Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-11-27
Mechancsown Frederick County, Maryland Thursday, Nov" II, 1884,
sSYEEB N wv

vice. L was tlreu OF III, ana as WANT
ed some more exciting employment |
Joined a whaler. We were unlucky-
somehow l bring no luck anywhere
and we were nearly empty. We were
cruising up here to the north, and were
thinking of making for home, as the
weather had changed-and the ice forms
pecions quick in those latitudes when it
once begins. The captain naturally
wanted to hang on to the last for the
chance of another haul.
One bright afternoon just after eight
bells, made up the log and took it to
the captains cabin. knocked at the
door, and, as nobody answered, | walk
ed IN. | thought it odd the captain
hadn answered me, for there he was
sitting at his desk, with his back to
me, writing. Seeing he was employed,
| told him had brought the log, laid
it down on the table behind him, and
as he made no answer, walked out,
| went on deck, and the first person |
met was the captain. was puzzled
could not make out how he got there
b, fore me.
"How did you get up here::' | asked
II Just left you writing in your cabin"
Il have not been in my cabin for the
last half hour" the captain answered;
but l thought he was chatting, and
didn't like it.
There was some one writing at your
desk Just now | said, If it wasn't you
YOU had better 20 and see who it is
The log is made up have left it in
your cabin, sir, and with that walk
sulkily away. had no idea of being
chaned by the captain, to whom | had
taken a dislike.
MIR. Brown said the captain, who
saw | was nettlel, you must have
been mistaken: my desk is locked
But come-we'lI 50 down and see about
it,.
I followed the captain into the cab
in. The leg was Oh the table, the CesN
was closed, and the cabin was empty.
The cuptin tried the desk--it was lock-
ed.
You see, Mr.. Brown, he said, laugh
ing, YOU must have been mistaken; the
desk is locked.
l was positive. Somebody may
have picked The Ioc'l.' said.
But they couldn't have closed it
again, the captrin suggested: 'but to
satisfy you will open it and see If the
contents are safe, though there is not
mach here to tempt theft.
lie opened the desk; and there
stretched right across it-w&s II sheet
of paper with the words Steer N. ".
=. written in an odd, cramped hand.
The captain looked at the paper and
then banded it to me.
you are right. Mr.. Brown; some
thing has been here. This is some
hoax.
We sat there some time talking and
trying 10 guess what could be the OBJ
F., ect Of such ioke-if joke it meant to
i be. tricdto indemnity the back OF tie
man had seen at the desk with that OF
any of the crew. could not do 1t.
Il Is true | h.ti at first takor the man
: for the captain, but now points Of diff
farance suggested themselves. | had
not looked very attentivel y at the tig.
I nre, but still | was under the impress
sion that the coat it was brown, and
!, the halr, which appeared under the cap
r seemed, as | remembered it, to have
$ been longer and whittier than the cap
tain's. There was only one man on
+ board who resembled in the least the
= figure | had seen. suggested to the
. captain that it might have been Old
Shiel, the boatswain.
He did not like to suspect the Old
man, who was a great iagorte, besides,
what motive could he, or indeed any
one else, have had IN trying to change
the course Of the vessel
y Not to appear to suspect any one IN
particular, the captain determined to
have up all the crew. We examined
i them and made all those who could
n write, write "Steer N. w. but we
o gained no clue One thing was very
j clear-it could not have been old ShIel,
n who was proved to have been forward
il at the time was in the captains. cab
&c il. The mystery remained unsolved.
is That evening l sat drinking my grog
g with the captain in his cabin. We
II we've neither of ns inclined to be talk
IS atiye. tried to think of home and
&C the pleasure It would be to see the Old
80 folks again, but still my thoughts wan