The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-08
the DEATH BEACON.

Not at all adapted to a sailors life was
the nature of thoughtful, absent-mlnd-
ed, fair-haired youth Of seventeen-Her.
man Marston by name, who made one oil
the crew Of the merchant ship Julian,
bound from Boston to the Sandwich Is.
lands. Or romantic turn OF mind, the
poor boy (here snudder to think OF his
fate) had pictured his future nautical
career as fraught with wild, poetic ex.
citement, perilous yet pleasant adven.
| lures, storms, narrow escapes, etc.,
from all of which he was to come out un.
scathed leading to the altar Bessie Hall
"a certain beautiful girl with whom he
had plighted faith ere he sailed. But
the reality was far different from what
he had expected.
learned, the decks were to be scrubbed
and secured every day, the masts to be
occasionally rubbed over with grease
| pans and meat-kids to be cleaned, and
barrels of beef and pork, with heavy
casks of water hoisted from the hold.
Storms we're plentiful, it is true; but
Herman, on such occasions, was so ter.
ribly overworked, bracing OF squarine
| in yards, and furling and reefng sails,
that he found little time to admire the
grandeur aud sublimity Of these tempest
some "narrow escapes" he had, but
tbey were not OF the kind he had antici
pated. Eoy instance, the first mate, en-
raged at his uninterested, absent man
neT. when he was ordered "to haul aft
that sheet" or stake pull on them fore
top-gallant halliards," would fling at his
head handspike or croWbar, which the
lad sometimes found it difficult to dodge
This mate-Ben. Hold by name-was q
man of quick, violent temper and cruel
disposition person OF whom some dark
stories were told among his men, such
as his having served out term in prison
for an attempt at burglary and murder,
and his having once struck MS ola gray.
headed father for giving him good ad-
vice. 1t was said he had since reformed,
but certainly his way of treating his men,
| especially Herman Marston, who was
daily abused and overworked by him
| shaineiully, showed no such change.
| Tired of his slavish lite, the youth al
| last resolved to desert on the first oppor.
tunity that should offer.
One morning, while the vessel, which
through the night had been backing ant
filling ia cking), was almost league
from the east coast OF Patagonia, neal
the Magellan Strait, Herman was
missed, and with him the boat in which
he had evidently escaped; one whlcf
had been towing alongside OF the shiI
under the gangway ior WORKING pur
poses.
The crew were questioned, but they
| knew nothing about the matter. Th'
captain, however, judged that the de
serter had gone ashore, and SO thithel
he despatched his first mate, Hold, wh'
by the skipper's advice. took his pisto
with him, as natives had OCCASIONAL.
been seen on this part OF the coast, ant
they were not always to be trusted.
| Soon gaining the beach, the mate sen
four men of on the search, each IN dill
ferent direction, he himself takin
another route. He had not proceeded
mile, when, between jagged piles Q
rocks, he came upon Herman, VINO, Wit
a haversack he bad brought from nom
slung over his shoulder and filled will
sea biscuits and salt meat, was maxim!
a meal, which he would probably hay
enjoyed but for the extreme cold. Nea
him, on rock, lay a lantern of red
painted glass, which he had taken froI
the boat in which he had come ashore.
"Ha!v cried Hold, $50 Pye found you
Where's the boatT
at struck a rock and filed and sanl
lust after 1 jumped out! My God! mus
I be put under such a tyrant as yo
againW
The mate turned red with anger. Ir
, stead OF making excuses for losing tn
boat, the youth called him a tyrant.
s'Take thatP' he yelled, dischargin
. his pistol at the other, who fell to tn
ground like log, bullet through hi
temples, his eyes turned up in the fxe(
! CLASSY stare Of death.
81 have murdered himW cried th
mate with Shudder,
| A feeling of horror crept over Hol(
, who, bad as he was, had never befol
, killed a man; but stronger than thl
, feeling was the fear of detection. I
> escape this, he must hide the body.
that way his guilt would probably neve
, be discovered; for he would be the onl
one of the crew to know that the deserte
had ever come ashore here.
ii He looked round him, to soon discove
rocks, with dark opening or cay
!. among them. To this cave he dragge
, lantern, that all trace Of the lost OF
q might be disposed of, he piled, in car
q less manner, some blocks OF ice over tt
opening. -,
He returned to the boat, to find IL
n four men he had sent OF already there.
5 "You saw nothing Of himW said Il
mate, coldly.
E "Nothing," was the answer.
i "Nor l." said Hold. ~ don't belieN
5 he came here at ALL"
5 "You discharged your pistol, sirw !
marked one Of the men. "We heard tt
i report"
/ GAY" was the careless answer, 81 sa
q a penguin and fired, but did not hit it,
/. They returned aboard, when the ca
e tain resolved to cruise, hoping he mig
g pick up the lost one at sea. He sale
n about in the neighborhood of the Goa
for several days, but his search WI
n vain.
It On the fourth night, as the vessel {
It her present course headed for the shor
e the wind howled dismally through Il
e shrouds and the long yards creaked
II most with q shrek. Suddenly the hoar
scream Of the lookout forward was th'
8 heard.
9 "Light Oi-right aheadW
q The mate, who was on deck, startiI
t. nervously at every sound he hear
o looked shoreward, turned ghastly, b
s whole frame trembling with supers
e tious terror. 49,.
3 Ay1oosIa be beueye his sepsssl