Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-11-30
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
stephen WoOleOmbe.
From casseli'a Magazine D

70 IN was two O'Clock IN tue hothiil5 -
rnite dark. when Stephen WOOieombe
emitted his house 10 gotO Sandymouth.
We'll wrappedup as a protection against
me weather. he carried a dark lantern,
q brace az horse pistols, q cfoWbar ana
> bsg- Half an hour's walk brought
him To the emily by which he could de
zr-nd to the shore; the tide was nearly
e ouf wanting not quite an hOur al low
urster Carefully aud quietly he strobe
along down the gully. where the dark
ness covered him, aud then ont into
the openiug, where the moonlight re
veaIed him to the only watcher OF hls
actions - Margaret StapletOn as he
walked ont towards the wreck. hiarga-
ret followed him AT some distance, anu
knowing las destination, on guessing u
rather. she took her own path, and
weni 10 point under cover whence
she eonld see all that passed IN on
about the wreck.
Stephen WOOlcombe came 70 the con
fused heap OF timbers, which lew
DAYS AGO had been fine snip, and
climbed upon it. He did not stop Ia
examine the debris, but went straight
20 particular spot which h hal noted
IN the daytime. The deck was SHINY
and slippery with the tide which had
inst left IL. aud the position Of some ol
fbe timhers was little altered, bat
WOoIconbe recognized the place aud at
once began his work. 10 was the after
hstcbway of the ship which had attract
ed bis attention, aad lac supposed that
II led down to the chief cabin; he also
supposed, reasonably enough, that IA
that cabin WOHid he all that was most
valuable i'm the shape OF money or port
able plunder, aud from the way IA
which the ship had settled, from the
unbroken- appearance Of her frame
aUaft. fTom observations lac had care
fully made. Stephen WO0lcOmbe con
clUded that tins cabin was more or less
intact: and might we'll reward the labor
OF 3 search.
With the help of his crowbar he re-
moved the wreckage that blocked mp
the hatcL way, and after twenty min
MES bar1 work was rewarded lay sind
ing uuiHiured the steps leading to the
cabin. Down these he walked ant Ell
tered the cabin, which, except that the
6ttings we're all started by the coneus-
SION the ship had experienced, and that
everything was saturated with sea wa
ter, was wonderfully little damaged.
The water had not risen 10 the beams
ii tue deck, the scuttles were open,
and on the port side the planks were
bulged al the spot where the ship had
been caught IA the hold OF the rock.
To rummage the drawers and lockers
was with Stephen WOic0mbe the work
OF lew minutes only. In one locker
he found a case OF Schiedam, at which
he took q long pull The fortifying in
huence of little Dutch courage was
perhaps excusabie, considering the
time aud the place. Alone among dead
men, IN the gray OF the morning, IN a
wreck which the relentless tide was
certain Ia swallow mp, perhaps st ITS
next Tow, the object IF the visit rob
berys aud the mind brought to the
work already blackened and befOuled,
the man might have been excused at
little nervousness. Under the table,
washed thither by the sea, lay the dead
body of the captain, IRON whose neck
WOOlcombe took massive gold chain,
and from his pocket a chrOnometer and
a purse. Further aft another body lay
at length upon a locker. 1t was the
have lain down there after the ship
struck, for the water had not saturated
him as it had done The captain, and
there were signs OF MS having collected
q great numb of portable things evi
IDENTIFY in the hope of getting on shore
with them, when his strength failed
him, and he fell where WOOlcOmbe
found him. There was tempting pro
fusion OF valuable things around him,
money IN bags, jeweirY, and rolls OF
paper.
WoolcOmbe stopped over the man to
take has goods, when it might be
fancy, ii might be a slight motion in
the ship but he Thought the body
moved. he took another phil At the
Schiedam, and then turned the hight of
his lantern OF the face OF the corpse.
Enthusiastically it moved, the upper lip
QuiveTed, there was a faint noise ia
toe throat, aud the eyes began to open.
As Stephen WOOicomhe stretched out
his hand 10 take what the steward
had collected, the body made a motion
with has arm as If 10 stop him. The
Devil whispered IN his ear. Dead men
tell no tales, and Ia a moment the
temptation was yielded TO; the iron
croWbar descended with force on to
the temples and forehead of the stew
ard, and the poor fellow never moved
again, nor would move till he should
be called on to give evidence IN the
matter st the Great Assize.
This done, Wolcombe stopped to
wipe away the sweat which stood IN
great beads upon ms brow; he took
another draught of Schiedam, bound
up in has bag the spoil whereof he had
plundersd the steward, and having
made large haul, was thinking Il
about time 10 60 back he had been al
hour on board, aud the moan of the
returning waters was beginning tr
make itself heard when his ssif-pos
session was somewhat shaken by 3
noise he heard IN the direction of the
companion. g lis only rat, " he ex
claimed, half aloud, SIS if to reassur,
himself, but the noise continued, anC
was like the noise Of one slowly de
scsndlng the stairs. Stephen became
anxious; tue bead Of sweat STOOD
again upon has brow; he drew pisto
. from his pocket, and directed the liRht
Of his lantern towards ihe cabin door
Cunt made his soul quake, but his
hand was steady and prepared for any
more devils work that might be il
store for it. The footballs ceased, an6
when the intruder appeared at tht
door, Stephen saw with wonder the
face and figure of Margaret StapletOn.
She did not seem terrified by what she
saw, neither did the loaded pistol detel