Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-10-01
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA. OCTOBER l. 1873

like to speak word with you-by our
selves, sir, if You please"
But the captain was not in the humor
to listen to any remonstrance at that
moment.
'eLet me 20 through with this cursed
business before talk to anybody 1t
doesn't look well, anyhow, that you
keep your chest locked up!'
He swung back his heavy boots as he
spoke, and with single kick under the
projecting edge of the lid, it flew open.
"There's my shirt !" exclaimed Tom,
seizing the bundle that lay on top. He
shook it open, showed his marks, and
it was at once recognized beyond all
dispute.
! ''Enough said We're on the right
track, now," said Captain Soule. ''Take
up this chest and carry it aft !" and he
closed the lid with bang.
''Mr. Baldwin," he continued, "strip
John Merrill's back and seize him up
It's new thing for me to fog one of
my men-a thing I never did-but I've
sworn it in this case, and I'll keep my
word"
The poor boy overwhelmed with con-
fusion, could hardly find word to
protest his innocence, as the mate led
him aft. But at this moment Frank
Wightman neared the captain respect
fully and touched him gently on the
shoulder. A word was spoken the
captain relaxed his angry brow to listen
to it, for Wightman was the best man
in the forecastle. The two walked aft
together, conversing very earnestly. I
kept my eye on them till Frank made a
signal which understood, when fol-
lowed.
"Mr. Derrick" said the captain to
the second mate, "keep everything as
it stands, with the chests forward.
Don't allow a man to touch a thing till
further orders"
He beckoned Wightman and myself
to come below. But as he did not
countermand the orders he had given
about seizing John up, the mate, it
seems proceeded to obey them. He
prepared the settings, but when he or
dered the boy to remove his shirt, he
met with unexpected resistance. While
l was relating to Captain Soule, in the
forward cabin, what had seen during
the middle watch, there was scuffle
over our heads, and John Merrill, in q
frenzy of excitement, rushed down the
stairs and into the after cabin. "Hold
on, Mr.. Baldwin Never mind what 1
told you, for the present." And the
captain followed the boy into the sane
tum while we awaited the result. in a
minute afterwards he put his head out
at the door with the strangest look on
his face that had ever seen a mortal
man wear.
"Wightman you and Bill pass John
Merrill's chest down the stairs-right
into this room'
We obeyed the order, and set our
burden down at his feet. But the lad
was not to be seen as we looked about
us.
"That'l do. You may go on deck
now-Ill talk with you again soon. !"
And the door was closed between us and
the mystery.
It was half an hour before Captain
Soule came up and ordered the search
continued. When he came to Toms
chest, he overhauled it very carefully !;
but it was apparently emptied to the
bottom without finding any stolen
property But, still unsatisfied, he
stood it up on one end, thumped it
heavily, and threw it bottom up. A
false bottom was dislodged and fell out,
followed by the various missing articles!
A general cry of Indignation was
raised, and a strong disposition was
manifested to lynch California Tom.
But Mr.. Baldwin took upon himself the
Office of executioner, this time with
good will.
81 always felt it in my bones that
John Merrill was innocent" said he to
Captain Soule; "and when it came to
stripping his shirt, somehow 1 hadn't
any heart to do it"
"I'm glad you didn't succeed in doing
it." was the reply. 81 couldn't have
fogged him if he'd been guilty-nor
could You, either"
''How SO, sir ?"
'Do you think you could lay the cat
on the back of woman ?"
That comical look of the captains
was reflected, nay, multiplied tenfold
in the rough face of the old mate.
"a woman !" he gasped out; "John
Merrill?"
cay, a woman, Mr.. Baldwin. Annie
Carroll is her name, now."
''But what are you going to do with
him, sir?"
''Do with him ? With her, you mean
put him, or put her, or it, ashore, of
course, as soon as can make port.
We must give her state-room in the
cabin, and have her wear such a dress
as belongs to her sex"
"Well, well," said Mr.. Baldwin, re-
fectively, 81 never had anything bring
me up with a round turn like that.
Then q bright idea seemed to have
struck him, and he demanded triumph
antly, "Where's your clothes to dress
her IMP"
"She's got all her dry goods in her
chest, ready to wear"
"What in John Merrill's chest, do
you mean ?"
"Of course. Whose else should /
mean? That's why he-she, I mean
always kept it locked, and she was so
secret about it.
I shall not spend the time to tell how
we talked the matter over in the fore
castle that night, and compared notes,
and went back to every little incident
of the outward passage, that might be
supposed to have any bearing upon this
astonishing discovery. Of course there
we're those ready to say they had guessed
the truth months ago; but 1 venture
to say that no man on board the
Amphion had the slightest suspicion of
the truth, until it was revealed to Cap
tain Soule, as 1 have related. And how
much longer we might have been in the
dark, but for the attempt to fog her, it
is difficult to say.
John Merrill stood no more watches
on board the Amphion, nor went to the
masthead. But Annie Carroll, beau
tiful young lady, save that she wore her
hair rather too much au garcon, some
times steered trick at the wheel when
she felt in the humor, until our arrival
at Callao, where she became when her
story was known, the heroine, the