The Portland daily press., 1879-02-08

East Indies,.a felt himself quite an authori-
~ in his own way.
The evenings were raw and cold, and we
generally gathered round the cabin sto We
cracking Walnuts, smoking and telling stories
| and having jolly time generally. II is due
| to those old days to say that most Puritani-
cal flavor penetrated even the recesses OF
those coasters-a sort of a gentle Bible and
psalm book aroma, so that there was not a
werd or joke among the men to annoy the
Susceptibility even of deacon. Our deacon,
somewhat consoled and amended, lay serene
in his berth rather enjoying the yarns that
we were spinning. The web, of course, was
many colored -of quaint and strange and
wonderful and as the night wore on it was
dyed in certain weird tints OF the super
natural.
SWELL" said Jim Larned, "folks may say
what they're mind to; there are things
that there's no sort o. way o. Counting for,
things you've jist got to say, Well, here's
suthin' to work that l don't know nothin'
about; and come to question any man up
sharp, you'll find he's seen one thing O. that
sort himself; and this ere Pm going to tell
Is my story.
"Four years ago 1 went down to Aunt
Jerushy's at Fair Haven. Her husbands ia
the oysterin' business, and l used 10 go out
with him considerable. Well, there was Bill
Jones there, real bright felow-one OF
your open-hauded, lively fellows-and he
took fancy to me and l to him, aud he
and struck up friendship. He run an
oyster smack to New York, and did a oonsd-
cradle good business for yoaug man. Well
Bill had fellow on his smack that l never
liked the looks Of; he was from the Malays,
or some foreign crittur or other, spoke broken
English, had eyes sat kind O. edgeways in
his head; homely as sin he was, and 1 al
ways mistrusted him. BILL | used TO say,
you look out for that fellow; don't you trust
him; if was you I'd ship him off short
metre.' Bat Bill he only laughed. Why
says he, Il can get double work for the same
pay out O. that fellow, and what do care i
ne amt handsome? remember how chip
per an CHEEKY Bill looked when he was 60
ing down to New York with his load of
oysters. Well, the next night l was sound
asleep in Aunt Jerushy's front chamber that
opens towards the sound, and was walked
right clear out o. sleep by Bill's voice scream
ing to me, got up and run to the window
and looked out, and heard it again, plain as
anything; Jim! Jiml Help! helpp 1t
wasn't a common cry neither; it was
screeched out as if somebody was numbering
him. l tell you it rang through my head for
weeks afterwards"
"Well, what come CT it?' said my chum,
looked at him in silence.
swell, as nigh as we can make out, that
very night poor Bill was murdered by that
very Malay Teller; leastways, his body was
found in his boat. He'd been stabbed and
all his money and watch and things taken,
and this Malay was gone nobody knew
where. That's all there was ever known
about it.''
"But surely" said my chum, who was of a
couldn't have been his voice you heard; he
must have been down to the other end of the
sound, close by New York, by that time"
"Well," said the mate, Gall know is that
was walked out of sleep by Bilps voice calling
my name, screaming in real agony. It went
through me like lightning; and then find
he was murdered that night. Now don't
know anything about it. | know | heard
him calling me; know be was murdered I:
but how it was, or why it was, l don't
know"
"These 'ere college boys can tell ye," said
the captain. "Of course they've got into the
Sophomore year. and there amt nothing in
heaven or earth that they don't know"
'No," said 1. 81 say with Hamlet. There
are more things in heaven and earth, Hora-
ito. than are dreamed of in your philoso-
ply"
"Well,' said my chum, with the air of a
philosopher, "what shakes my faith in all
supernatural stories is that 1 can't see any
use or purpose in them"
"Wall, if there couldn't nothin' happen or
be, except what you could see use ia, there
wouldn't much happen or be-" quoth the
captain.
A laugh went round at the expense of nv
friend.
"Wall, now, I'll tell ye what, boys" piped
the voice of the deacon, 'folks mustn't be too
presumptuous; there is providence permitted
that we don't see no use in, but they do hap
pen-yes, they do. Now what Jim Larned's
been tellin' is a good deal like what hap
pened to me once, when 1 was up to UNI
bagog, in the lumberin' business
"Hullo! called out Jim, "here's the dea-
cons story! I told you every man had one.
Give it to us, deaconl Speak out, and don't
be bsshtul."
"Wall, really, 1t amt what like to talk
about" said the deacon, in quavering, un-
certain voice; but don't know but may as
well, though"
ut was that winter l was up to Umbagog.
| was clerk, and Kept the counts and books.
aud all that, and Tom Huly-he was SURVEYOR
and marker-he was there with me. and we
chummed together. And there was Jack
Cutter-he was just out of college; he was
there practicin' surveyin' with him. We
three had kind o. pine board O. shanty
built out On plain near by the camp; it had
tire place and two windows and our hunks.
and each OF us had our tables and books and
things.
Well, Huly he started with party of three
or four to go up through the woods to look
out new track. It was two or three days'
journey through the woods, and Jest about
that time the Indians down there was gettin'
sort o. uneasy, and we all thought mebbe
twas sort o. risky; howsomdever, Tom had
gone OIL in high spirits, and told US to be sure
aud take care OF his books and papers, Tom
had lot of books and thought everything of
'em, and was sort of particular and nice
about his papers. His table sot up by the
winders where he could see to read and
write. Well, he'd been gone four days, when
one night--it was bright moonlight night
Jack and were sitting by the fire reading.
and between 9 and 10 O'Clock there came
strong, regular knock on the winder over by
Toms table. We were sitting with our
backs TO the wnder. 'Hullop saws Jack.
who's that" We both jumped up and
went to the winder and looked out and see
there warn't nobody there.
"sThis is curus,' said I.
"'Some of the boys trying to trick u.s.
says he. Let's keep watch-perhaps they'll
do it again. says he.
We DIV uoWu Wy Gue IRE, anu lore long 1t
came again.
"Then Jack and both cut out the door
and run round the house--he one way and I
the other. 1t was as light as day and nothin'
for anybody to hide behind, and there warn't
crtter in sight. Well, we come in and sot
down, and looked at each other kind o.
puzzled, when it come agn, harder'n ever,
and Jack looked to the winder and got as
white as sheet.
"'For the Lords sake, do lookv SAYS he.
And you may believe me or not, but I tell
you it's a solemn fact, Toms books was
movin'-jest as if somebody was pickin' 'em
up and putin 'em down again. lest as I've
seen him do hundred times.
- "s'Jack,' said I, something's happened to
TOMB
"WaI there had. That very night Tom
was murdered by the Indians! We put down
the date, and week after the news came"
Come now, captain" said 1, breaking
the pause that followed the deacon's story.
give us your story. You have been all over
the world, in all times and all weathers, and
you amt man TO be taken in; did you ever
see anything of this sort ?''
wei, now, boys, since you put it straight
at me. don't care if I saw ha va IN +baeo