Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-20


eating coat-sleeves, reeled up to the deck,
and found a fog.
1t was one Of the densest I have ever
been in; YOU could not see across the
deck, and man standing couple OF
wards off resembled a figure in one of
Turner's later pictures. The effect was
the more confusing from the mist not be-
ing stationary, for stiffish breeze sent
rolling masses Of it sweeping over US.
The waves of fog mingled with the waves
of water, and the eye could not distln-
guish which was which, while the large
bell forward kept up continual tinkle,
tinkle, in muffied tones, as though the log
were composed of wood, pulled out very
fine, particles of which had clogged the
clapper.
am happy to be able to boast that |
did not worry the Captain, as passengers
are so foolishly apt to do when things look
little awkward. But | got near him,
and listened and observed, and made out
by degrees that we were somewhere IN
the channels about the More, and In mo-
mentary expectation of being run into, or
grounding on the sands, and that, when
we revolved our paddles, which we did at
intervals, the chance of running into some
body else was added. The lead was con-
stantlv being heaved, and at one time
when the water shoaled very much, the
| mate suggested anchoring, but the Captain
ruled that this would increase our risk of
being run down, and preferred keeping
loose and able to dodge about--of course,
using nautical expressions, which can
not pretend to repeat.
| Directly the state of affairs became OBJ
vious to me, | went below and brought
up my old man, for in case of some other
I ships beak suddenly crushing into our
sides, the prospect of those who We're
under water mark seemed-if you will
! pardon a slang term in consideration of
its extraordinary aptness-very tishy.
And he was grateful, for the danger OF a
collision was very real. Probably the
mouth of the Thames is familiar to you,
but if not, know that vessels enter it by a
number of roads, duly buoyed out and
| light housed. These roads or channels
being narrow, and the number of out
ward and homeward bound ships very
great, thick fog or snowstorm is a
serious peril.
| About noon the wind increased in vio-
lence, and blew the fog away, so that we
were able to go on fearlessly; and by and
| by, when the excitement had Gained
| down, my old man grew pleasant and
Chatty.
The sea ran rather high; but as neither
of us suffered from sea sickness, this tend
ed to raise our spirits, as the strong air
sharpened our appetites; and tough
every now and then a big wave would
shiver itself against our weather-boW, and
send shower of its fragments sweeping
across the deck, we got well under the
shelter of the paddle box, and enjoyed it.
To my surprise, on one occasion when
he wanted to draw my attention to some
thing, l happening to be looking another
way, my companion spoke to me by
name.
"You know me?" I asked.
"Certainly," he replied; 'you sold me
some jewels five years ago. L even re-
member the circumstances. A property
had to be divided among the various
members of your family, and the dia-
monds were too valuable to be allotted to
any individual, SO that it was necessary
to turn them into money; and you had
| the management Of the transaction, which
was carried out through my agency"
| He was perfectly accurate in the &C
count which he gave me, even recalling
| to my mind certain minuti9 which l had
| forgotten, though surely they ought to
| have impressed me more strongly than
| him. | presently remembered his face,
| however; indeed, it had struck me as IA
miliar when the lamp-light first fell upon
| turned from black to white, and the loss
Of his teeth had caused his cheeks to fall
in-changes that alter the physiognomy
more radically than any other which
leave the eyes untouched. [ suppose
that he had made inquiries about me at
the time when the business alluded to
was transacted; and that their result was
| such as to inspire him with confidence,
| for he talked to me about his present af
| fairs with freedom which surprised me,
| though | had done him good turn. For,
| in truth, he had that on him which it
was not well to blab about. He carried
| in an inner pocket Of his waistcoat no
| fewer than twenty-five rough diamonds,
| emeralds, and sapphires, which be was
| taking to Holland to be cut II am too
Old for such business now he said. eff
you had not come to my rescue last night,
and those rascals had got hold Of the
stones, | should have been ruined, ruin
ed!'
Whether they were his own, or he had
but share in them, or whether they
We're merely intrusted to him, l cannot
say; he did not tell me; but from the
hints he threw out Of their value, which,
if the diamonds were at all worthy of the
expense he was prepared to incur for cut
ting them, must have been enormous
enormous in the ordinary, not the Monte
Cristo or Lothair sense-it is not proba-
BILE that they were entirely the property
of one man.
While we were cOnversing, the wind
was growing in violence, till at length we
| could not make ourselves heard without
| difficulty, and the paddle-boxes no longer
afforded much protection against the
spray, which searched the whole deck.
| The skipper of passage-boat always
| takes the freedom of a passenger from
| sickness at dinner time as personal COM
| pliment :; and as our present captain had
helped each of us to the everlasting
boiled mutton twice, we had right to
his good opinion. So he came up to US,
and told the diamond-merchan that he
thought there was going to be a little
| wind, and he would be more comfortable
below. On the old man acquiescing, he
took him in tow, and guided him safely
to the cabins stairs, to my great relief, for
feared that duty would devolve On me !;
and my legs not being so nautical as my
stomach, we should infallibly have rolled
together in the lee-scuppers whatever
they may be- or overheard. The captain
came back presently; and as he passed
me, he shouted in my ear Cpd go, too,
if were you"
presently" / roared in reply. "This