The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-09
truth must be told, sir, I'd rather not face

SstllC W YOU, Su, u iaoiSh W. SiAoNAN oo
down together"
SOMETHING TO BE EXPLAINED.
The Captain descended the stairs, and
the mate followed him. Nobody in the
cabin! They examined the state-rooms'
Not soul to be found!
"Well, Mr.. Bruce" said the Captain,
"did not I tell you you had been dream
ing?"
/ didn't see that man writing on your
slate may I never see my home and fami,
ly againl" :,
"Ah! writing on the slate! Then il
should be there still" and the Captain
took up the slate.
"My Godp' he exclaimed, "hcre's
something sure enough! Is that youl
writing, Mr.. Bruce?"
The mate took the slate and there, in
plain legible characters, were the words
''Steer to nor'west." -.
"Have you been trifling with me, sir p
inquired the Captain, sternly.
Con my word as a man, SIR replied
Bruce. ri 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. Al
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 hand.
writing, said: "Mr. Bruce, go and tell
the second mate to come down here u
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 mys-
tcrious writing. After the crew had re-
tired, the Captain sat deep in thought.
Gould any one have been slowed away" %
at length he said. "Thc 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 curiosity, tor
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 fruit.
less search, "Mr. Bruce" said the Cap
tain, "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."
"Well, it would seem so. We have the
wind free, and 1 have great mind to
keep her away and see what will come OF
it."
"I surely would, sir, ifI 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 so, "have
a lookout aloft, and let it be hand you
can depend on"
A DISCOVERY.
At about three o'clock the lookout re-
ported an iceberg nearly ahead, and
shortly afterward what he thought was a
vessel close to it. AS they approached,
the Captains glass disclosed the fact that
it was a dismantled ship, apparently fro
zen to the ice, and with many human
beings on it. Shortly afterward they
hove to, and sent out-the boats to the re-
lief of the sufferers. 1t proved to be G
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 glimpse
of his face, started back in consterna-
ton. 1t 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. "It seems that
was not ghost 1 saw, to-day, sir; the
mans alive" .
"What do you mean! Who's alive p
"Why, sir, one of the passengers we
have Just saved is the same man 1 saw
writing on your slate at noon. would
swear to it in court of justice"
"Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" replied
the Captain, "this gets more and more
singular. Let us go and see this man."
They found him in conversation with
the Captain of rescued ship. They both
stepped forward, and expressed in the
warmest terms their gratitude for deliy-
erance from q horrible fate-slow death
by exposure and starvation. The Cap
tain 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: "I hope, sir, you will not think
am trihing with you; but l would
be much obliged if you would write a
few words on this slate" and he handed
him the slate, with that sideup on which
the mysterious writing was not. ~ will
do anything you ask" replied the pass
enger; "but what shall I write?"
''Suppose you write Steer to nor
west.'"
The passenger cheerfully complied.
The Captain took up the slate and exam
ined it closely; then, stepping aside so
as to conceal the slate from the passen-
gers, he turned it over and gave it to him
again with the other side up.
"You say that is your handwriting?"
said he.
'I. need not say so," rejoined the
other, looking at it, "for you saw me
write it,
"And this ?" said the Captain, turning
the slate over.
The man looked first at one side of
the slate, then at the other, puzzled. At
last, "What is the meaning of this 2"
said he. 'I wrote only one of these.
Who wrote the other?"
''That is more than I can tell you, sir.
Ny mate here says you wrote it, sitting
at this desk, at noon to day."
A DREAM.
The Captain of the wreck and the pas
seuger looked at each other, exchanging
glances of intelligence and surprise, and
the former asked the latter, "Did you
l.... 4l>o+ wa, ,,rota nm tbic c1oto oO