The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-05-17
ggisfellaneu,ls.
From Owens "Footfalls."l
THE RESCUE.

Z 70
From Owen's"Footfalls."I
THE RESCUE.
r MIR. Robert Bruce, originally de
scended from some branch OF tn,
; Scottish family OF that name, wa.
born, in humble circumstances, abou,
the close OF the last century, at Tor.
bay, in The south OF England, and
there bred up to a seafaring lie.
When about thirty Years OF age,
to- wit, in tie year 1928, he was frs,
mate OF "A baTque trading between
Liverpool and st. Johns, New Bruins
wick.
On one Of her voyages bound west
ward, being some five or six weeks
cut, and having neared the eastern
portion Of the banks Of Newiound-
land, the captain and mate had been
on deck at noon, talking an Ohserva.
ton of the sun after which they both
descended to calculate the DAYS
work.
The cabin, q small one, wss imme-
diately at the stern OF the vessel, and
the short stairway descended 10 it ran
athwart-shlps. Immediately opposite
to this stairway, just beyond q small
square landing, was the mates state
room; and from that landing there
were two doors close 10 each other,
the one opening aft into the cabin, the
other fronting The stairway into The
state loom. The desk in the state
room was in the forward part of it,
close TO the door; SO that one sitting
at it and looking over his shoulder
could look into the cabin.
The mate, absorbed in his calcula.
tions, which did not result IS he had
expected, varying considerably from
the dead reckoning, had not noticed
The captains motions. When lie had
conspleted lis calculations, he called
out without looking around, Il make
out latitude and longitude SO aud so.
Can that be right I How is yours +?
Receiving no reply, he repeated
his question, glancing over his should
er,-and percelving, as he thought the
captain busy writing ON his slate.
Sill no answer. Thereupon he rose,
and as he ironted the cabin door,
the figure he had mistaken for the
captain raised its head, and disclosed
to the astonished mate the features
of an entire stranger.
Bruce was no coward, but, ss he met
that fixed gaze looking directly at
him In grave silence, and became SIS
sured that it was no one whom he
had ever seen before, it was too much
for him 4; and instead OF stopping to
question the seeming intruder, he
rushed upon deck in such evident
alarm, that it instantly attracted the
captains attention.
"Why Mr.. Bruce,' said the latter,
"1hat In the world is the matter with
your
"The matter, sir? Who ia that at
your desk2'
mo one that | know OFF,
"But there is, sir; there's a strsDg
er there"
"A stranger? Why, man, you
must be dreaming. You NUT be
dreaming. Yen must have seen the
steward there, or the second mate.
Who else would venture there with
out orders I''
"But, sir, he was sitting In your
armchair, fronting the door, writing
on your slate Then he looked up
full in my face; and if ever | saw
man plainly and distinctly in this
world, l saw him.
Him! Whom p
'God knows, sir. l don't. saw a
man, and man L never saw in my
life before"
"You must he going crazy, Mr..
Bruce. A stranger, and we nearly |
six weeks out p
81 don't know, sir, hut then / saw
him."
$50 down and see who he is"
Bruce hesiiated. II never was a
believer in ghcsts,' said, '.but if the
truth must be told, sir, I'd rather
not face it alone.''
"Ccme, come, man, go down at
once, and don't make fool of your
self before the crew.
81 hope you always found me will
ing to do what's reasonable Bruce
replied, changing color: "but il it's
all the same to You, sir, I'd rather
we should both go down together"
The captain decended the stsirs,
and the mate followed him. Nobody
in the cabin They examined the
state rooms. Not soul 10 be found
swell, Mr.. Bruce,' said the cap
tain, ," did not l tell you you had
been dreaming p
"It's ali very well to say SO, sir;
but if didn't see the man writing
on your slate, may l never see my
home and family again.,
"Ah I! writing on the slate! Then
it should be there s.ill.' And the
captain took it up.
The captain exclaimed, "here's
something, sure enough! Is that
your writing, MIR. Bruce!'
The mste took the slate, a1d there
in plain, legible characters, stood the
words, "Steer to the nor'west.
"Have you been trifiing with me
?" added the captain, in stern
manner.
"On my word as a man and o sal
lor, sir,' replied Bruce, 81 know no
more Of this matter than you DO. l
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
pushing it toward Bruce, be said,
"Write down, Steer to the nor'west.'
The mate complied, and the cap
tain, after narrowly comparing the
two hand writings, said, ''Mr. Bruce,
60 and tell the second mate to came
down here.''
He csme, and, at the request Of
the captsin he also wrote the same
,, words. So did the steward so, in
succession, dill every msn OF the
E crew who coul | write at all. But
not one of the various hands resem-
bled, in any degree, the mysteiious
q writing.
8 When the crew retired, the captain
q sat in deep thought. ''Could any
e one have been slowed away n al
{ last he said. "The ship must be
IS searched, and if l don't find thefel
low he must be good hand at hide
and-seek. Order up sill hands,"
l. Every nook and corner OF the yes
'sel, from stem to stem, was thorough