Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-09-17

nightly confined him and then suddenly
leaning upon the priest, he bore him TO tho
floor, chained and gagged him, disguised
himself in his prlostly robes, stained his
fnco brown with dirt, went TO the shore
where tho canoes were lying, entered ono
of them, and padded out to sea in the di-
roction in which he had seen the ship.
IIc paddled for hours with all his strength
and had Como so far that the lights OF inc
island could not bo seen, and yet no snip
had been found; and now the wind was
rising and storm was threatening.
'Oh. God Am l forsakenT lie cried, In
an awful anguish, seized with iear that
the wind would take the ship rom him.
Must perish hereT
AT that moment when hope was dying,
he beheld n sight that turned all his wild
woe into yet wilder ecstasy.
There. to the northward, was the ship,
standing directly towards him, with all
sails set to catch the rising breeze, and not
half mile away.
yes, there she u.s. he shouted. she is
coming this way. l am savcd--savedV
uo raised his arms to heaven in mute
thanksgiving and sobbed aloud, the gla1
tears streaming down his worn and bag
gard cheeks.
Tho shin came nearer and nearer. Tie
redoublod his wild shouts, his heart and
soul in his voice.
An answering cry came suddenly from
the ships deck, and she drew steadily near
er-swcrved from her course signify anu
n rome was thrown from her deck, falling
into his canoe.
He seized the rope in desperate e1eerne-s
and group of sailors leaning over =
ships side drew him aboard
In an instant more the ship had resumed
her course, and was moving in stately fash
ion before the breeze.
Safe at last 7 murmured Lester. leaning
against the bulwarks, weak and nervelc.s
as am infant. ooh, the gadness of this
hourr
Poor man! He did not dream at that mo-
ment that his adverse fate was even then
relentlessly closing around him that'he
was on one of his own shps-thc Cyclone;
that that ship was commanded by bitter
foe in league with Colonel Nichols, who,
on recognizing him, would without re-
morse consign him again to the mcrcies of
the Pacific in his Indian canoe.
On inquiry, Lester learned that the YES
sci was the Cyclone, and in the light of 10
cabin lamp recognized her Captain. To-
ing off his priestly robe, and wiping me
stain from his face with its coarse folds +
exclaimed:
Captain Sales, don't you know moY
David Lesterp cried the Captain, turn
ing ashy pale and grasping his stationary
scat as though he had received a shock.
Lester wiped his brows and sat down.
the Captain taking n seat opposite him.
lie had so much to ask, that his emotions
choked his utterance, and prevented him
from observing the look of deadly hatred
with which the Captain regarded him. But
he finally piled his questions fast, and
learned that his wife yet lived, that his
daughter Amy had grown into a lovely
girl, and that both wife and daughter had
long mourned him as dead. lie also learn
cd of his wife's poverty.
Colonel Nichols settled up the firm af-
fairs said the Captain, roservodly. and
there was nothing left for Mrs. Lester. She
has boon living on his bounty these two or
three years When your interest in this
ship was sold, / bought it, The Colonel
owns the other halfl
But this is a base fraud y exclaimed Les
ter. The Colonel has been untrue to the
trust l reposed in him! have had susI1-
cions of his integrity during my long o.
lie, but have never dared to entertatn
them. I'll make matters straight on my
return. can prove my claims and bring
him to justice-the dastardly villain! My
poor Margaretp and he groaned.
Lester's threat concerning Nichols SEEM
ed to stir up all the malice of the Captains
nature. lie behold his interest in the ship,
fraudulently acquired, threatened, and he
hated still more the lawful owner whose
right in the Cyclone he had usurped.
If report speaks truly he said Mrs.
Lester need not be called poorl Colonel
Nichols has long been paying her atten-
tons, and when l left port, five months
ago, the story was that they were engaged.
The Colonel told me himself that he loved
her, and meant to marry her. No doubt
by this time they are married.
This cruel thrust struck home 10 the poor
husbands heart, and uttering great cry
he fell forward with his face upon the table,
while the Captain regarded him with a look
of mingled hatred and exultation. The
New York Ledger containing the continu-
alton of this story is for sale at all the book
stores and news depots. Ask for the mum
Der dated Sept. Is, and in il you will &c,
the next instalment. The Ledger has the
best stories of any paper in the world.