The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-05-04

moon shone with unwonted splcndor
and brilliancy, revealing the snow
white sails of the stranger, which
proved to be a bark.
"As the two vessels slowly ap-
preached one another, it struck me
that there was something singular
in the appearance of the stranger.
"sho was heavily spared, with
clouds of canvass hanging from her
square yards, which shimmered and
cleaned in the moonlight. Thecop-
per shot forth a scintillating light as
her fore foot rose and fell amid the
phosphorescent swell of the ocean;
but there was a certain something
about the bark which arrested my at
tcntiop, The yards were negligently
trimmed, ropes and running-gcar
were trailing over the side, which
facts did not impress me very highly
with the. officers seamanship.
"The barked yawed fearfully, SO
much so that Captain Webster had
to caution the man at the wheel to
be careful.
Gle had evidently made up his
mind to speak to the stranger, and ]
took up my position on the poop,
anxious to hear all that was said.
"But no reply came back in return
to the stentorian summons of Cap,
tain Webster, who roatcd through
his trumpet.
Slowly and mQjesticallS the bark
glided,by us, her docks, .sailSqnd hull
tally revealed in thd glaneihg rays
efztba.paaea sound df GtbEil
siIeilea, Ay
thid.6f acoliaEsidg sailialoft 7oytlie
croak Of our spankcr saf 5sit s&ang
to windward.
'Not a soul was visiblcfore Or aft
on the stranger, and thTill ofsuper-
stitious dread ran through my veins,
as l, in common with alI hands, gaz-
ed at the strange sight. As for Web
ster's face, it was white as a ghosts.
suddenly u thought struck ne
It was some vessel deserted by her
crew / offered to board her. Web
stcr nodded assent, and haitian hour
afterward I was clambering up her
steep sides, closely followed by my
boats crew.
"Thc deck was deserted. Not a
CLEAN of light was visible from the
cabin skylight, and no voice replied
to my repeated halloo.
"In fact, shipmatc, to make short
work of it, the bark, upon cxamina-
ton, proved to be deserted Not a
soul was aboard, or a trace Of a paper
Or flag to prove her nationality
"The cargo consisted of brandy,
liquors and an assortment of French
gew-gaws. l sounded the well, but
could discover no evidence that she
was making water, and why the Off
GERS and crew should have abandon,
ed so fine a vessel, has been a matter
of speculation to me to this day,
"When | reported the facts to
Webster, he could scarcely restrain
his joy at the value of the prize we
had fallen in with. He directed me
to take charge of her, with seve men,
which left him somewhat short
handed, but then the brig was 4
handy craft, and easily handled,
ave anchored shortly after mid
night in close proximity to the beach
along which the surf was laundering
with uncCasing energy, The hills
loomcd up dark and solemn, the
trees nodded and waved as the lane
breeze set in; the moon shono calmly
down on land and sea, while we, toe
tired and Mtigued for watch, were
soon buried in sleep.
"At an early hour in the forenoon
| proceeded TO land, with all the wa
ter casks in tow, | had carefully re
connoitcrcd the beach, but beyond {
few ill.constucted huts and one soil
tary Indian stalking about on tho
sand, | saw nothing to excite my op
prohcnsions
"T'ho long boat was put in rcodi
ness my own watch, picked mon IN,
true, manned and with thq cosk
in tow wcpullod slowly in towar,
the point whore the lone Indian wa
waiting for us apparently, 3.
I had taken the precoOtion tostoy