Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-07-07
Cnninin Tontnlnhlcn,.,

Il ndu ScINtu NNtui) -lNt NtuIe
on board an East Indiaman, and fol
the last ten years had commanded
the Belle, one of the finest crafts
that ever hoated. l was an ole
sea-dog, and had dwelt so long or
SAT- water that / felt almost a ha.
tired for the land.
On the Goth of October, 1871,
received orders to put myself in
readiness to sail for Cayenne.
was to transport seventy-ilve sol
diers and convict. had orders
to use the individual well, and the
letter l received from the directory,
a closed letter with huge red seal
which / was not TO open until be-
tween q and % degrees, west
longitude, that is, Just before we
were about to cross the line.
The letter was long packet, so
well closed on every side that it
was impossible to catch the
slightest glimpse of its contents.
l am not naturally superstitious,
but there was something in the
look of the letter that l did not
altogether like, though l could give
no reason why. However, l car
ried it into the cabin and stuck it
under the glass of q little shabby
English clock, which was fastened
above my head. / was busy in Ak
ing the letter under the clock when,
who should come into the cabin
but the convict and his wife This
was the first time l had seen either
of them, and may say that
more prepcssessing couple l never
met. The woman was scarcely
more than fifteen, and handsome
as picture, while the husband was
an intelligent, neutrality-suspicious.
ed man, on whose features nature
had never written "Villain."
His crime, to be plain, was the
misfortune of being 100 years ahead
of his age. He and others had at
tempted something our government
called treason; and which is punish
ed with death. Therefore, it oc-
casioned me considerable wonder
that he should be under my charge
but more of this afterward.
He had, 1 said, his wife. hanging
on his arm. She was merry as a
bird; she looked like a turtle dove
cooling and nesting beneath his
great wing.
Before a month had passed over
our heads l looked upon them as my
own children. Every morning l used
to call them both to my cabin. The
fellow would often help me
at reckoning, and soon learned to
do better than ] could. I was
amazed at his ability. His young
wife would sit upon one of the
round stools in my cabin, working
Vt her needle.
One day We were all sitting in
his way, when l said:
"Do you know, my young ones,
as it seems to me, we make q very
pretty family pictures Mind, /
ion't mean to ask questions, but
nay be you have not much money {
o spare, and you are, both of you,
IS | think, too handsome to dig in y
he burning sun of Cayenne, like c
many a poor wretch before you.
t is q bad country-a bad country, {
AXE my word for it. !, who have
'oughed it through tempest and
till l have the skin of
hinoceros, might get along there ; {
'ut you'll am afraid for you. So, {
{ you should chance to have a bit ,
# foolish friendship for your poor !
Id captain, I'll tell you what I'll I
%. III get rid of this old brig '
he's not much better than an old v
nb, after all SO III settle myself
own with you, if you wish it. s
GU see / have not living soul in v
ne world to care for, or that cares h
,r me. l want relatives, l want q /,
lmily. l should like to make my
ONE with you, my pretty ones, I
hat say you.!" b
They said nothing at all, but sat $
'oking first at each other, and =
zen. at me, as If they doubted n
neither they understood what /
I'D. .
AT last the little bird threw her b
ms around my neck and cried h
20 baby. n
But suddenly pausing, "you E,
went looked at the letter with n
a hior rod eoalv =.