Wilmington journal., 1876-01-21
NO.. 8.

Captain Butler loved his brother
Charles dearly, and it we'll nigh broke
his heart to see him thus afflicted. Un-
known to any of his crew, he had con-
cealed him in the cabin, and there he
tended him, nursed him, watched over
him, wondering, day by day, night af-
ter night, if it was really true, after all
that there could be no cure for him.
that he must remain mad.
When he entered the cabin on the
night in question, Captain Butler
found his brother in state of feverish
excitement.
"Devils devils p' he cried. "Drive
them backl The ship is doomed, for L
am. on It'll The avenger has been taken
on board, and he will wreak his terri
bic revenge on you ALL You will per-
ish by the sea, for it is the sea that
makes you live! Tomorrow you die!
Take your last look at the moon TO-
nieht-she will shine no more for youl
The stars, too-Iet us bid them fare
well, for in another day they shall
twinkle Ger our gravesi The sea is
calm, the wind is still, the waves will
be all the more ready to swallow you
up-the starving sharks will feast upon
your bodiesp
Then suddenly his tone changed;
hot tears rushed from his eyes and
| coursed down his cheeks. He crouched
upon the floor at his brothers feet,
| and begged to be saved from the mon
sters that he saw attacking him on all
sides.
'Father-brother- let them
take me away! feel the dark waters
close over me, for we shall all perish
together! 1 am serious, old man, ard
ssy all this to warn you. I am sorry
for you all, but what am ordered to
do, I must do as we'll as can, and not
one of you shall ever see your homes
again. No, no, but do not let me per-
ish, captain! Take me in the little boat
With you! Let this old tao sink, she is
doomed, for the avenger is in her! Do
you know the avenger brother? IT
tell you where to find the william who
is to scnttle your ship. will you prom
ise me to secure him? Promise me to
kill him. and will tell you his name.
Brother, the ayenger is myselfp
Here he sank, exhausted, in his
brothers arms. After that he remain
ed quiet; and the captain left him, to
repair on deck, and give the necessary
orders. He did not visit the cabin
again that night, but paced the deck
III a state of mental agony, easier i'm
agined than described.
It wanted but half an hour of dawn,
when there resounded a cry, both loud
and shrii1, sounding throughout the
ship, heard alike by passengers and
crew, and striking fear to the bravegt
heart.
"A leak!'
Three feet of water in the holdr
cried the carpenter.
Men, said the captain resolutely,
now is the time for you to show us
your true pluck. Three feet of water
is nothing; we have a fair wind, a
and we can be saved I
The pumps were soon rigged, and
for two hours worked increasingly.
-Four feet of water in the hold I
With renewed efforts the sailors
worked, but with no better success.
The passengers, some twenty in
number, appeared on deck, seriously
alarmed at the peril of the situation.
They were promptly reassured by the
energetic conduct of the captain, who
set the example by seizing the pump
himself and working with the men.
Five feet in the holdl' cried the
carpenter.
Then the men began to show signs
of encouragement and Captain Butler
exerted himself in vain to rouse their
energies. 1t was useless.
we can but leave tie vessel he
said, Let us lower the boats while
there is time to do so, and wait
The boats were launched, and the
passengers were lowered and placed
in place in safety.
Six feet in the holdP
Tho hnoron 10 6oCoan1 in &hn
| boats.
'Stopr thundered the captain. 'Evs
cry man here has heart, know. In
| my cabin is poor young man, my
brother. He is crazy. Shall he per-
| ish 2
'No-save him! replied the sailors.
Let three men come with me to res
cue him. He can
Eight feet of water in the hold r.
| roared the carpenter,
Quick? said the captain, as he de-
| scended the stairs. God grant that
we save him !
With cry of horror he drew back
in dismay, for there before him. stood
the door wide open the cabin was
| empty-the madman gone
Brother, brother groaned the
captain. Must / leave you here to
perish, or am doomed to share your
fate
Ten feet in the hold thundered
| the carpenter. Make haste for your
lives she's sinking
The boats were gained and pushed
off from the sinking ship. Suddenly
figure appeared upon the deck. rush
ing wildly to and fro, It was the ma
MAC. The terrible fright he had ex-
| 10 ottn
tural cause, had given him back his
senses he was no longer mad, but
sane enough to understand his terri
Bile position, and shout for help.
The water had already reached the
bulwarks, and Charles Butler climbed
up the shrouds of the mainmast.
Help, William ! he cried. For
Gods sake don't let me die like this !
1 am not mad-take me off If you
are men, take me off, before I go
mad again
An attempt was made to return to
the rescue, but the boats were obliged
10 keep out of the vortex of the sink
ing vessel, and the madman was the
only victim to the trap he had set for
others. The "Volga," with Charles
Butler still crouching, hanging for dear
life to the top of the mainmast, in the
middle of the calm Atlantic, sank un-
der the deep, dark blue wave.
Wilmington Journal.
With its issue of the first instant,
that staunch, answering and reliable
paper began the thirty-third year OF
its publication. We have known it,
long; yes longer than we might wish
to say: for when its present edito~s
were school-boys, we read it. In those
!; days we were Of the Wing ''persua-
sion"-rather so land it was slightly