The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-06-19
AN ADVENTURE AT SEA.

WHICH are ulrrOreu III tne vast ueep De-
meath. There is just enough air to keep
the Dolphin moving at quiet rate, and
the passengers are gathered on deck to
enjoy the matchless evening.
A short distance away stand two low
ers = Edmund Prescott and Florence
Harris, looking out upon the ocean, and
meditating and conversing upon the
scene.
"How different this sky from our
northern firmamentl'' remarked the
latter, after a pause. "I can hardly
recognize my favorite constellation. The
Southern Cross is beautiful, but then
miss the others. Ursa Major has en-
tirely disappeared, and as for the Minor
Bear, scarce star of him is visible.
AT this observation, which was not
intended for no particular ears, Adol-
phus Fitzgibbon aroused himself.
" Aw-what's that, Miss Harris Aw
have you seen bears at sea ?"
" Yes, and monkeys too," was the
quick, but good-natured reply.
All of us laughed, while Fitzgibbon
looked very silly, then grinned hugely,
then seemed to mediate some scathing
witticism, then concluded he would not
and stretched out upon his side with his
back towards the lovers, and pretending
to, or really did fall asleep within the
next fifteen minutes.
1 was reclining on the deck, about
dozen feet from where the lovers stood
not with any intention of listening to
their woods, but simply because L had
taken my position first, and was too
languid to change it. I had been an
invalid for years, and was now recover
ing from very severe spell of sickness.
l was lazily drawing at my Havana,
putting the, thin fragrant smoke from my
mouth without removing the cigar, and
gazing upward at the brilliant stars as
they slowly sailed overhead. was in
that delicious dreamy state, half asleep
and half awake, hearing only the muir
mur of the voices around me as one
hears the faint sound of q distant water
fall.
l presume / had lain thus for nearly
an hour, and my cigar had burned al
most to my mouth, while the long col
umn of ashes was still unbroken, when
something struck my ear like the sound
of bell. 1t was not until 1 had heard
it several times, that it seemed really to
affect my senses.
All at once 1 gave a start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and | arose to
sitting position, and gazed around
me.
"Hark ~ said 1 +; didn't you hear
that bell?'
Just what / have been trying to
make Edmund believe ~ laughed Flor
ence Harris ; "he persisted in not be-
lieving it."
" Listen !" said L, raising my hand
And Immediately there fell death
like silence.
And while thus intently listening,
there came across the sea, faint but dis
tinct, the soft, distant sound of bell.-
We scarcely breathed for minute, and
the strange, solemn sound was repeated
at regular intervals, as If swung by the
hand of some exhausted sufferer, or
tolled by the swell of the ocean.
The Captain, by this time, had APP
preached and stood in the attitude of at
tention.
I'VE must be near the land ?n ven
tured to say, rather in the form of in
quiry than in that of an assertion.
No, sir" responded the Captain
F" the nearest island is a good eight hun
dred miles away, and this doesn't come
from there, should think"
"What can it be 2" asked several in
the same breath.
" The sound comes from that direc-
tion," said Florence Harris pointing
towards the equator.
" Perhaps it is on board a ship?" 1
again ventured.
" Don't think it is" replied the Cap
tain with shake of the head
What can it be ?" asked Florence.
To this no one ventured TO reply for
several moments. In the meantime, the
tolling of the bell had become quite dis
tinct, and Adolphus Fitzgibbon gave a
yawn, a groan, kick, and awoke.
+" Aw-ye-aw-I was about to suggest
-aw-that the tea-bell should ring-aw
-aw-aw!" he stammered confusedly
rising to his feet, and pitching back and
forth. Then, seeing us all in the atti-
tude of attention, he asked, /" What
wa-the dooce is the matter 7"
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