The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-02-02
STEER N. W.
The First Officers Story.
ny WALTER lNGHAM.

About two years ago I left the service.
WAS tired oft, and as wanted soma more
exciting employment, I joined whaler.
We were unlucky-somehow I bring no
luck anywhere-and We were nearly emp
sy. We were cruising up here. to the north,
and thinking OF making for home, rs the
weather had changed; and the ice forms
precious quick in those la!itudes when it
once begins. The captain naturally wanted
to hang on to the last for the chance Of en-.
other haul.
Onc bright afternoon. jus. after eight
bells, l made up the Log, and took it to the
captains cabin. knocked at the door, and
as nobody answered l walked in.
thought it odd the captain hadn't an.
swered me, for there be was, sitting at his
desk. with his back to me, writing. See
ing be was employed, told him I had
brought tho leg, laid it down on the table
behind him, and Us be made no answer,
walked out. l went on deck, anu the first
person 1 met was the captain. ! was puz.
z.ed-1 could not make out how he had
got there before me"
SLOW did you get up here?" I eaid; II
just leityou whiting in your cabin"
II have not been in nv cabin for The
last hali-hour," the captain answered; but
| thought he was chatting, aud dltn't like
liz. - h..
"There was some one writing at your
desk Just now" slid; "if it wasn't you,
you had better 20 and scs who it is. The
10y ia made up. have left it in your
cab. n, tir," aud with that I walked aulklly
a~ay. I tad no idea OF being chaded by
the captain, to whom I had taken dis.
like. 9.s' '3.''s
"Mr. Brown" said the captain, who saw
I wes netIled, "you must have been mis-
taken, my detk is locked. But come
we'll 90 down and eeubout it."
followed the captain into tho cabin.
The leg was on the table, the desk was
closed, and the cabin was empty. The
captain tried the desk-it was locked.
"You sec, MIR. Brown" hesaid laughing,
"you must have been mistaken. the desk
is locked" IL 57- e
| I was poaitive. "somebody may have
picked the lock-" said.
but they could not have closed it
again." the captain suggested; "bu. to salts
~ you, will open it and see if all the con.
tents are eafe, though there is not much
here to tempt thief"
He opened the desk and there-stretched
right across twas sheet OF paper, with
the words "Sieer N. W." written in an odd,
cramped hand.
The captain looked at the paper, and
| then handed it to me.
"You are right, Mr.. Brown; somebody
has been here. This is some hoax" n
We eat there talking. and trying to
guess what could be the object OF such a
| j9ke-if joke it was meant 10 be. tried
10 identity the back OF the man 1-had seen
at the desk with that Of my OF tho crew. l
could not do it. 1t is true l had ut first
taken the man for the captain, but now
points OF difference suggested themselves.
I had not looked very M;tentively ut the
figure, but still I was under the impression
that the coat il bad on was brown, and the
hair, which appeared under the cap, SEEM
ed, as l remem bered 1t, 10 have been
longer aud whittier than tho captains.
There was only one man on boRrd who re-
aembled in the least the figure had seen.
| suggested 10 the captain that it might
have been old Shiel, the boatswain. lie
did not like 10 suspcct the old man, who
was great iavorite; besides, what motive
could he, or indeed any one else, have had
in trying to change the course OF the yes
sel a,
Motto appear to suspect any one par
| ticular, the captain determined to have up
all the crew. We had them up, one By
one. We examined them, and made al
those who could write, write steer N
W." but We gained no clue. One thing
was very clear-it could not have been old
Shiel, who was proved to have been for
ward at the time I was in the captain,
cabin. The mytery remained uueolved.
Tbst evening sat drinking my grol
with the captain in his cabin. We wer,
neither Of us inclined to DO very talkative
I tried to think OF home, and the pleasure
| It would be to sec the old folks again, bu
still my thoughts wandered back 10 thu
mysterious writing. tried 10 read, but
caught myself furtively peeping at th
desk, expecting 10 see the figure sittin
there. a5ti az ~
The captain lad no. spoken for som
time, and was sitting with his face burie
in bis hands. At last, he suddenly locke
up, and said = p. 3, ~ - 27s
"Suppose we alter her course to nortl
west, MIR. Brown u
n Z don't know what It was; I canno. hop
!, to make you understand the feeling in IN
! mind that followed those words; It was
sense Of relief from horrible nightmar
IN I was ashamed Of the childish pleasure