The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-02-01
From Harper's Bazar.l
When the Ship Comes Home.
BY WALTER REsANT AND JAMES
RICE.
AUTHORS OF READY MONEY MoRrIBoY.' "THn
GOLDEN BurTERFLY." Erc., Erc.
CHAPTER III.
ST. PETERS ISLAND.

GOLDEN BuTTERFLY," kTC., ETC.
CHAPTER III.
ST. PETERS ISLAND.
We looked about us. The day was
upon us, and the sun just risen, was
already hot in our faces. The sea was
calm, with light breeze blowing
from the trade quarter. The ship had
disappeared.
mo sail in sight, nor any shore,
cried Ben Croil. looking at a pocket
compass. Heart up, pretty" That
was what he always said. There's
wateron board, also provisions, though
not what we might wish for the likes
of you. thought it might come to
this, and | yictualed her. There's
land on the weather-bow, if the Lord
will let us reach it. Landau island.
st. Peters Island, where Wen be pick.
ed up when we get there. Mr.. Warne-
ford, Sir, let me hoist the sail" We
Seiiieu u iiIoSti anu ouS siiidti sail.
Ben managed the ropes, while l steer
ed under his orders. But first we
rugged up, by means of spare oar,
some rough kind of covering to pro-
tect our passenger; and then we sailed
on in silence, wrapped in our thoughts,
lethe boat danced upon the wadves,
leaving its little track of white foam
behind it. A peaceful, quiet, and
happy day. Helen tells me that she
was not afraid all that time, nor was
/. We were in little open boat on
the open sea; we were dependent for
our safety on the continuance of calm
weather; we were dependent for land
ing any where on old Ben's know
ledge Of the seas and recoilections of
the chart. He knew the latitude and
Of the boat, making allow
ance in deadreckoning for the time
when we left the ship, and he knew
the latitude and longitude of the near
est land. l drew a rough chart from
his information on the back of a letter
which Helen had in her pocket. 1t
had two places marked on 1.-THE
position of the ship Lucy Derrick at
noon, September Is, 1851, and the
island Of st. Peter.
1t was rough-and-ready way of
reckoning, but | managed to place
the position of the ship as near as pos
sible where we left her, and Ben be-
gan to study the chart.
Now whether to put her head
nor'west by nor, or give her an extra
point in northerly direction, beats
me quite. And there's currents
which, in these little fair-weather
crafts, we amt able to guard against,
and the wind, which beats her on and
off like. But st. Peters lies over
there. Heart up, pretty. Wen fetch
land tomorrow, with the blessing of
the Lord"
1t was Ben who served out the ra-
tons and the water, of which we had
a keg, besides bottle of rum, and two
or three bottles of wine, which had
found their way among Ben's stores.
The sun went over our heads, and
began to roll down into the west, but
there was no life upon the waters ex-
cept ourselves; no birds, no great or
little fish, nothing to break the
solitude. At a little after seven the
sun went quite down, and in half an
hour we were in darkness. The breeze
but Ben kept up the sail
till told him l was dropping to
sleep from sheer weariness. Then he
took in the canvass, and resumed his
place in the stern. Like a thought
less and ungrateful wretch as l was,
threw myself into the bottom of the
boat, and should have been asleep in
five minutes, but for our passenger,
who called the crew to prayers.
She was our chaplain, as well as our
guardian angel; her sweet voice went
up to heaven for us all as she sang the
evening hymn. Then came over me
the first time for five years-that
old feeling which is always new, that
whether lived or whether l died, all
would somehow be well; and with the
feeling upon me l laid my tired head
upon the boards and was asleep in
1t was far advanced in the night
when l awoke to relieve Ben. He
had stripped himself of his coat, and
laid it over the shoulders OF the sleep
ing girl, and was sitting in his shirt
sleeves. As l stepped lightly over her
form to take the string from his hand,
he whispered me:
"Mate, was that true-them words
rs Boston Tom spoke in the boat?"
II have been convict" replied.
"How did he know that?"
81 cannot tell you; l wish to Heav-
en- could"
"What did he mean by saying he
would tell who really done it? Done
what ~
Ozone the forgery for which I was
am innocent, Ben
Croil. Before God am innocent"
He was silent for a while.
II can't see my way plain. One
Ii ~ In, ln
about in these seas till our water is
gone; we may get east away; we may
be wrecked. | amt So old but can
make IA fight for life yet, and / amt
SO young but what ! may look to be
called first. You may be innocent of
that there forgery, or you may be gull
ty. No concern OF mine. Innocent
or guilty don't matter now; and
way it were, Mr.. Warne-
ford, the guilt of putin another mans
name to bit of paper is like the guilt
of a baby crying at the wrong time
compared to the guilt of iil-treating
a sweet young lady"
~ pray God" / returned, "that He
will deal with me in His wrath if !
shall deal with her unworthily-that
he will punish me afresh for the deed
never committed if l prove myself
unworthy of this charge"
THAT will do" said Ben; "and,
now we understand each other,