The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-09-16
Vol. X.

acquainted with Col. F., but
his mother insisted that he
should take a letter from hel
10 her relative, and thus leave no
thing untried in q matter which
so intimately concerned the push
ing Of his own fortunes.
When Il arrived at his cou
sins place on Port Royal Sound
he found that the family were not
very we'll prepared to have visi
tors. In fact: only two nights
before, the house, an old brick
mansion, had been burned down
to the ground, ana the family were
nov living in a couple of tents
pitched On the lawn in front Of the
ruins. Col. E. had lost every
thing the house contained, ano
was now down with au ague his
daughter was i'll with Mysteries
aud everything vas i'll confusion
and disorder. In fact, us Mrs. +
pititulIy told H "there's
actually nothing to eat IN the
house-in the tent, [ mean," she
said, with a feeble smile, "and the
Colonel is TOO i'll to 90 fishing to-
day"
Il did not show his letter
nor mention its subject. On the
contrary he tried to make him
self useful, gave Mr.. E his
dose ofquinine, taught Mrs. r
how to rig her tent sails il safer
and more comtortu fashion, and
then, taking :: small negro boy
with him. launched the boat,
hoisted sail, aud went fishing for
the rcplenishing Of poor Mrs. E
IS exhausted larder. Well ac.
ouainted with the sound and its
fishing ground, he soon caught
quite q mess Of fish, and was beat
ing back again when startled
cry Of the negro boy, who was by
the mast, attracted his attention.
The cause Of the boys alarm was 4
large shark between ten and twelve
feet long, which swan directly in
front ofth boat and seemed pre-
pared to dispute its passage. Tho
boat, rs is common in those wa
tcrs, carried 4 small harpoon at
tached to long line, for the pur
pose Of using upon the devil fish
frequently met there, and the
chase and capture OF which is g
favorite and exciting sport c:
South Carolinians. Hastily call
ing the boy to the helm, and Civ
ing his lugger sheet plenty o:
play, II snatchcd the harpoor
and line, sprang to the boT, toss
ed large fish in the water, and:
as The shark turned up to seize it
drove the harpoon into his belly
with so true an aim and such fata
force that the huge fish only
struggled a few minutes before
expiring. He was not able to ge
his prize aboard, but determined
not to lose. such a trophy Of hi:
arms strength, took it in tow, be
hind his boat, and was soon able
to land his cargo and tow in safe
ty near the burned mansion.
Securing his boat, H nov
sent the boy for help to fetch
away his fish, and amused him
self dy disembowelling the mon
s:er. His jack-knife struck upor
something hard and metallic IL
the viscera Of the fish, and ex
amining more closely, he 5rough
to light q square, flat zinc box
about the size of a one-pound gun
powder can, much corroded, bu'
apparently bermctically scaled an'
wator-tight. He washed it of
dried it, and pat it into his pocke
for future examination then, th'
boy having come with help, took
his fish and some tidbits from tn
shark up to the tent, much to tn
iov of the occupants, who could
not thank him enough.
Col. E., to whom H
showed his box, Immediately
thought he recognized it as ont
of = peculiar sort of dispatch DO!
used by the Confederate Govern
ment for their messengers by Sc
and in blockade.runners, beln;
convenient for carrying in tn
pocket and for throwing ovel
board in case the vessel was car
tnred, The box was CAREFUL,
opened and was found to be pre-
cisely what Col. E suspecte
q dispatch box Of the Confec
crate Government. The content:
in addition to some papers OF n
present importance, comprised
series of long dispatches in cIphe
addressed TO we'll known agen
in Paris of the defunct rebellion
and ten certificates Of deposI
promising to pay money Of An
brose Gunter's, now on depos
:.h 49, L,nI.;n,. bn,co or Y Ar