The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-10-18
EBENsBURG, PA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER IS. 1872.

chart which was a days sail from and at
right angles TO our course. For two hours
l paced the deck, wondering at what had
happened. The visitor was too surely no
creation of my own imagination, for the
J dog had seen the figure well as myself
and the spot on the chart was plain eVl-
dence. What could it mean? | half de-
termmed to ask the mates adV-ce.
He was firm believer in spiritual man
lfestations, and would endeavor 10 solve the
! enigma in some way or other. But then l
had always ridiculed his notions, and it
was too calling to my pride toask his advice
now on that of which had always denied
the existence, save in heated imagination; !;
so determined to keep my own counsel.
Turning in soon after, 1 slept well, and
awoke refreshed-determined in my own
mind to say nothing and think no more
about it.
When 1 got on deck, found that we
were becalmed. Not ripple was on the
water. The day passed away monotonous-
ly enough. The crew slept. l read and
smoked, and eleven o'clock that night
found me in my chair at the head of the
table in the cabin.
Caspar, who had now quite got over his
fears lay on the hatch at the head of the
cabin-stairs. 1 could hear the pat, pat of
his tail as a sort of greeting to the mate as
he kept passing him in his walk ON the deck.
This evening my thoughts were tranquil,
for was reading volume of LOngfellOw's
poems, and was in the midst of ''Evangeline''
when l heard howl from Caspar, and the
Ecurry of his feet as he scampered forward.
Looking up, l saw my visitor of the pre-
vious night again descending the compan-
Ionway. He seemed much weaker, and
came slowly down, clutching the hand-rail
with his one sound arm and hand. He
walked across the cabin more feebly than
before, and his respiration was heavy and
labored when he reached the table. He
glanced at the table with an anxious look,
as if to see whether the chart was still
there. 1t was not. He then gazed at me
with disappointed and sorrowful stare,
and disappeared.
1 remained quietly in my chair for about
ten minutes after the spectre had departed.
When l went on deck, 1 found the mate
again endeavoring to soothe the dog, who
snapped and snarled in his kennel until it
was unsafe to approach him. Leaving him
there, l went below and throwing myself,
dressed as was on my cot, tried to sleep.
Unrefreshing and feverish was the sleep
which visited me that night, and | arose in
the morning totally unfit for work of any
kind, and with my nerves entirely unstrung.
What was expected of me? For what pur-
pose had 1 been warned? What must |
do? Thus l unused during the entire day
Caspar kept close to his kennel all the time,
and steadily refused to eat or drink
Whenever any of us approached him he at
tempted to snap at us, and appeared as if
entirely under the influence of some great
fear. The calm had continued during the
entire day, and we made no progress what
ever
Again evening approached, and the same
hour found me, as on the two previous
nights, sitting at my table. This time l
eagerly awaited my visitor. Would the
figure again appear? found myself hop
ing that it would This time did not at
tempt to read, for my thoughts were too
troubled to permit of concentrating my
mind on any book. The same chart, with
the blood stain on it, lay on the table before
me. Would my visitor, if he came again,
touch that spot, would he give me some
other sign which might indicate to me the
course l ought to pursue?
This time there was no Caspar to warn
me, but 1 felt that the figure was coming,
avaT, ara II 7 cow II
again coming down the stairs. This time
it was evidently far weaker than before, for
with difficulty could it stand, and it toiled
down the steps in manifest suffering and
agony. AT last it reached the cabin-foor
and attempted to advance toward me but
no sooner had it let go the hand-rail than
it sank down exhausted. l sprang up and
rushed toward it but the moment moved
the spectre vanished, and when l attempt
ed to raise the fallen figure, my hand
touched the cabin-fOor.
And now a light seemed to break upon
me. Irushed upon the deck, where found
the mate and crew setting all sail to catch
the breeze which had just sprung up. L
Immediately gave orders that the DOtphfn's
course should be altered to that which
would bring us to the spot marked oplaln-
ly on the chart by the drop of blood.
All that night l paced the deck. No
sleep seemed possible to me until this hid
den mystery should be revealed. We made
a beautiful run, and with daylight hoped
to find aohat ?-I knew not.
The dawn brought disappointment A
dense fog lay ON the face of the ocean. We
could discern nothing at ten yards distance
from the vessels side. According to my
calculations, and by the log, we should have
been not far from that spot on the wide sea
where | hoped to find a solution of the mys
terry.
towards noon the wind died away, and
at length deserted us altogether Then the