The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-10-18

Almost directly in our wake but far
astern of us, lay an object which, by the aid
of my glass, made out to be an open boat:
L could not discern anything in it, and it
appeared to lie like log upon the water.
The gig was soon lowered, according to
my orders, and a mate and a boats crew
were dispatched to inspect the boat as it
lay far astern. l felt quite unequal to GO
ing myself, so agitated was I, but had
presence of mind enough to order some
brandy and nOurishment suitable to the
sick and famished to be brought up on deck.
felt as assured that my visitor was there
as If had seen him in the boat; but whether
alive or dead dared not speculate. Twice
| L had been summoned, and twice had ne
elected the summons. On the third occa-
sion my spectre visitor had sunk, to all APP
! pearance, liteless on the floor of my cabin.
| Was he dead, OF was he only in death
/ like swoon?
! thought over the wonderful incidents
which had caused me to find the boat. The
! wind had died away when / neglected to
| obey the first summons nor did it return
! Had it not again died away when it did
l should have passed the boat SO far in the
fog as not to be able to see it when the fog
/ lifted. AS it was, we were very nearly out
of sight when the horizon became clear
Half an hours more wind, and the mys-
/ terry would never have been revealed
Scarce could l restrain my impatience.
However, there was no help for it. must
wait until the gig returned.
After hours of suspense, at last beheld
the gig approaching slowly, with the other
boat in tow. Unable to endure the terrible
suspense, 1 went down into the cabin
Soon heard the gig touch the ships side,
and the mate giving orders to lower away
the chair from the yard-arm.
Then thought they had found him but
he must be too feeble to climb the ships
side. A few moments, and l heard ap-
preaching footsteps, and down the stairs
was brought, with the assistance of some
of the crew, my visitor for the fourth time;
but now really and truly in the flesh.
He was supported in the arms of the
mate, but he held on to the hand-rail lust
as had seen him in the three visions. His
left arm hung loosely at his side, and was
bandaged up just as l had observed on the
three occasions of the spectre's visits
We gave him proper refreShment and
put him to bed. He gradually revived, and
in few days was able to tell us his story
He had been captain of large vessel trad
ing in the Pacific. The crew had mutinied
and had cast him adrift in an open boat,
with nothing to eat but few biscuits,
which were thrown into the boat in deri-
sion by one of the mutineers.
When these were eaten, he had tried to
exc out life by eating his shoes, and with
water wrung from his clothes after rain
and heavy dews he had quenched in a man.
ner his thirst. When found by the mate,
he lay extended in the bottom of the boat
in death-like swoon, and owed his recov-
cry, perhaps, chiefly to the brandy which
had sent in the gig.
In few days more we assisted him on
deck. Caspar no sooner saw him than he
flew at him, and but for my interference,
would have torn him to pieces. During
the rest of the voyage we were obliged to
keep the dog chained up. As soon as we
perceived the boat, the Dolphin had been
put upon her former course, and new, with
a fair wind, we again sped merT,ily on.
now felt satisfied that omens and signs
sometimes vouchsafed to mortal men
for certain grave reasons, and, though not
superstitious, l still believe that they are
more frequent than is usually supposed.
AS we neared the port for which we were
bound, Captain Williams Cfor such was the
name of my visitor) was one day sitting
with me in the cabin, when he asked to see
the chart, as he wished to pick out the spot
where had found him.
gave him an entirely new chart, and
he busted himself sharpening pencil with
which to mark the place where he had so
nearly lost his life. Suddenly heard an
exclamation from him, which he followed
up by saying:
''My dear -, l am very sorry but l
have cut my finger, and have dropped
some blood on your new chart, and | see
that l have soiled the very spot which l
was going to point out as that whereabouts
you found me. But he added with
light laugh, ''that will do instead to mark
the place"
| have the two charts now, both of them
marked exactly alike; one done by Cap
tain Williams in the flesh, accidentally /;
the other by Reader, can you tell
whom?
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE WoLF.-During
;of of hn