The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-02-11
RG, PA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY11 II. 1876.

"a stranger Why, man, you must bt
dreaming, You must have seen the stewart
there or the second mate. Who else woulC
venture down without orlers?"
"But, sir,hc was sitting in your arm chair
fronting the door, writing on your slate
Then he looked up full to my face and, il
ever saw man plainly and distinctly in
this world, saw him.
Him! Who?"
"God knows, sir | don't saw a man
and man | never in my life saw be.
fore"
"You must be going crazy, Mr.. Bruce A
stranger, and we nearly six weeks outw
81 know, sir but then saw him."
eco down and see who tits"
Bruce hesitated. az never was believer
In ghosts" he said, "but, if the truth must
be told sir, I'd rather not face it alone"
"Come, come, man. Go down at once, and
don't make Il fool of yourself before the
crew."
81 hope you've always found me willing to
do what's reasonable" Bruce replied, chang
| ing color; "but if it's all the same to you.
sir I'd rather we should go down to-
gether.'
| SOMETHING TO re EXPLAINED.
The Captain descended the stairs and the
mate followed him. Nobody in the cabin
They examined the state rooms. Not a
soul to be found
"Well Mr.. Bruce said the Captain, "did
not tell You you had been dreamnr?"
cts all well to say so, sir; hut if didn't
see that man writing on your slate, may |
never see my homo aud family againw
"Ah writing on the slate! Then it should
be there STILL" and the Captain took up the
slate
"My Godw he exclaimed, "hcre's some
thing sure enough Is that your writing,
Mr.. Bruce?'
The mate took the slate, and there, in
plain legible characters, were the words,
''Steer to northwest"
"Have YOU been trhing with me, sir ?"
inquired the Captain, sternly.
"On my word as man, sir" replied
| Bruce, 81 know no more of this matter than
you do. I have told you the exact truth"
The Captain sat down at his desk in deep
thought, the slate before him. At last,
turning the slate over and over and pushing
toward Bruce, he said, "Nrite down, Steer
to northwest"
The mate complied, and the Captain, after
| narrowly comparing the handwriting, said
| "Mr. Bruce, 20 and tell the second mate to
come down here" He came; and at the
Captains request. he also wrote the words.
So, in succession, did every man in the crew
who could write at all But not one resem-
bled in any degree the mysterious writing
After the crew had retired the Captain sat
in deep thought "Could any one have been
slowed away?" at length he said. "The
ship must be searched, and if don't find
the fellow he must be a 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
for it had gone out that stranger had
shown himself on board-but not living
soul beyond the crew and the officers was
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. | saw the man write !;
you see the writing. There must be some-
thing in it."
"Well, it would seem so, We have the
wind free, and I have a great mind to keep
her away and see what will come of it,"
81 surely would, sir, if I were in your
place. It's only Il few hours lost at the
most"
Well, we'll see Go on deck and give the
course no'west, And, Mr., Bruce" he added
as the mate rose to go, "have a lookout aloft,
and let it be 4 hand you can depend on"
A DISCOVERY.
At about o'clock the lookout reported
an iceberg nearly ahead, and shortly after
ward what he thought was Il vessel close to
it. As they approached, the Captains glass
disclosed the fact that it was dismantled
ship appsrently frozen to the ice, and with
many human beings on it Shortly after
they hove to and sent out the boats to the
relief Of the sufferers, 1t proved to be a ves-
sci from Quebec, bound to Liverpool, carry
ing passengers.
As one Of the men who had beop brough
away in the third boat that reached the
wreck was ascending the ships side, the
mate, catching glimpse of his face, started
back in consternation 1t was the very face
that he saw three or four hours before, look
ing up at him from the Captains desk.
The exhausted crew and furnished passen-
gers having been cared for, the mate called
the Captain aside. at seems that was not
a ghost | saw to-day, sir; the mans alive"
"What. do you mean, sir? Who's aliye?"
"Why sir, one Of the passengers we have
saved is the same man | saw writing on
your slate at noon. Iwould swear to it in A
court of justice"
"Upon my word, Mr. Bruce" replied the
NhINNih WIS ENNn hlplt anu HlOlt sing
Let us go and see this man."
They found him in conversation with the
Captain of the rescued ship. They both
stepped forward and expressed in the warm
est terms their gratitude for deliverance from
horrible iate-slow death by exposure and
starvation. The Captain replied that he
had done only what he was certain they
would have done for him under the same
circumstances, and asked them both to step
down into the cabin. Then turning to the
passenger he said, 81 hope, sir, you will not
think am trihing with you, but | would be
much obliged if you would write a few
lines on this slate" and he handed him the
slate, with that side up on which the mystic
rious writing was not.
Il will do anything you ask" replied the
passenger, "but what shall writey"