Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-05-14

asked myself whence came those
strange voices and fearful words which
had 80 alarmed our captain and put
most OF the crew In terror, and 80 OPP
portunely on one occasion saved mo
from the vengeance Of the captain
Bat It vas beyond my power to an
swer the inquiry neither could the
mate nor any of the survivors throw
any light thcreupon, Had wo known
what yentriloqusm was we might
have had therein q solution Of the
mystery but ] had never heard an
adept IN the art, neither had any OF
my shipmates otherwise ! judged
such a fact would have been mention
cd and the voice accounted for on that
ground. Poor Chester when with US
our most intelligent shipmate, seemed
to be IN the dark as much rs the rest
of us, although he was not in the least
put out by the occurrence,
Strolling along the streets Of San
Francisco one night after the wreck
ready for anything in the way OF anu
semcnt that might turn up, my eyes
caught a large poster, which announc-
cd the wonderful doings Of Professor
Meredith, "thc uprivaled and world
renowned ven,riloqulst."
This, thought / shall be the source
Of my evenings enjoyment, Turning
my face in the direction Of the "liall OF
Science and Emporium OF Amusement
| was soon seated in snug corner OF
the body OF the building, and was
not long in beng carried away with
the wonderful sayings and doings OF
the Professor. At last no told us that
he would hold an imaginary CONVERSE
ton with person up the chimney.
He did so. When in the midst OF n
dialogue, the person in the tlue gave
derisive "FIah, bah, hal! !! l was
startled sprang from my seat. ''Sure
|ly' said |, "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 Pro-
fessor, with eyes 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
decoratings, | saw in Professos Mere
dith the identical Jack Chester who
over twelve months before, was be-
lleved to have leaped in fit of mad
ness, into the sea and was drowned.
"Chester !" I cried out in my ex-
citement.
"Sit down !" cried one : ''Put
him out !" SAID some others. In the
meantime | had come to myself and
resumed my Seat but not beferc | got
from the Professor sign Of recognl-
ton.
When the performance was over,
my old shipmate, for 1t was he, beck
oned me to him, and taking me to
his private room grasped my hand in
all the fervency of ardent friendship.
''Sit down, Henry, my boy" he said,
and you shall have solution Of the
mystery which hangs over me-"
"How came you to be saved from
a watery grave on that, awful night
when you plunged into the raging
sea ?" l impationtly asked.
81 did not jump over board repli-
ed Chester laughing; ''neither was 1
any the less sane than 1 am this
moment. The entire affair was trick
of my own invention to fnghten the
captain and get away from his clutches.
MY madness was a sham, and the~man
overheard was simply bundle Of old
toys, topped by my old hat, which l
had just put to together. The mo-
m oment l pitched them over the rail
I slipped down in the fore-peak,
where lay until the night after the
ship entered the port, when l stole
out and went ashore. l had taken
care to lay up plenty of junk, and l
managed to avoid detection until the
Niger sailed. The cry which you
heard from the maintop, from behind
the longboat and in the cabin l need
not explain"
"No," said l, "all is made clear by
the doings of this night"
Exactly so, said he. And then
he continued: 81 had performed as
yentriloquist in most large cities
and towns in Europe before you knew
me !; but becoming restless in my hab
its, and having squandered all my
earnings, in a fit OF recklessness l
took to the sea, and, in the capacity
of sailor, found my way to Puget
Sound. But I had not in me the stuff