Middletown transcript., 1870-04-02

by the l1ght OF the lantern swinging from
the carline overhead, that it was BLOOD
Springing out of his berth, he looked
in at Peter, and found him lying on his
face, struggling and moaning. He turned
him over, and found his knife sticking to
the haft in his breast. Frightened at the
horror of the scene, he first drew out the
knife, and then dashing out of the house,
ran aft to me, with the startling cry
"Peter the Swede," has stuck hisself!'
The day passed on, and Peter exhaust
ed by the loss of blood, lay motionless,
and silent for hours, until towards eve
ming, he seemed somewhat to recover his
strength, and was able to speak feebly
but enough to tell us, that the pain had
left him, and to explain how he came to
be in the condition we found him.
He told US that after he had spoke to
the man about the pain, he tried to bear
it quietly so as not to disturb the watch
below, but the increasing torture made
him desperate, and he resolved to drive
his knife into his breast, hoping either to
remove the pain, or end it by destroying
his life. He first tried to drive the knife
in with his hand, but found himself too
unnerved to do so, and he then turned on
his face, and putting the haft of the knife
on the bed with the point of the blade up,
he lay on down'it, and his weight gradually
forced it in up to the handle.
And he did this without cry, except
the smothered sound, which awoke the
man below him.
He added that he felt very comfortable,
but knew he was going to die. I presume
he was affected by what the physicians call
{" Angina PectoriS," and if any of the fa-
Guilty chance to read this, l have pleasure
in saying, that as far as l am concerned,
they are perfectly at liberty to make use
of Peter remedy, which have no doubt,
from its kill or cure" style, would suit
the practice of some admirably, and the
result would probably differ but little from
that of the usual mode.
The day, as | have said, wore away,
the men went about their usual duties,
more quietly than usual, and sympathy
for their suffering shipmate, hushed the
inspiring song, or cheerful "oh heave
oh !" with which they were wont to time
their efforts in pull at the braces or top
sail halliards, and as night fell the silence
grew more intense, until the rush of the
water, as it fell away from the cleaving
bows of the ship, and its musical gurgle,
as it eddied around the rudder, sounded
louder and clearer than l ever before re-
membered to have heard
1t was a most beautiful night, such as
are only to be seen in the tropics
''Thc blue above and the blue below,
And silent where soe'e CO."
Toward midnight the moon, then in its
full, reached the zenith, and such was the
glorious food of light, pouring from her
unclouded rays upon the gently heaving
waters that one could with ease have read
any ordinary print. l paced the deck in
full enjoyment of the scene.
The silver wake of the moon, a highway
of glancing, shimmerng, broken radiance,
stretching far away to the dark line of the
family defined horizon; the long graceful
swell of the waves, as they chased each
other by the ship, tossing their caps of
foam aloft, as if in gleesome sport; the
unspotted vault, with its myriad of stars
above; the white canvass swelling aloft,
from course to royal, in graceful curves
before the breeze, and relieving the more
severe lines of the taut rigging, made alto
gether a scene ravishingly beautiful, while
the bounding motion of the gallant little
ship, as she sprung forward on her course,
gave a buoyancy to the feelings that only
a sailor can know, and which nothing else
approaches, but morning gallop, on the
back of spirited horse.
l was only eighteen at the time, and
was mate of the ship for the first time, and
as trod the deck that night, a prouder
or happier fellow would have been difficult
to find.
Filled with the beauty of the scene, and
the pleasant thoughts it engendered, l was
walking to and fro on the quarter deck,
the bell had just struck eight, my watch
was ended, and I was waiting to be reliev-
ed by the second mate, when the man at
the wheel, called out sharply
"Mr. -, somebody has gone into the
main top"
I glanced aloft to see who it might be,
but notwithstanding the top was but a
small one. and the night very bright, as I
uuNG Sdlu, L Couiu sOC nv dppOaiuhSO VI
any one, and my thoughts took another
turn
II say my lad, you had better mind
your eye, and not be dreaming at the
wheel, or you may chance to be wakened
in manner that might mot be SO pleasant"
Indeed, sir, was not sleeping" was
the reply, "but as shure as | am living
man. saw somebody go over the main
top"
:" Look here Tom" said I, " don't you
try any of your games on me, it wont do,
and harkye my boy, don't you go to sleep
again"
"Mr. -, s'help me, I wasn't asleep,
and did see somebody go into the top, if
I didn't I'll be d--dp cried the man
with much earnestness. and in rather ex-
cited manner. as he saw the incredulity l
felt, and which no doubt appeared in my
face.
The mans evident belief in what he as