Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-05-08


Thus lightly to another
Then bent his noble head as though
10 give that name the revereucs due
And gently said, MY mother!'
THE ENCHANTED SHIP
ALeser.. from the Persian.
"A f>rge caravan was crossing the der
ei'' 1t was composed of several me1
coants who were returning from Niece
20 Stamboul, attended by numerou
escort of guards to protect their trea
sures and persons from the Arabs. tn
predatory descendants of Ishmael. To
ward noon the heat became insupporta
BILE, and the advanced guard of the ca
valcade having reached convenien
halting-place made halt. The prin
clpal conductor posted sentinels ant
awaited the arrival Of the rest of tn
troop. Thirty camels laden with cost,
merchandise, at length appeared witt
their leaders, and were followed by tn
merchants to whom the caravan be
Logged, mounted upon Arabian horses
Ihe tents were pitched, and, reposin,
upon cushions embroidered with gold
the merchants partook of the customar,
ssP.ce1 meats and sherbet, which thei
olac x slaves presented to them.
The repast finished, the slaves carried
away the fragments and brought pipe
and coffee. The smokers sat in siienc
and appeared to watch, with philosophi
serenity, the fanciful commissions of tn
gray vapor which issued in voluminou
clouds from their hookahs. At length
Hassan, the youngest of the company
broke silence and thus addressed til,
venerable Achmet, whose locks were
blsnched by the SHOWS of seventy win
ters:
"Three days, O Achmet, have passed
thus heavily in the desert and none Of
US having suggested any pleasant enter
tainment to tighten the tedium of ou1
journey. This dreariness affects me the
more sensibly, as l have been accus
to see dancing or to hear music after nv
meals. Can you devise no amusement
to beguile the time?"
1.-The words OF the wise are the near,s
of lran," said the merchant Khal;d
" Relate to us, if it be agreeable to thee.
Achmet, some of those adventures which
have diversified thu long career, or trans.
port us for fsw moments into the airy
realms OF imagination"
W. dear friends" replied Achmet,
you have during our passage through
these wilds, given me the most crafty.
ang proofs of your attachment, and
will, therefore, communicate to YOU an
episode in my life, which do not relate
to everybody; it is the history of the
enchanted ship!"
My father was small shopkeeper at
Balsora. He was neither rich nor Door,
being one of those people who speculate
cautiously, for fear of losing that which
they already possess. He Justified hon
orable principles into my mind, and
soon taught me to assist in his trade.
was eighteen years of age when he made
his first great venture. He shortly
atterward died, probably from regret at
having trusted thousand pieces Of gold
to the uncertain risks of the sea. His
decease was happily timed for him, as'in
the course of few weeks intelligence
arrived that the vessel in which he had
embarked his property was totally lost.
NY courage was not depressed by this
misfortune. 1 converted into money all
that my father had left me, and quilted
my native town in the hope of realizing
fortune in foreign countries. Ny old
companion was an old domestic, whose
attachment to me was not weakened by
my adverse circumstance, and who
wished to live and die in my presence.
We sailed with favorable wind from
the port of Balsora, in vessel bound for
the Indies. On the 10Th day of our voy-
age the captain intimated that storm
threatened us. His manner was uneasy
and he did not appear to be sufficiently
acquainted with the navigation of the
ATTITUDES in which we found ourselves
to view with calmuess the impending
tempest. Upon the approach Of night
the weather became clear and cold, and
the captain already fancied that had
been deceived in his anticipations of q
hurricane, when suddenly vessel,
which he had not previously observed,
was seen to pass close to ours. All at
once groans and wild outcries issued
from the strange ship, like those which
are heard in the howlings of tempest.
Our captain, who was standing at my
side on the quarterback, turned fear
fully pale, and exclaimed:
Sour ship is doomed, and death
awaits us all!"
Before could inquire into the mean
ing OF these singular expressions, the
sailors gathered round US, inquiring with
terror in their looks:
Did you see that? Did you hear
those horrible sounds-those evil fore
bodings?"
The captain aroused himself and order
ed that verses from the Koran should be
read. He then took charge of the helm
himself, but his devotion and his care
alike availed us nothing. A gale arose
which rapidly increased to storm, and
in less than an hour the vessel spranp q
leak, which all hands at the pumps could
not keep under. The long boat was then
hastily cleared and hoisted out, and
scarcely had the last mariner quilted the
ill-tated merchantmen ere she was swal.
lowed up in the devouring waves, Thus
were we cast adrift on the wild and foam
ing sea, with nothing but what we had
ON US and very little hope of saving even
our lives. The hurricane still ragged
turiously, and, incapable of assisting in
the management of our frail bark, kept
my old servant's arm linked in mine, and
We vowed not to abandon each other
whatever might befall US: : r..
Day at length dawned, but with the
first beams of tho sun came the cr;a;s nj
our fate; onr boat was capsized. bv g
violent squall, and / never afterward
saw any Of our hopeless crew. Ingulfed
in "the tumbling pillows of the main,' u
/ soon became unconscious, and when
sensation returned I found myself sup
ported in the arms of my faithful ser