The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-08-10
The SEALED INSTRUCTIONS.

one of the finest crafts that ever float
ed. L was an old sea dog, and had
dwelt SO long on salt water that [ felt
almost hatred for the land.
On the Goth of October, 1924, l re-
ceived orders to put myself in readi-
ness to sail for Cayenne. | was to
transport seventy-tive soldiers and a
convict. [ had orders to treat this in
dividual well, and the letter 1 had re-
ceived from the directory inclosed an
other, with a huge red seal, which |
was not to open until between q and
20 degrees west longitude thlt is, Just
before we We're about to cross the line.
The letter was long packet, so well
closed on every side that it was impos
sible to catch the slightest glimpse OF
its contents. l am not naturally super
stitious, but there was something in
the look of the letter l did not alto
gether like, though / could give no
reason why. However, 1 carried it in
to the cabin, and stack it under the
glass of a little shabby English clock,
which was fastened above my head.
[ was busy fixing the letter under the
clock, when who should come into nv
This was the first time / had seen eth
er of them, and l may say that more
prepossessing couple 1 never met. The
woman was scarcely more than fifteen,
and as handsome as q picture, while
the husband was an intelligent, magni-
ficently-formed man, on whose features
nature had never written william p
His crime, to be plain, was the mis-
fortune of being a hundred years ahead
of his age. He and others had at
tempted something which our govern
ment called treason, and which is pun
ished with death. 1t therefore occa-
stoned me considerable wonder that he
should be placed under my charge but
more of this afterward.
He had, as 1 said, his wife hanging
on his arm. She was as merry as a
Bird; she looked like turtle dove COO
ing acknowledgements his great wing.
Before a month had passed over our
heads, l looked upon them as my own
children. Every morn used to cali them
into my own cabin. The young fellow
would sit writing at my table,-that is
to say, at my chest, which was my
table He would often help me at
reckoning, and soon learned to do bet
ter than / could. L was amazed at his
ability. His young wife would sit upon
one of the round stools la my cabin,
working at her needle.
One day we were all three sitting in
this way, when / said
''Do you know, my ycung ones, as
1t seems to me, we make very pretty
family picture I? Mind, / don't mean
to ask questions, but may be you have
not much money to spare, and YOU arc
both of you, as / think, too handsome
to die III the burning sun Of Cayenne,
like many poor wretch before Won.
It's a bad country-a bad country, take
my word for it. /, who have roughcd
it through tempest and sunshine, till
I've the skin of rhinoceros, might get
along there but you--I mi afraid for
you. SO if you should chance to have
a bit of foolish friendship for your poor
old captain, I'll tell you what I'll
do. I'll get rid OF this old brig she's
not much better than an old tub, after
all /; 50 I'll settle myself down there
with you, if you like. You see have
not living soul III the world to care
for, or that cares for me. want re-
latlons, L want a home, 1 want family.
L should like to make my home with
you, my pretty young ones What say
yea"
They said nothing at all, but sat
looking, first at each other, and then
at me, us if they doubted whether thew
understood what [ said.
At last the little bird threw her arms
around my neck and cried like a baby.
But, said she, suddenly pausing.
"you haven't looked at the letter with
the big red seal"
Hang it! " l exclaimed, cit had
slipped my mind entirely"
With Il cold, dreadful sensation I
went to my chest to see where We were.
l found that we had several DAYS re-
malDlng before we should reach the
proper longitude for opening the let
ter.
Well, there we stood, all three of lis.
looking up at the letter as If it could
have spoken to MS. As it happened,
the sun was shining upon the face of
the clock case, and fell upon the great
giaring red seal of the letter. l could
not help fancying it looked something
like big monster, an ogre's face.
grinning from the middle of the fire !:
it looked horrid.
Could not one fancy" said | to
make them laugh, its great big ewes
were staring out of its head2"
All, my love, said the wife, cit
looks like blood"
Pooh, pooh - said her husband.
taking her arm under his, cit looks like
letter of invitation to a wedding.
Come, come, leave the letter alone if It
troubles you SO. Let's GO TO our room
and prepare for bed"
And off they went. They went upon
deck, and left me with that beast of q
letter. | remember that 1 kept looking
at 1T as | smoked my pipe it seemed
to fix its great red eye upon mine, fas-
cinating like the eye of a serpent. It
was red, wide, raw, staring like the
NAV of fierce wolf. [ took my great
coat and hung it over both clock and
letter, and went upon deck to finish nv
pipe.
We were now in the vicinity of Cane
de Verde islands, and the Belle was
running before fair wind at the rate
of tea miles an hour 1t was splen-
did tropical night the stars large and
shining, the moon rising above the