The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-06-07

| chain plates, and, with a final effort,
he swung himself into the rigging and
over the rail, where he sank senseless on
the deck, thinking dimly how strange it
was that no living soul was in sight.
When he recovered from his stupor and
feebly groped his way aft, he saw that
the wheel was lashed hard-a-port, the
stern-boat gone from her davits, and it
flashed across his mind that the brig had
been deserted-a fact which voyage of
investigation into the cabin con-
frmed.
] An open chart was on the floor,
/ whereon the vessels course from little
island in the Windward group had been
traced, and further examination of her
papers and logbook showed her to be the
, Spanish brig Don Carlos, bound from
Jacmel with box sugar "to any port
north of Hatteras."
Arabs mind was made up in an in
slant. He sounded the pumps well,
found nine inches of water therein, and
having refreshed himself from the stew
ards pantry with Spanish wine and tor
tillas, he stripped and went at it till the
pumps sn cked.
Then he loosed the lower sails fore and
aft, sheete,l them home with infinite
labor, squared the yards, and went aft
to the wheel.
The wind had hauled to the southwest,
a glance at the barometer showed that
the mercury was rising, and, with high
hopes. Arad began his voyage "to any
port north ard of Hatteras.'
"Oh, if I could r' was the only thought
which he dared to give vent to: and,
though it did not seem an Impossible
feat if the weather held fair, he did not
venture to carry his hopeful anticipations
further.
For four days and nights did he stand
at the wheel, only leaving it for his
hastily snatched food, or to change the
position of the yards, except as he was
obliged to take observations, and his
heart beat high as, on the twenty-ffth of
November, he sighted land, which he
knew, from his course on the chart to be
Sandy Hook.
Two hours later Pilot-boat No. was
alongside, and three men sent on board,
when his story was heard. And then Arad
laid down for little nap-which lasted
precisely thirty-six hours-and when he
awoke, the little brig, under lower top
sails and jib, was rounding the Light at
Coverly harbor, with half 3 gale of wind
blowing asternl
"Luck was with you this time, sir, %
said Joe Carter, one of the pilots, as the
anchor-chain ran rapidly out, and the
little vessel swung round to the wind.
ain three hours more you'll see it blow
great gunsP'
"God was with me, 1 think" said
Arad, reverently, as they went aloft and
snugly slowed the sails, which, as Arad
used to say, were not much larger than a
bandanna handkerchief.
Old Banks rowed out in his dory, as
was his custom at every new arrival.
"What in the thunderp' was his lucid
remark, as he stared at Arad. And
then, "Humph! Lost your vessel, /
s'pose. Picked up by this here brig, and
come home without any money.
Member what I tole ye when ye went
away?"
Arad remembered it very well. And
when he went on to tell Banks, pere, thatit
was he that had picked up the brig, that
she was sugar laden, and that his share
of the salvage money would probably
be a nice little sum, Banks embraced
him rapturously and said, "Didn't
always tell you so, Arad?"
Arad didn't remember anything O.
the kind; but then it is neither polite OF
polite to contradict ones prospective
father-in-law, so he said nothing, and &C
companied the old man on shore, where
after meeting Jessie with a rapturou'
embrace, he said:
"You know it was to be Thanksgiving
vening, dear"
And it was.
,, The mutineers managed to run hi
schooner ashore on Peaked Hill Bars
= Cape Cod, and in obedience to retribu
, tive j ustice, were drowned, which, a
!, the owners got an excellent insurance
on the vessel, did not seem to cause gen
f eral grief
Y After the usual vexatious delays con
a sequent upon such cases, Arad receive'
f something like eighteen thousand dollar
y as salvage money. The lawyers got tn
v larger share of the remainder.
n. B.-A true story-with trife c
e establishment.