Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-05-02

if T didn't see the man writing on your
slate, NAV never see my home and
family again
" All writing on the slate Then it
should be there still" And the captain
took 1t up.
The captain exclaimed, 8 Here's
something, sure enough. Is that your
writing, Mr.. Bruce =
The mate took the slate, and there
in plain, legible characters, stood the
words E" Steer to the nor'west.
"Have you been trifing with me
sir ~ added the captain, in stern
manner.
son my word as a man and a sailor,
sir, y replied Bruce, II know no more
of this matter than you do. have told
You the exact truth.
The captain sat down at his desk, the
slate before him, in deep thought. At
last. turning the slate over and push
ing it toward Bruce, he said, 'Write
down. Steer to the norwest.
The mate complied, and the captain,
after narrowly comparing the two hand
writing, said, Mr.. Bruce, go and tell
the second mate to come down here. "
He came, and, at the request OF the
captain he also wrote the same words.
So did the steward. SO, i'll succession,
did every man of the crew who could
write at all But not one of the various
hands resembled, in any degree, the
mysterious writing.
When the crew retired, the captain
sat in deep thought Gould any one
have been slowed away 2" Mt last he
said. ''The ship must be searched,
and if don't find the fellow he must
be good hand at hide-and-seek. Or
der up all hands"
Every nook and corner of the vessel,
from stem to stem, was thoroughly
search, and that with all the esgerness
of excited curiosity-for the report had
gone out that n stranger had shown him.
self on board but not IA living soul
beyond the crew and the officers was
found.
Returning to the cabin, after their
fruitless search, " Mr.. Bruce, said
the captain, :" what do you make of all
this 2"
Can't tell, sir. l saw the man write.
You see the writing. There must be
something in it. y
Well, it would seem to. We have
the wind free, and [ have great mind
to keep her away and see what will
come OF it.
g surely would, SIR, if | We're in your
place. It's only IA few hours lost at the
worst.
Well, wen see. Go on deck and
give the course nor'west. And, Mr.
Bruce, he added, as the mate rose to
go, have a lookout aloft, and let it
be hand you can depend on,
His orders were obeyed. About 3
o'clock he look out reported an ice
berg nearly ahead, and, shortly after,
what he thought was Il vessel OF some
kind close TO it.
AS they approached, the captain S
glass disclosed the fact that it was n
dismantled ship, apparently frozen to
the ice, and with good many human
beings on board. Shortly after they
hove to, and sent out the boats to the
relief of the sufferers.
1t proved to be vessel from Quebec,
bound to Liverpool, with passengers on
board. She had got entangled in the
ice, and finally frozen fast, and had
passed several weeks in most critical
condition. She was stove, her decks
swept--in fact mere wreck; all her
provisions, and almost all her water
was gone. Her crew and passengers
had lost all hopes of being saved, and
their gratitude for the unexpected
rescue was proportlonally great.
As one Of the men who had been
brought away in the third boat that
had reached the wreck was ascending
the ships side the mate catching Il
glimpse at his face, started back in
CONSERVATION. 1t was the very face he
had seen three or four hours before,
looking up Mt him from the captain 5
desk.
At first he tried to persuade himself
1t might be fancy but the more he eX-
amiued the man the more sure he be
came that he was right Not only the
face but the person and the dress eX-
actly correspondent.
As soon as the exhausted crew and
famiShed passengers were cared for
and the barque on her course again,
the mate called the captain aside, 1t
seems that was not ghost | saw go by
sir; the mans alive.
"What do you meanl Who's aliye?"
"Why, sir, one of the passengers we
have just saved is the man | saw writ
ing ON your slate mt noon. | would
swear to it IN court of Justice. y
Upon my word, Nh. Bruce, replied
the captain, 4" tins gets more and more
singular Let us go and see this man. "
They found hm in conversation with
the captain of the rescued ship. They
both came forward aud expressed, in
the warmest terms, their gratitude for