The Morning herald., 1876-11-22
CORD AND CREBSE.
TIE DWELLER IN THE SUNKEN SHIP.
CHAPTER 'TI

He entered. The cabin was about twelve
feet square, lighted by headlights in the
deck above. On each side were two state
rooms, probably intended for the ships
officers. The doors were all open. The
sand had drifted in here and covered the
floor and the berths. The floor Of the
cabin was covered with sand to the depth
of a foot. There was no large opening
through which it could enter; but it had
probably penetrated through the cracks of
the doorway in a fine, iInpalpable dust,
and had covered every available surface
within.
In the centre of the cabin was table,
secured to the floor, as ships tables always
are and Immediately over it hung the
barometer which was all corroded and GOV.
cred with mold and rust. A half dozen
stools were around, some lying on their
sides, some upside down, and one standing
upright. The door by which he had en-
tered was at one side, at the other side was
another, and between the two stood sofa,
the shape Of which was plainly discernlb!e
under the sand. Over this was clock,
which had licked its last tick.
On some racks over the closet there were
a few guns and swords, intended, perhaps,
for the defensive armament Of the brig, but
all in the last stage Of rust and decay.
Brandon took one or two down, but they
broke with their own weight.
4 The sand seemed to have drlfted more
dtsply into the state.rooms, for while lfs
ciepth ia tie cabin was only feott in these
the depth was nearly two feet. Some OF
I TIC bedding projected from the berths, put
itwas 4 mass Of mold and crumDleo al inc
touch.
Brandon went into each Of these rooms
in succession, and brushed out the heavy,
vet sand from the berths. The rotten quilts
and blankets fell with the sand in matted
masses to the floor. In each room was a
ssamen's chest. Two of these were cov-
cred deeply; the other two but lightly /,
the latter were unlocked, and ne openeSa
the lids. Only some old clothes appeared,
however, and these in the same stage Of
decay as everything else. In one OF them
was a book, or rather what had once been
= book. but now the leaves were all stuck
together, and formed one lump OF slime
and mold. In spite of his most careful
search he had thus far found nothing what
ever which could be Of the slightest beneht
TO him in his solitude aud necessity,
There was still two rooms which ne had
not yet examined. These were at the ena
of the cabin, at the stern Of the ship, eac1
taking up one-half Of the width. The sano
had drifted in here to about the same
depth as in the side rooms. He entered
first the one nearest him, which was on the
right side of the ship. This room was
about ten feet long, extending from the
middle of the ship to the side, ana apout
six feet wide. A telescope was the hrst
thing which attracted his attention. ~ lay
in a rack near the doorway. ne TOOK IL
down, but it fell apart at once, being COM
pleteiy cerroded. In the middle OF tne
room there was compass, which hung
from the ceiling, but the pivot had rusted,
and the plate had fallen down. Some
more guns and swords were here, but al
rnstea like the others. There was table
At the wall by the stern, covered with sano'
An arm chair stood close by it, and ooppoo'
sita this was couch. At the end OF th'f
room ~ was berth which had the same ap-
pearance as the other berths in the otnei
rooms. The quilts and mattresses as ne ne
felt them beneath the damp sand were
eonallv decayed. Too long had the shlE
haen exposed to the ravages Of time, ano
Rrandon saw that too seek for anything
hsra which could be of the slightest service
to himself was in the highest degree USE
less. .h,,,l
This last room seemed to him as 1h9%gI T'lI
it might have been the captains. .,.o Ina ! "a
captain was Cigole, the very ma, aonso;n"s wnc ne"
flung him overheard. ne hsu .%a un0ue of hi,
carIy crime. Was this visit to be all !, II
vain yain? Thus far it seemed SO. But migh g;
there r not yet be something beneath s: b thu hi,
sand which might satisfy him in hl'
: There still remained another room