Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-06-08

out of the usual track Of vessels. 1t was
murder-murder by starvation.
Then was beset by great terror and
agony, he says. Il also thought that /
saw a dark figure on the shore holding out
his hands to the vessel. would have asked
the captain to return, but dared not, know
ing that it was impossible for him to do
so.r
There is no record of Truefelt's condition
sitter he awoke and found himself deserted
on this rock in the midst of the sea He
sustained life. we ale told, by means of the
fruit and roots which grew abundantly on
the island. There are one or two notes
only that the diary gives of Truefelt's ex-
perience during his solitary life, which
lasted for nearly year.
His great fear was that he should lose
the power of speech, and he was used to
practice himself therein, singing and talk
ing, in different voices as it were, so that
one might suppose. to hear him, that he
had many companions"
And again: Finding cat which had
escaped, probably, from some ship, he
trained it and made it his constant compan-
ION. And he was wont to think over The
many hundreds of his friends and acquain-
tances; their wit, their excellent parts,
their virtues, and the affection they bore
him, and to reproach himself in that he
had not been more grateful, saying, Out
of the full world of living things, there is
left to me only the harry limbs and dumb
tongue Of this poor little beast"
Truefet must have possessed womanly,
gentle nature. He does not appear to have
cherished any bitterness or plan of revenge
against Whiting; his sole feeling seemed to
be intense self-pity.
DR.. Whiting, returning home, married
and lived in luxury. But his health failed
He grew TO be the mere skeleton of his for
mer self. He gave up his connection with
the church, neglected his patients, and be-
came prey TO an intractable gloom.
AT last he announced to his wife that he
mus: make sea-voyage; that he was about
to die, and God had given him work to
do before death. AS soon as she consented
to this (she thinking him to be insane), he
partially regained his former energy, and
vigorously set on foot preparations for his
voyage.
Now here is the strange part of the story.
The night before the ship was to sail, DIR.
Whiting, returning home, was compelled
to pass through lonely part of the town,
where the streets abutted on the forest.
Within the borders of the wood he saw a
man, apparently unarmed, beset by two
ruttians HIghwaymen were common in
those days in the larger colonial towns.
DIR. Whiting at once attacked the thieves,
and laid about him with a sword-cane
which he carried.
The ruffians fled. but not before they
had stabbed him through the breast AS
he fell, the traveller whom he had defended
caught him and supported him until the
tardy watch came.
The stranger was Truefelt DIR. Whiting,
Ipsensible from loss of blood, did not rec
ognize him. Truefelt's emotions would be
a strange study as he stood there holding
in his arms the man who had tried to muir
der him, and now had saved his life. He
did not make himself known until he had
helped the watch to carry Whiting TO the
stoop of his own house
Then he said, ''You have rlsked your
life to save mine You know what you
owed me. l think We can go scot-free of
each other" And ending this singular
homily with laugh, withdrew.
Truefelt, it appears, had been rescued by
some vessel, and brought TO Northern !
port, from which he had found his way
home. Whiting gave up mis- voyage. He
recovered his health and with 1t his spirits. |
After year or two. the men renewed their
old intimacy, but they were known as more |
sober, honest, God fearing citizens than
hey had been formerly. Ihe truth of the |
strange story was never revealed until both |
we're dead.