The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-07-07

but II 1t was hard for Captain Baker to
remain at home before this tragedy had
overtaken him, it was still harder now.
Everything reminded him of his lost son,
and Of the blasted hopes which had
centred around him. Although ten years
seemed to have been added to his age,
and slight uncertainty seemed to some
to have altered the firm tread of bis mas
sive frame, yet to the outside world he
preserved a steady, almost cheerful de-
meanor. But the sea drew him again
with strange, irresistible influence, with
| the glamour of witch.
81 can't live this way, mother: | must
take another v'yge, even eff don't never
come back here again"
Not only did Mrs Baker not hinder his
going, but she decided to go with him ;
whatever be the fate before him, she
would share it, and, great as was her sOr-
row, she knew that his was in some sort
| increased by the shadow of self accusing
| remorse, self blame not wholly unnatur-
al for a calamity which it was out of his
power to prevent Leaving their daugh-
ter and Lucy May in their house with a
| maiden aunt who had been invited to
make her home there during their alb
sence, the faithful pair, at an age when
most people are laying aside the burdens
Of life, sailed once more on the rough,
| treacherous ocean which so emphatically
symbolizes the troublous life of man
The gossips Of the Cape, with a knowing
shake Of the head and pursed up lips, ac-
| knoWledged to a presentiment that he
would never return, that this was des-
tined too truly to be his last voyage, not
withstanding that he asserted with a grim
smile that he was heading for the Cape
, of Good Hope this time, which was true
enough: for, as if to renew the days of
early manhood, Captain Baker now took
command Of the Dhulep Singh for Cal
cutta, the port to which his first voyages
were made.
The voyage out was unattended by any
unusual incidents. The ship reached the
| Hooghly III safety, and having discharged
her cargo and reloaded, she started tol
home. If the outward voyage had often
seemed monotonously melancholy to the
old sailor and his wife, oppressed by the
weight of their loss and the blasting of
their hopes, the homeward voyage was
more hopeless, for they felt, if they did
not shape their thoughts in words, that
| the blank dreariness of their home on
| their return to it would tend to reopen
| the heart wounds but partially healed
Gradually the Dhulep Singh ploughed
| her way across the Indian Ocean toward
the Cape Of Good Hope, She had es-
capped the violent gales which accompany
the change OF the monsoOns, and was run
ming before Il very fresh but favorable and
seemingly steady breeze on the quarter,
and it was hoped that she would wealth
| cr the Cape and take the southeast trades
without meeting any heavy gales. But
it was otherwise ordained. Having tax
up and took a look at the barometer.
| The result was so unsatisfactory that he
rubbed his eyes and gave another glance
at the mercury, which only confirmed his
first observation. He went on deck with
out delay. \ great change was impend-
| ing. \ terrific gloom was OVerSpreading
the heavens, reaching up from the hori-
Zon across the zenith in ragged. livid
streaks like the arms Of demons stretch
ing out to clutch their victims. The sea
under this pail rolled black and ominous,
| bOding no good, while ever and anon the
dark curtain of mist which was rapidly
approaching from southwest was rent by
appalling flashes of lightning, now white
bolts riving the skies in twain, now in
vivid sheets which circled the whole offing
and trimmed the sea with a ring of fire.
The distant but ceaseless roll Of thunder,
every moment growing louder, was OF Il
CHI aracter to impress the stoutest heart
with awe and apprehension.
The officer of the deck had already be-
gun to take precautions to meet the storm
and most of the watch were alott furling
the light sails; but Captain Baker who
was better acquainted with the weather
OF those seas than the mate, saw that not
a moment was to be lost while the ship
still had whole topsails and courses set.
"Come down from there " he roared to
the men alOtt "don't wait to turl the top
gallant sails then, turning to the mate,
he bade him call the watch below. The
words were scarcely out Of his mouth
| when the ship was taken aback by a
fierce squall right in her teeth. The tre-
mendous pressure on the topsails made it
useless to let 90 the halyards or start the
sheets, and driven stern foremost, the
ship began to bury her tattrail under the
combers; the water boiled over like a
sluice, rushing forward into the cabin
and the waist she was apparently entire
ly beyond human control, and in another
minute would have gone down, as light
ming, thunder, darkness, wind, and rain
burst with a sublime, confused, and ire
sistible roar and fury over the devoted
ship. But at that supreme moment the
crew, by almost Superhuman effort, sue
ed in lowering the Spanker and bracln4
the fore yard. The noble ship, writing
and wrestling for life, fell off in the trough
of the sea, lying over almost on her beam
ends, while the sails were blown out of the
bolt t-ropes and flew off to leeWard like
scraps Of vapor For the time she was
saved, but how long could she live in
that position was the question, especially
| if the storm settled down into a cOntinu-
Gus hurricane. BY sllillful management
they finally got the ship paying off before
the wind, scudding with a rag of canvas
in the fore rigging. BY the next morn
ing the Dhulep Singh had run out Of the
vortex Of the cyclone, and they were able
to heave to, although a sea absolutely
mountainous rolled up from the south
pole in a manner that sometimes threat
ened to 1ngulf the ship.
The sun set that day in clear ottine
festooned with the pageantry Of crimson
and golden clouds, and the wind having
shifted and greatly moderated, they were
able to make sail. Two days after the
Cape Of Good Hope was sighted, like ;
gray cloud against the pale green of the
horizon sky. The weather was fine, the
ship Jogging along under royals, and the
crew engaged in repairing such damages
as had occurred to the rigging in the late
storm. Two Of the men squatted on the
deck in the gangway, were mending {
topsail; Mrs. Baker was seated by the
companion way sewing and chatting will
the Captain, who, spy glass in hand
scanned the otfing from time to time
Neptune, their white newfoundland dog
was standing on the tatfrail snutfing tht
land, and gazing at the sea with an eX
preston truly human. 1t sometimes doe