Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1868-08-22

said this he descended into the cabin, but
instead of going forward we crouched
down on the deck and looked through the
little skyllght of the deck. The skipper
sat down, shufled the cards and dealt
them out-so many to himself, and so
many to the other side of the table
Then they began to play. the cards turn.
ing themselves over just as a player would
have done. The skipper appeared to be
loser, for every now and then lie would
strike the table with his fist and swear
in Spanish in an awful manner. At last
we could stand it no longer, and we rush
ed forward and aroused the men. telling
them that the Old One himself was IN
the cabin playing cards with the skipper.
At first they thought WI drunk or crazy,
bnt we finally persuaded them to 60 oft
altogether, which they did. just as we
reached the cabin door we heard the skip
per shout, "lost again = and looking
down we saw him gather up the cards
and deal them out for another game
"Now," said he, on this game | will
stake the good smack Nancy, which is all
| have left" and they began to play again
the cards acting just as they had done
before.
"God in Heaven p muttered Leonard,
the mate, this is awful this is a doom.
ed vessel" They played on, and pre-
sently the skipper found that be had lost
again. With a fearful oath he roared,
"you have got everything else, now III
stake my" "Hold, Capt. Gotf." ex-
claimed Leonard. the mate, rushing into
the cabin, "for heavens sake take care
what lou are saying" AS he said this
the light was blown out by a strong gust
of wind, and Capt. Golf fell s~enseless
across the table. We brought him to his
senses again after a good deal of trouble,
and then we all went forward again, but
not to sleep.
At the break Of day the Captain came
forward and ordered US to heave up the
anchor. We refused as We considered
the vessel as doomed to destruction
However, the Captain said that what
might happen to him, no harm would
come to US and after som delay We
weighed anchor and set sail for a trip to
the Dogger Bank, where the fleet we're
fishing. The wind was from the east,
which was right on to the land there, and
We headed to the north along the land
1t began to blow harder and harder, and
toward night we had a heavy gale. We
carried all the sail we could on her to
try and keep her off the land, but the
heavy sea drove her to leeward, and we
saw that the vessel must 90 ashore in
spite of all that we could do. Capt. Golf
was at the helm all day, and no man could
have steered her better ; but it was all
in vain, the vessel was doomed and no
human power could save her.
Just before dark we found that we were
in the shallow water, and soon after the
vessel struck the ground. Directly she
struck the mast went over the side and
we cut away all the rigging which held
it to the vessel, and all hands chung on to
the mast 10 hopes of being washed ashore
on it. We were still some distance from
the land, but the wind and sea drove us
straight toward it, and we had good hopes
of reaching the shore if we could only
keep good hold of the mast. There were
eight of US belonging to the smack alto
gether, Captain and all. The Captain was
at one end of the mast, and beside him
was the form of some one, but it was too
dark to see who or what it was. The
mate counted US and there were nine
clinging to that mast. "In the name of
God, Capt. Goff," said be, solemnly. who
is that beside you ?" Before the Captain
could reply, great sea rolled over u, and
when we rose to the surface again, the
Captain was gone and there we're but
seven of us on the mast. A few moments
afterwards we we're washed ashore on the
beach, every q Of US were saved, but
the Captains body was never seen again.
Now, mates, you al judge for your
selves who it was on the spar beside the
Captain; but I know yho We thought it
was, and from that day to this | have
never played a game at cards"
PoEnc.-The Arabians have . very
pretty poetic method of soliciting q fe.
noo1o n uorrioon and &hoir arrumonta