The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-25

|
matter was settled Groups of persons con-
gregated on the sands. Some watched from
shore the small craft fold her wings and set
Tie TO rest on the mirror-like water, others
put on In canoes to meet the boatmen, and
gossip concerning the trip. Jeffries had
found no trace of living beings on the island,
ana whether the woman had been beaten to
death in the surf, or died after gaining the
land, would probably never be known. The
schooner was left idly rocking close to shore;
sailors and landsmen strolled slowly up to
the town. Night mantled the moaning wa
ters,and the great deep was left in possession
OF another secret.
The return of Jeffries brought up the in
c1dent which by some had been almost for
| gotten. For few hours, little was talked OF
save the heroic young mother and her child
In the ea-girt isle.
Time passed swiftly on, and in the dreamy
full contentment of the land the dead woman
Of San Nicolas slipped from mind, and
thought, and speech.
Tom Jeffries's visit to San Nicolas was
the theme of more than one days gossip.
The island he described as seven or eight
miles long, by three or four in width; the
body OF the land near six hundred feet above
the beach, the plateau falling in steep gulches
to the sea. So fabulous were his yarns, that
the interest of the other hunters was aroused,
| and early in the following year boat was
fitted out, and George Nidiver, accompanied
by Thomas Jeffries and crew Of Indians,
started on an otter hunt to the wonderful
otter-beds seventy miles away.
| A landing was effected near the southern
end OF the island, and, climbing the cliffs to
see where the otter lay, they had a magniti-
cent view of the islands to the north and
east.
The otter-hunters did not linger long on
| the cliff, for on one side they found the rocks
swarming with black seal, thousands OF
them mingling their sharp bark with the
| heavy roar of sea-lions. The otter were
thick on the reefs, and stranded whale lay
in the edge of the crinkling surf. The party
remained six weeks in camp on the beach.
Before the schooner left the vicinity of San
Nicolas, terrible storm arose, lasting for
eight days, carrying away a mast and drag
| ging the anchor, so that another had to be
| lmprovised of bag filled with stone. Dur
ing the tempest, sailor fancied he saw a
human figure on the headland Of the island.
Through the washes of spray it seemed to be
running up and down the edge of the plateau,
beckoning and shouting. The Captain was
called, but the apparition had vanished. On
the eighth day, the schooner was enabled to
run over to San Miguel, and from there to
Santa Barbara, where the sailors story OF
the reckoning ghost of San Nicolas haunted
for long time the dreams Of the supersti-
tious on shore.
A second cruise of the otter hunters failed
to bring any additional news Of the phantom
of the sea. Everything on land was just as
before; not a leaf had been disturbed, not a
track was found.
In July, 1858, the otter-men made third
trip to San Nicolas, anchored off the north
east side, and established a camp on shore.
The party consisted Of Captain Nidiver, a
fisherman named Carl Detman, who went
among sailors by the SobriQuet Of Charlie
Brown, an Irish cook and crew of Mission
Indians.
The evening after their arrival, Nidiver
and Brown strolled several miles down the
beach, enjoying their pipes and discussing
| plans for work. 1t was one of those limpid
nights, such as California knows-a night
when the stars shine large and warm from
the low sky, when the moon burns with an
amber blaze, and fragrance is in the air.
| As the comrades were about to retrace
their steps, Nidiver stopped, looked quickly
about him, then stopped and closely exam
| ined something on the ground. In the weird
moonlight, plainly outlined on the lonely
shore, was the print of a slender, naked
| foot.
"The woman Of San Nicolas! Ny God,
| she is livingl"
| He lifted his voice, and shouted in Spanish
| that friends were come to rescue her. Over
come by the conviction that the lost woman
must have been near when he was in camp
two years before-that it was not a creation
" AehSJj Duo iifIhS bCihSs tu0I ldu oOcu Ill
the storm-the Captain ran to and fro,
caillng, looking ana swearing Dy turns.
no iUu Us were spent ny Inc TWO meh III search'
Du IN, ~ .ain.
Inc next Gay, NlulVer FOUND basket OF
rusnes hanging IN Tree: III contained bone
neeqles, unread maze OF slneWs, smell hsh-
hooks, ornaments, ana partially completed
ROBE OF Dlras, plumage, made OF small
squares neatly matched and sewed together.
Nidiver proposed replacing the things, but
Brown scattered them ABOUT, saying that, II
tney were plckeo up, II YOU'D DC PROOF that
the owner hau visited Ine sp0t, Inland
tney ulscoVere9 several circular, rooness
measures, maze OF woven Drush: Near
these sneiters were pores, win drleo meat
hanging from eleVaIeQ cross pieces Inc
grass was groWlng IN the pens, ana n9thng
~ II US
SUI. duoS a I'M tiI
We az nsm , anu seais
,,,;t n,o 'ish u 'n0 io"i piosooe VI 'ne ner
ihl.ess'
After several Gays, the men abandoned the
chase' Ihere was no douDt tnat some one
nad peen on the island very lately. Either
tne woman, OF the chlld grown 10 woman
hood, mad ilveu tnere, or, perhaps, Doth
mother ana chlld had survived until recently.
But they must nave been DEAD months at
least. Inc footprint was older IMAM al nrst
supposed. Inc robe nad not been replaced
IN the tree. Inc captive perchance died OF
despair AFTER they left her Deckonlng IN the
storm.
After that the fishing went on for yyaalyc