Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-12-01


when the men aloft cried out "Sail
Or
We soon raised the hull of the
stranger; aud the captain, after
examining her though his spyglass,
said she had hauled her wind to
fall in with us.
She proved to he the ship COM
manded by Stephens. We hove
aback, and the latter having drop
ped a boat in the water, the long
whaleman's stroke soon brought
her to our side.
/ was at the helm while Stephens
conversed with our captain, and l
listened to queer story told by
the former in which / took but lit
tie interest, as it then seemed to be
of trivial import. Captain Stephens
mentioned that, while lying at VAL
paraiso, he and friend paid a
visit to the city of Santiago. On
their return his 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 a deep
gorge of the mountains, and who
was supposed by the natives to be
q witch.
Captain Stephens, being in a
merry vein, proposed that they
should call and see her. His fellow
traveller told him it would be i'm
possible to find her as her hut was
completely hidden among the rocks
and exuberant foliage.
Stephens replied no doubt the
natives knew where she lived and
finally they gave a ragged scholar
dollar to pilot them to the witches
eyrie. They found the place and
the witch was at home. She was q
very old woman, wrinkled and
shrunken almost like a mummy,
and was almost deaf. She did not
seemed pleased by the entrance OF
her visitors, though the tall form
of the whaling captain at once ar
rested her attention.
Stephens insisted that she should
tell his fortune. She refused to 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 pull
ed out a gold coin and offered it
to her, she exhibited more tract
able disposition but still she
fought shy, and it was not until the
money had been given her that she
fixed her small green eyes on the
face of Captain Stephens and said
"You will be shorter before you
are longer"
"That's no fortune telling" said
Stephens "come tell me some
thing more than that"
at is enough for you," replied
the hag; "go-go-that's your for
tune. You will be shorter than
you are now before you will be
longer"
Gall that 1 could do" added Cap.
tain Stephens, 81 could not per-
suade the old witch to explain hel
self or to tell me anything more"
"And what more did you want
of the old foolp demanded ouI
captain. "Of course it's all non.
sense. You and /, Captain Stephens
are not couple of silly girls tc
believe in the slang of that kint
of people,"
Our captain then Invited him tc
90 below with him, and soon tn,
jingling of glasses and uproarou'
laughter announced that the two
shippers were enjoying themselves
Their merriment was of shor
duration, however, for just rs |
hand came aft to relieve me from
the helm, the man at the masthead
cried.
"There she breaches !"
"Where awayp demanded ou
little mate as he scrambled up tn,
main rigging.
"Four points on the lee bow,
was the reply.
"Ahi that's just where we wan
EN-. Keep her off, you at tn
helm. There, that'll do. Stead,
as she goes. A pull on the weath
: er braces, here"
BY this time the two captain
u,ore ON dock and runinu forwarf