The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-10-27
THE STRANGE PROPHECY.

They were two stalwart whaling captains
Barker and Stephens. I should say that
the former was six feet six inches in height,
while the latter lacked not more than two
inches of reaching the same altitude. As
those two tall shippers stepped on beard
of our ship, when we were t,ying-out blub-
ber on the coast of Japan, they reminded
me Of Cooper and Conway on the boards OF
the old Park Theatre, the former as B,attats,
and the latter as Mare antony, in. the play
of "Julius Cesar" .".,'", ..,.... -s..''....
These two captains were slender and
straight and moved as if they. were rather
proud of overlapping our Captain, 'who,
though man of medium size, looked quite
diminuhve when contrasted with his lofty
visitors. 81. -'' +. i' g.. Z r.
It has been said that large and powerful
men are good natured. Such snot always
the case. We had man on. board the
frigats Guerriere named John Macauley,
who was nearly seven feet in height, and
who would never attack but one man on
board the ship-whose name it is not neees-
'sary to mention-who was nearly as tau
and much etouter than himself; while on
the other hand, this man would fly at little
fellows and give them a drubbing when
they offended him.
The two gigantic whaling captains re-
sembled the latter more than they
did Macauley. On previous voyage
they had ill-heated q poor, friendess boy,
nearly killing him, for which they had to
pay heavy damages on their ships return
TO port At that time Stephens was cap
tain and Barker was his mate.
But one would hardly have suspected
them of being such cruel fellows when they
came on board Of us. They We're, very
smiling and pleasant, and joked with our
captain and mates, and even looked kindly
upon the crew. ..a:5
Their two ships sailed in company with
ours few days, when we parted from
them in gale that tlattened the seas like
q marble floor. We saw no more Of them
till we were on the w"y home. We had not
yet, broken up and thrown our try works
overheard, as we still had room for few
barrels of oil. o..
We were running down the coast. and
were near the latitu,;e of Lima, when the
men aloft cried out "Sail Or ..........
We soon raised the hull Of the stranger:
and the captain, after examining her
through his spy-glass, said she had hauled
her wind to fall in with us. .a... NM.
she proved 10 be the ship commanded by
Stephens. We hove aback, and the latter
having dropped boat in the water, the
long whalemens stroke soon brought her
to our side. .....l '-. g. 81 'e.r =.
was at the helm while Stephens con-
yersed with our captain. and listened to
queer story told by the former in which
took little interest, as it then seemed to be
of trivial import s." -. ..........."..
Captain Stephens mentioned that, lying
at Valparaiso, be and friend paid a visit to
the city of Santiago. On their return bis
companion, who was an old resident OF
Chill, told him they were not far from the
abode of an aged Scotch woman, who had
lived forty years in deep gorge OF the
mountains, and who was supposed by the
natives to be witch. IT,.
Captain Stephens, being in merry vein,
proposed that they should Gull and see her.
His fellow-traveler told him it would be i'm
possible to find her as her hut was COM
pletely hidden among the rocks and exu-
berant foliage.
Stephens replied no doubt the natives
knew where she lived; and finally they gave
ragged cholar COLLAR to pilot them to
the witches eylie. They found the place
and the witch was at home. She was a very
old woman, wrinkled and shrunken almost
like a mummy, and WAS nearly deaf. She
did not seemed pleased by the entrance OF
her visitors, though the tall form Of the
whaling captain at once arrested her atten'
| ton.
| Stephens insisted that she should tell his
fortune. She refused 10 do anything of the
kind, averring that she was no fortune
teller, but an honest woman who minded
her own business, though she knew that
many lies had been told about. her.
When, however, the captain pulled out
gold coin and offered it to her, she exhibit
ed more tractable disposition; but STILL
she fought shy, and it was not until the
money had been given her that she liked
her small green eyes on the face OF Captain
Stephens and said: ...
"You will be shorter before you are
longer" a.. e..
"That,s no fortme-teling," said Stephens;
acome. tell me something more than
| that"
at is enough for you," replied the bag;
4go-go-that's your fortune. You Will
be shorter than you are now before you will
be longer"
"All that I could do," added Captain
Stephens, IL could not persuade the OLD
witch to explain herself OF TO tell me any
thing more"
.And what more did you want of the old
fool Z" demanded our captain. "Of course
it's all nonsense. You and I, Captain
Stephens, are not a couple Of silly girls
to believe in the slang of that kind OF
people"
Our captain then invited Stephens to 60
below with him, and soon the jinSllng OF
glasses and uproarious laughter announced
that the two shippers were enjoying them.
selves.
/ Their merriment was of short duration'
however, for just as hand came aft
to relieve me from the helm, the man at the
~, bood ,,;od.