my young ores. as Il
seems to me, we make very pretty fam
lily picture? Mind | don't mean TO ask
questions, but may lie ydti have not much
money to spare. and YOU are. both Of you
as [ think, too handsome to dig in the
burning san of Cayenne, dixie many a
poor wretch before ven. lassa badcoun-
tfg--a bad country. take my word for II.
l. who have rounhed il through tellpesr.
wind and Sunshine; I'LL Eye got the skin
of Il fhinoeeros, might get along there:
bat yoll-i am afraid iQr You. So, fiyou
should chance TO have bit of foolish
friendship Tor your poor old captain, [ Il
tell you what II do. I'll get rid of this
old brig She's not much better than an
old tub, after all so ,ifseFtle down there
with you, il. you Ike. You see | have
not living soul IL 4 world to care for,
or that cares for me.ai want relations, /
want home. want family should
like TO make my home with you, my pref
~ young oiies! What say We 2n s.
They said nothing at all, but sat look
ING, first at each other and then at me,
rs If they Doubted whether they under
stood what [ said. bsa so.4s- q
AT last the little bird threw her arms
around my neck, and cried ike baby.
But. said she, suddenly. pau ing.
'you haven looked at the letter with
the big red seal.
Hang til | exclaimed, '.it had slip
ped nay mind entirely 5t
With u cold. dreadful sensations [ went
to my chest to see where ne were. Hound
chat we had several days remaining, be
fore we shouid reach the proper longitude
for opening the letter.
Well, there we stood, all three of us,
looking APP 1T the latter as If it could
have spoken to AS / it happened. the
sun was shining full upon the face Of the
clock case, and fed upon the great star
ing red seal Of the let er. | could nu;
help faneyiDg 1t looked something ike a
big monster. an ogre face. grinnng
from the middle OF the fire: it looked
horrid
"Coull rot one fancy" said Z tomake
them laugh, ''itf great big eyes were
>stas:ng out oi.its heal ?? p H.,
''Ah my love, said the wife, it looks
like blood. 'd ,a ad 5a
E Pooh. pooh = said her hus'an.l. tax
lng her arm nnder his, 80 it look likefa
letter d. ipg:tation to- a wedding. 70 Gone,
cpme,elease the le5seGaasane il ibtiDubles
yog.se y Leu 5 go to- ouyFoonl and pre-
pare she'd. -
Aad .en they went rHhay went y,tpot,
deck ansi leitome. with thai Least. OF a
letter. | remembered that | ka 1t look
ing at tlas lsnoked my pipel;r IL seemed
70 {iy IT. great red eyes upon nfiBe taSci-
mating like the eye Of a serpent 1t was
red, wide, raw, staring Ike tile nav Of ii
ilerce vol. / took my, great coat and
hung 1t over beth clock and letter, and
weat upon deck to finish my pipe 6a
We We're now in the vicinity of the
Cape de EeId Islands: the Bile was
running beforeia fair wind at he rate Of
ten miles an hour. Ii was a splendid
tropical night-the stars large and shining,
the moon rising above the horizon as
large as sun of silver, the hue Of ocean
parting it, and long streams of bare,
shinmering light falling unon the waves,
which as they broke. sparkied ike jewels.
[ satsupon the deck, smoking MY pipe
and loe:>ing at them.
All was still except the football Of the
,-aaii IL Of the watch, az he paced the deck,
gain 6 as did, upon The Shadow OF the
vessel, stealing over the silent waters.
| love silence and orierI hate noise
and confusion. The lights should all
have been extinguished by this time !;
DIT when | locked upon the deck |
thought saw little red line OF light
beneath my feet At another tiue this
would have made ME angry; but know
ing chat the light came from the cabin Of
my little lie Portee, | determined to see
what they were about
| had only TO look down. could see
into the cabin from the skyliaht
The yeung girl was upon her knees.
and was sayinw her prayers. \ la.np
sw insiss 5soa the scailing lighted I2 her
room. She had ensa hong, white nigh
drssS, aud her fan, golden hair Aoated