Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-18

did so. After hiding In the woods
several days, was caught and brought
back to the ship. AS my adventures az
a fugitive are not essential to the I'M
folding Of my story, 1 pass them by,
and take up the thread of my nara
tive.
! We set sail on our return voyage.
Captain Phillips was an altered man.
He abstained from spirits, he controlled
his temper, and this. with the addition
of fine steady breeze, made our lives
on board happy. But, alas we were
doomed to a sad ending up OF the voy-
age. Keeping too near the land. and o
squall laying hold on the ship, we were
driven on lee shore. It was Just after
midnight when we struck, and the
darkness was terrible, and, leaping out
of my hammock, I ran on Geek. 1
could see nothing save the wild waters
racing over the deck. cried out to
my shiprhates but got no answer. 1t
was not possible to reach the after part
of the vessel where the life belts were
kept, so acting on the impulse OF the
moment, leaped into the sea. Catch
ing hold of friendly rock, I was
saved. Daylight came after weary
waiting. The first thing saw was the
dead body of poor Captain Phillips
and not far from it that of our Chinese
cook. The rest were saved.
We made our way to Portland, where
we were paid off. Thence proceeded to
San Francisco. I had often asked my
self whence came those strange voices
and fearful words, which had 80 alarmed
our captain and put most of the crew
in terror, and had SO OPPORTUNITY on
one occasion saved me from the ven
geance Of the captain. But it was beyond
my power to answer the inquiry; neither
could the mate nor any of the survivors
throw light thereon. Had we known
what ventriloquism was, we might have
had therein solution of the mystery !;
but had never heard an adept in the
art, neither had any of my shipmates;
otherwise Judge such fact would have
been mentioned and the voices &C.
counted for on that ground. Poor
Chester, when with us, our most intel
ligent shipmate, seemed to be as much
in the dark as the rest of us, although
he was not in the least put out of the
way by the occurrences.
Strolling along the streets of San
Francisco one night, about year after
the wreck, ready for anything in the
way of amusement that might turn up,
my eye caught large poster which an
nounced the wonderful doings of Pro
lessor Meredith, "the unrivalled and
world renowned ventriloquist."
This, thought L, shall be the source
of my evenings enjoyment. Turning
my face in the direction of the Hall
of Science and Emporium of Amuse-
ment," was soon seated in snug cor
ner of the body of the building, and
was not long in being carried away by
the wonderful sayings and doings Of
the Professor. At last he told us that
he would hold an imaginary converse
ton with person up the chimney. He
did SO. When, in the midst Of dia-
logue, the person up the fue gave q de-
risive "Hah, hah, hah ~
I was startled. I sprang from my
seat. "Surely," said I, half aloud,
that is the voice and tone and words
which more than once came from the
maintop of the Niger" And while I
was staring at the professor. withNfyes
ready to leap out of their sockets, he
came to the front of the stage to perform
his part. Then, in spite of his flowing
beard and other decorations, I saw in
Professor Meredith the identical Jack
Chester who, over twelve months be-
fore, was believed to have leaped, in q
fit of madness, into the sea and was
drowned.
leicester !" cried out in my excite
ment.
'"Sit down p cried one "put him
out p said some others. In the mean
while had come to myself, and re-
sumed my seat, but not before I had
got from the professor sign of recog-
milton.
When the performance was over, my
old ship-mate, for it was he, beckoned
me to him, and, taking me to his pri-
vate room, he grasped my hand in all
the fervency Of ardent friendship. "Sit
down, Henry, my boy" he said, "and
you shall have q solution of the mys-
terry which hangs over me and the past"
How came you to be saved from o
watery grave on that awful night when
you plunged into the raging sea ?" i'm
patiently asked.
| NAeA Aoe jump OfOAOOuAOs IOpil0u
Chester, laughing neither was / any
less sane than I am at this moment.
The entire affair was trick of my own
Invention to brighten the captain and
then get away from his clutches. My
madness was sham, and the man over
board was simply bundle of old togs,
topped by my old hat, which had Just
put together. The moment pitched
them over the rail slipped down into
the fore-peak, where I lay hid until the
night after the ship entered the port,
when stole out and went on shore. I
had taken care to lay up plenty of Junk,
and managed to avoid detection until
the Niger sailed. The cries which you
heard from the maintop, from behind
the long-boat, and in the cabin, l need
not now explain"
"No," said I call is made clear by
the doings of this night" EXACTLY
SO, }" said he. And then he continued I:
'N had rarfarpod a fr;I ;s4 -,