Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-09-15
The Boy Magician;
OR,
THE SECRETS OF THE SEA.
CHAPTER |.
TIE PRISONER or MtD-oCEAN.

CHAPTER L.
TUE PRISONER OF MtD-oCEAN.
Late one summer afternoon, a dozen year,
ago, a solitary white man stood before an idol
atrous temple on an island in the South Pacific
He was of middle age, tall, thin, and gaunt,
with rugged features and sOrrowful eyes,
and with every sign of goodness and intelli-
gence.
Beside lin was a grim stone idol in gro
tesque human form, more than twice as tail
as himself, which he had just finished, as was
indicated by the mallet and chisel in his hands.
I" 1t is DONE he muttered. And these
heather little suspect that L have cut my
name and story into the base of this idol"
He ran his eye rapidly over the inscription
in question. 1t was as follows:
The sth of May, 1852, /, David Lester, of the
firm of Lester & Nichols, of Norfolk Virginia,
sailed as a passenger from Charleston for Hong
Kong, ria Cape Horn, in the ship Hecla' A
cyclone struck us in mid-ocean, the ship foun-
dered, and we took to the boats, which all NIL
ed, with the exception of the one was in.
After drifting several days, during which my
companions persisted, l reached this island.
The idolatrous inhabitants made me a slave
in their temple, and for more than four years
/ have been doing mental Offices and carving
images. / have been chained every night. and
watched continually by day, but have never
theIess made three attempts at escape, and
shall soon make another-doubtless my last,
as 1 am resolved to succeed or die, preferring
death to a longer captivity. i therefore write
these words upon this idol, praying any one
who may see them TO report my fate, II posi-
bic, TO my family, at Norfolk, Va. Finished
this inscription this eth day of July, 1851"
For several minutes the prisoner contem-
plated these lines in silence, and then aroused
himself, looking warily around.
s. Three times 1 have tried to escape in a
canoe" he muttered, " and every time l was
and visited with fortunes. To be
caught again in such an attempt will be GER
tain death. Yet | will risk all the first op-
portunity that offers. This longing for free
dom and my family is becoming a positive
madness. Oh, my God !swhat is that?'
He gazed in perfect stupefaction to the
eastward, far out upon the ocean.
There, miles and leagues away, was a ship,
her white sails cleaning as she lay becalmed
upon the waters
"a ship, a ship :" cried Lester, sob
AT last. CHI Heaven At last my
PRAYER is answered -
THE PRISONER S HOME.
On the east bank of the Elize6eth river,
Just out of Norfolk, and overlooking Hamp
ton Roads, stood a beautiful cottage, tile
of the wife and daughter of David Les
the prisoner Of the lone island in the far
Pacific.
Near the close of a lovely afternoon in
way. ~ ItSlcT LII ucT uduRubc cdJ To-
gether upon their front verandah.
The mother was a lovely, sweet-faccd, sad
eyed woman of two and thirty years.
The daughter, Amy Lester, not yet fifteen,
a strange compound of child and woman.
- You are thinking offather, dear mother -
nurmured the maiden, as she marked the
longing gaze.
:" Yes child. Your father, my husband
where is he? Somewhere under the sea waves
on a desert island, or languishing
IN a hostile shore? 1t is five years since he
eft us on that fatal voyage to China. My
cason assures me that he is dead yet, Amy
can only think of him as living
"It is so with me, mother" said Amy,
With a tremulous culver of her lips. 'I dream
ften that he is living--that he is coming
1--WE need him in a hundred ways" said
frs. Lester, signing. If anything were to
appen to me, Amy, shudder to think what
-ould become of you. You have been
up in luxury, and would feel keenly
ny change to poverty"