The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-03-25

| You lie eACldlHleu, mere
something sure enough! Is that you
writing, Mr.. Bruce"
The mate took the slate, and there, il
plain, legible characters, were the words
"Steer to nor'west"
| "Have you been trifling with me, sir p
inquired the captain, sternly.
"On my word as man, SIR" replied
| Bruce, 81 know no more of this matte
than you do. have told you the exac
truth"
The captain sat down at his desk il
deep thought, the slate before him. Al
last, turning the slate over and pushing
it toward Bruce, ne said, "Write down
Steer to nor'west.'
The mate complied, and the captain
said, after narrowly comparing the hand
writing, "Mr. Bruce, go and tell the
second 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 mystic.
rious writing. After the crew had re.
tired, the captain sat deep in thought
"Could any one have been slowed away?'i
at length he said. "The ship must be
searched, and if 1 don't find the fellow,
he must be good hand at hide and seek.
Order up all hands.
naoly ond corppr of tho voccol
from stem to stern, was thoroughly
searched, and that with all the eager
ness of excited curiosity-for it had gone
out that stranger had shown himself on
board-but not a 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
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."
al 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 go, "have
a lookout aloft, and let it be hand you
can depend on"
At about 80 clock the lookout reported
an iceberg nearly ahead, and shortly
afterward what he thought was vessel
close to it. As they approached, the
captains glass disclosed the fact that it
was dismantled ship, apparently frozen
to the ice, and with many human be-
ings on it. Shortly afterward they hove
to, and sent out the boats to the reliefof
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 glimpse
of his face, started back in CONSERVATION.
1t was the very face that he saw three OF
four hours before, looking up at him from
the captains desk.
The exhausted crew and famished
passengers having been cared for, the
mate called the captain aside. at seems
that was not ghost saw to-day, sir;
the mans alive"
What do you mean? Who's alive"
"Why, sir, one of the passengers we
have Just saved is the same man saw
writing on 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
from a horrible fate-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 circum-
and asked them both to step
down into the cabin. Then, turning to
the passenger, he said: az hope, sir,
you will not think 1 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 side up on which the mystic
rious writing was not. 81 will do any
thing you ask" replied the passenger {;
e but what shall write? '
"Suppose you write, Steer to nor
vest"
The passenger cheerfully complied.
The captain took up the slate and ex-
lmined it closely; then, stepping aside
20 as to conceal the slate from the passen.
ger, lie turned it over and give it to him
again with the other side up.
You say that is your handwriting ?"
said he.
81 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 this7"
said he, az wrote only one of these.
Who wrote the other?"
" That is more than | can tell you, sir.
My mate here says you wrote it, sitting
at his desk, at noon to-day"
The captain of the wreck and the pas
senger looked at each other, exchanging
glances of intelligence and surprise;
and the former asked the latter: "Did |
you dream that you wrote on this
slater"
"No, sir, not that remember"
You speak of dreaming" said the