The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-02

been invoked by tha artiul picture por-
trayed by the eloquence OF the sharp,
shrewd merchant.
Good GOdi Mr.. Failing, / never
looked upon 1t In that light; but l dare
say you are right. But what car do 2
The eighty dollars I get keeps my wife
from starving"
''Exactly, and no more. Take another
glass-thaps right. Your good he ilth.
The Exporter is Insured, isn't shep
"Yes, to her lull value.s
sand you are to insure the cargo also"
"Certainly; my owners nre always
very particular about that"
''Humphi How wouii you like to
pocket tiity thousand dollars, Jackson,
aud weather on your owners and the
poor-house, eh7'
"What question to ask a man In nv
positionW and Jackson's head began to
spin about as he listened to the artfuliy.
worded sophistry Of the tempter.
"We can nuke good thing of it, aud
now is your opportunity. Your owners
grind you down. now let them take the
consequences, although they will not
lose much, but the anticipated profit.
will furnish you the silk and tea, but In
stead OF the best IN give the poorest.
Don't jump, man; there's no harm done
yet. The highest market prios will be
| Thousand dollars tonight, or when you
sign the regular articles OF agreement as
| having received tho stipulated quality
| aud quantity. The other twenty five
thousand shall be paid when the Export
\ er goes 10 the bottom and you return TO
Shanghai from the wreck. Not a word,
man, but come ashore. We'H talk it
over at my office"
And linking his arm through Jackson's
he assisted the shipmaster to leave the
cabin and descend the side.
The next day the first lighter load Of
cargo Tor the Exporter arrived and both
bale and box was ratified rapidly into
her capacious hold. In less than two
weeks time the ship was ready for sea,
ana jackson, who had spent the greater
\ portion OF his time Oh snOre repaired on
board.
| Net until too late did the entangled
| seaman awake from the delusiye dream
into which he had been beguiled by the
skilltul Failing. The ship was loaded,
the first half Of the fifty thousand dollars
had been paid, and Jackson, by the ad-
vice of the merchants, did not bank the
amount, but negotiated for the value in
diamonds, which he wore around his
body.
1t was too late to retreat; he had gone
too far; and although his conscience
troubled him sadly, still he made up his
mind to carry out the fraud that had
been commenced.
The Exporter sailed down the mighty
Yangtse with fair wind, which fresh
ened as the good ship passed Woo sung.
Everybody ON board was in high spirits
at the IDEA of being homeward bound,
with the exception of poor Jackson, who
paced the deck in moody silence. He
mad solemnly sworn never to taste cham
payne again, and had firmly made up ais
mind mol to revisit Shanghai, for he had
learned to fear the influence which Fail
ing exercised over han.
i lie kept to himself, avoided the socie-
i ty or his hrst ma le, and spent the most
| OF his time in the seclusIon oil his cabin,
brO0ding over the terrible secret winch
he carried in his bosom.
The character OF the cargo preyed con.
! tinually on his mind, and waking or
sleeping, he was continually haunted by
a nightmare. He grew nervous and i'm
patient; 80 much SO, that both officers
and crew wondered at the sudden
change tnat had come over the "0ld
man."
When alone in the dead hour Of the
night, he would pour over his charts,
and strive in vain to fix definitely upon
some shoal or rect where he could safely
carry out his Intentions, and an iny0iun-
tary curse would escape his lips as he
ielt the pressure Of the belt ne wore
about his body, or the features of Fail
ing, which would occasionally rise up
| before him.
1 Favored by fair weather, the feet ship
1 rapidly ploMed her way down the China
sea, and all hands congratulated them
selves On . speedy termination OF the
| voyage.
| No opportunity had occurred to sacri-
fee tue ship, for Jackson was deter
mined not to hazard the lie of any one
on board, and, Keeping well TO the east
| ward, the high mountainous island oI
i Borneo ioomed up blue and picturesque
above the horizon.
For Two days the Exporter skirted
along IN sight OF the island, and then q
| furious squall OF mist and rain swepl
over the sap.
The black, lowering clouds appeared
4 to enyelOp the mast-heads, aud the zig
\ gag sheets of vivid lightning darted
| through the heavens, only eXcelied In
4 fury by the appalling peals OF thunder
The sea, lashed to fury, was enveloped
| in feathery foam, and few over The
| ship in binding showers.
Groaning and creaking in every TIM
ber, the ship bowed before the gale, and,
as all hands had been called to shorten
sail, or cut away the tattered remnants
of what had been blown away, Captain
jackson himself took the wheel, that
the helmsman might lend hand in aiG.
J ''-s-i'is struggling shipmates.
/, pan being can ever conceive Lne
feelIns tS3aich Tagged. in--t!se -aniortunate
shipmastC.'s breast that memorable
night.
| The roaring of the waves, and rush OF
the pelting rain, the howl OF tue gale as
it swept through the cordage OF the ship
and the beating Of the surf on the beach
and reefs in the distance, mingled with
the clear word of command of the mates,
and the CHEEKY cry Of the nimble sailors
aloft as they roared out, "haul out to
leewardW or eight over to windwardp'
The last man had laid down from aloft,
the men were clustering aft to ''splice
the main BRACE" when sudden grum-
bic and grating ran through the ship. A
shock, a bump-tOllowed by second
shock, which threw the men off their
feet violently, and then the good ship
| Exporter struck heavily ON coral reef,
and was forced high up on the danger
ons shoal.
| With a succession of crashes the tall.