Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-10-31

Jonah, on q similar occasion, when
"The sea wrought and was tempestu-
GUS"
But on the tenth night, just.as the
Captain was ready to answer n sum-
mons TO visit the sick mans berth, the
storm ceased with q suddenness that
was startling; the wind wa entirely
lulled; and no evidence of its fury re-
NAMED except the long swelling pillows
of the seattle deep after-sighs of lis
mighty passion.
! The sudden shilling of the tempest,
and the mournful creaking of the spars,
now audible for the first time for many
days, forced shade of melancholy over
my grandfather's spirits as he FASTENED
down the gangway at the call of the
stranger
AS he seated himself beside the berth,
the sick man fixed his brilliant eyes
upon him, and said. calmly:
Captain, l am dying!'
81 hope not, my dear sir; this dread
ful gale has weakened you. 1t is over
now and you will soon be better"
''No, Captain" he repeated ~ am
dying! The tempest, know, is over,
so Is that other tempest in my breastl
This ship has long been tossed and
beaten about by the fury of the waves,
but il has been sunshine and calm COM
pared with that tempest, Captain! But
IL is all over now--for l have forgiven
him-he has long been in the grave
but | have forgiven him!''
My grandfather thought he was de-
lirious; but a second look at the deep
intelligence of his eye, and the smiling
calmness OF his features forbade the
conclusion. He gazed at him a moment
with mingled compassion and curiosity,
anxious to learn something of history,
the closing scene of which was so dark
and mysterious, but was unwilling TO
ask ii. His look was Interpreted, and
the stranger continued
81 told YOU | was sailor. OF thirty
five years / have not spent one upon
the land. But this was not my choice.
Like a ship, Captain, my supports were
knocked from under me, and | was
launched upon the ocean. My father
was an English merchant in Cadiz, OK
tensively engaged in navigation. He
lavishly provided for my education.
Having traversed the halls of science,
left Oxford and returned to Spain at the
a9e of twenty. The first yelr of my
freedom from school spent In ramb-
ling over the mountains oltthat en-
chanted country. In deep islnnddell,
shut out from the world. where the
earth was always green and the sky al
ways blue, [ met one day beautiful
young shcpherdeSs--and loved her.
81 will not describe her charms, Cap
tain, for YOU have been young, and a
heart that has loved need not to be told
that to the eyes of true affection its OBJ
ject has no defects.
"My father learned my secret-but
knew it not. had lifelong secret
afterwards which he never learned! He
came to me one morning, smiled, and
said:
my son, do you want TO go to
Cuba?'
II eagerly answered in the ailirma-
tive; for it had been cherished, but
hitherto forbidden passion with me to
travel.
"One of my vessels sails tomorrow,
he said. and You may go.
This short interval allowed me no
time to bud farewell TO my shepherdess,
who was fifty miles distant, nor even to
inform her of my departure; but said,
aloud: III soon pe back, and many
other consultations l whispered TO my
heart the next day while bounding over
the Atlantic.
''The ship arrived in good time at
Havana, discharged her cargo, reloaded
and sailed for Calcutta! | was q pris-
oner on my fathers ship, and for five
long years was kept from home-as if
all the waters of the ocean could wash
out my love!
! escaped at length from the prison
ship, while lying at Rio, and took pas.
sage in French bark for the Guadal-
culver. No circumnavigation of the
globe was ever SO long as that voyage.
1 strained my eyes every day watching
for Gibraltar, which | knew was thou
sands Of miles off; and every night |
dreamed of mountain rivulets, snowy
flocks and Ina.
ARRIVING at last at Seville, has
tened over the Nevada. and sought the
sunny dell where my affections had so
long nestled, and there found that the
idol of my heart was the wife of an
Andilusian shepherd! She had been
told that had deserted her. and after
wards that was dead. | did not weep.
for my heart was turned TO stone. MY
father, said |, shall never know of his
victoryn did not go to see him it
was wicked, | know, but burning with
spirit of revenge, | turned again to the
sea, and never saw him more. ] am
faint, Captain, and cannot prolong my
tale. I'm six months | was master of n
fast sailing vessel-you have seen that
vessel, Captain, but never in port, and
have often seen you, and knew your
name twenty years ago. But no matter
about that. My father continued to
freight his ships and send them TO differ
ent parts of the world-but he never
knew that superintendcd large part
of his business, and that many of his
cargoes found sale in ports to which
they had never been consigned. His
agent sometimes failed to report.
IL have said enough, Captain; before
to-morrow's sun sets, shall be in the
caverns of the deep. But have for
given him and do not complain. l have
fortune in the bank of England, but
with it is deposited will, and the orphan
son of Ina is my heir.
"You have been kind to me, Captain,
and in token of gratitude beg you to
accept my watch and cutlass, and this
paper, which you will carefully pre-
serve" So saying, he held out folded
scrap of paper, which my grandfather
put into his pocket.
Morning dawned-but the strangers
eyes did not open upon it--they were
closed forever. In the afternoon the
Burial Service at Sea-" that most
solemn of sea scenes, was performed
and the shrouded body of the pirate,
with gentle plunge, broke the CLASSY
surface of the ocean, and sank swiftly
into its mysterious depths.
II was many hours afterwards that
my grandfather bcthought himself oil
the paper in his pocket. He opened il
and read as follows:
Captain Lane: On the eastern point OF
Nantucket, at hlgh-water mark, is n tall
sharp Cliff. A quarter League due west from
that clitf Is large, round stone, and near the
very rich soil -