The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-12-26
LHE STORY-TELLER.
THE DEATH PENALTY.

nau seIVeu twenty-five years OF
beard an East Indiaman, and for tn,
last ten years had commanded the Belle
one Of the finest crafts that ever floated
l was an old sea dog, and had dwelt sc
long on salt water that felt almost 6
hatred for the land.
On the Doth of October, 1924, I re.
ceived orders to put myself in READINGS.
for Cayenne. 1 was to transport seventy.
five soldiers and convict. 1 had order,
to treat this individual we'll, and the let.
ter ! had received from the directory
enclosed another, with huge red seal
which was not to open until between
~ and % deg west longitude, that is
Just before we were about to cross the
line.
The letter was long packet, 50 wei
closed on every side that it was impessi.
BILE to catch the slightest glimpse of it:
contents. am not naturally supersti.
tious, but there was something in the
look of the letter that did not alto.
gether like, though could get no reason
why. However, carried it into the
cabin, and stuck it under the glass of 9
little shabby English clock, which was
fastened above my head. 1 was busy
fixing the letter under the clock, wheT
who should come into my cabin but the
convict and his wife This was the first
time / had seen either of them, and ]
may say that more progressing couple
never met. The woman was scarcely
more than fifteen, and as handsome as
picture; while the husbandlwas ali intel
igent, magnifcently formed man, on
whose features nature had never written
william"
His crime, to be plain, was the mis-
fortune of being hundred years ahead
OF his age. He and others had attempt
ed something which our government
called treason. and which it punished
with death. 1t therefore occasioned me
considerable wonder that he should be
place under my charge but more of this
afterward.
He had, as said, his wife hanging on
his arm. She was as merry as a bird
she looked like turtle dove cooling and
nestling beneath his great wing.
Before month had passed over our
heads 1 looked upon them as my own
children. Every morning I used to call
them into my cabin. The young fellow
would sit writing at my table, that is to
say at my chest, which was my bed. he
would often help me at reckoning, and
soon learned to do better than 1 could.
I was amazed at his ability. His young
wife would sit upon one of the round
stools in my cabin working at her needle.
One day we were all three sitting in
this way when said
"Do you know, my young ones, as it
seems to me we make very pretty
family picture2 Mind, 1 don't mean to
ask questions, but maybe you have not
much money to spare, and you are, both
of you, think, too handsome to dig in
the burning sun of Cayenne, like many
a poor wretch before you. It's bad
country-a bad country, take my word
for it. /, who have roughed it through
tempest and sunshine till I've the skin
of rhinoceros, might get along there
but you-I am afraid Of you. So if you
should chance to have bit of foolish
friendship for your poor old captain,
I'll tell you what l will do. I'll get
rid of this old brig; she's not much bet
ter than an old tub, after all 80 I'll set
tie myself down there with you if you
like. You see have not living soul in
the world to care for, or that cares for
me. 1 want relations, I want a home.
I want family. 1 should like to make
my home with you, my pretty ones.
What say ye?"
They said nothing at all, but sat look
ing, first, at each other and then at me,
as if they doubted whether they under
stood what said.
At last the little bird threw her arms
around my neck and cried like baby.
"But," said she, suddenly pausing,
"you haven't looked at the letter with
the big red seal"
Hang it" !" exclaimed, +" it had slip
phd my mind entirely"
With a cold, dreadful sensation, I
went to my chest to see where we were.
/ found that we had several days re-
manning before we should reach the
proper longitude for opening the letter.
Well there we stood, all three of us,
looking up at the letter as if it could
have spoken to us. AS it happened the
sun was shining full upon the face of
staring red seal of the letter. / could
not help fanoying it looked something
like big monster, an ogre's face, grin
ming from the middle of the fire; it
looked horrible.
Gould not one fancy" said /, to make
them laugh, it's great big eyes were
staring out of it's head?"
"Ah, my love-" said the wife, 4" it looks
like blood"
Pooh, pooh!" said the husband ia
king her arm under his, ait looks like
letter of invitation to wedding. Come,
come, leave the letter alone if it troubles
you SO. Let's go to our room and pre-
pare for bed"
And off they went. They went upon
deck and lett me with that beast of a
letter. 1 remember that kept looking
at it as smoked my pipe; it seemed to
fix its great red eye upon mine, fascina-
ting like the eye of a serpent. 1t was
red, wide, raw, staring like the nav of
a fierce wolf. / took my great coat and
hung it over both clock and letter and
went upon deck to finish my pipe.
We were now in the vicinity of Cape
de Verd Islands-the Belle was running
before fair wind at the rate of ten
miles an hour. 1t was splendid tropi-
cal night the stars large and shining
the moon rising absve the horizon, as
large as a sun of silver, the line of ocean
parting il, and long streams of bare,
shimmering light falling upon the
waves, which, as they broke. spsrklsd |