The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-16
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trutOs
The Captain sat down at his desk in
deep thought, the slate before him. At
last, turning the slate over and pushing
! it toward Bruce, he said, write down.
Steer to nor'west.'
The mate complied; and the Captain
after narrowly comparing the handwrit.
ing, said. "Mr. Bruce, go and tell the sec.
ond mate to come down here" He
came; and, at the Captains request, he
also wrote the words. So did the
steward. So, in succession did every
man of the crew who could write at all.
But not one resembled, in any degree
the mysterious writing. After the crew
had retired. the Captain sat deep in
thought. "Could any one have been
slowed awaye' at length he said. 'The
ship must be searched; and if I don't
find the fellow, he must be good hand
at hide and seek. Order up all hands,"
Every nook and corner Of the vessel,
from stem to stern, was Thoroughly
searched, and that with all the eagerness
Of excited curosity-for it had gone out
that stranger had shown himself on
board; but not living soul beyond the
crew and the officers we're found.
Returning to the cabin after their
fruitless search, ''Mr. Bruce" said the
Captain. "What the devil do you make
of all this
"Can't tell, sir. l saw the man write;
you see the writing. There must be
something in it,
swell it would seem 50. We have the
wind free, and I have a great mind to
keep her away and see what will come of
II surely would, sir, if were in your
place. It's only few hours lost at the
worst
"Well, we'll see. Go on deck and give
the course nor'west. And, Mr.. Bruce"
he added, as the mate arose to CO. ''have !
looking aloft, and let it be hand you
can depend on
A DISCOVERY.
At about clock the lookout reported
an iceberg nearly ahead, and shortly af.
| terward what we thought was a vessel
to it. AS they approached, the Captains
glass disclosed the fact that it was dis.
manlted ship, apparently frozen to the
ice, and with many human beings on it.
Shortly afterward they hove to. and sent
out the boats to the relief of the sufferers.
1t proved to be vessel from Quebec,
bound to Liverpool with passengers.
As one of the men who had been
brought away in the third boat that had
reached the wreck was ascending the
ships side, the mate, catching glympse
Of his face, started back in CONSERVATION.
It was the very face that he saw three or
four hours before, looking up at him from
the Captains desk.
The exhausted crew and famished pas.
sengers having been cared for, the mate
called the Captain aside. 1T seems that
was not ghost saw to-day, the mans
aliye?''
"What do you mean? Who's alive?"
"Why, sir, one Of the passengers We
have just saved is the same man saw
writing Oh your slate at noon. l would
swear to it in court of JUSTICE
'Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" replied
the Captain, ''this gets more and more
singular. Let us 60 and see this man.
they found him in conversation with
the Captain Of the rescued ship. They
both stepped forward, and expressed in
the warmest terms their gratitude for de-
liverence from horrible fatc-slow death
by exposure and starvation. The Cap.
tain replied that he had only done what
he was certain they would have done for
him under the same circumstances, and
asked them both to step down into the
Fcabin. Then turning to the passenger he
said: Il hope, sir, you will not think l
am trifing with you; but I would be
much obi ged ifyou would write few
words on this slate, with that side up
on which the mysterious writing was not.
II will do anything you ask" replied the
passenger, "but what shall I write o.
"Suppose you write Steer to nor
west.''
The passenger cheerfully complied.
The Captain took mp the slate and ex.
mined it closely; then, stepping aside so
as to conceal the slate from the passen-
ger. he turned it over and gave it to him
again with the other side up.
''You say that is your handwriting 2"
81 need not say so,'' rejoined the other,
looking at it, ''for you saw me write it,
Sand this p said the Captain turning
the slate over.
slate, then at the other, puzzled. At
last, "What is the meaning of this %
said he. IL wrote only one of these.
Who wrote the other -
s'rhat is more than can tell you, sir.
My mate here says you wrote it, sitting
at this desk at noon to-day
! A DREAM.
The captain Of the wreck and the pas.
senger looked at each other, exchanging
glances Of intelligence and surprise; and
former asked the latter; ''Did you dream
that you wrote on slate!''
''No, sir, not that 7 remember