The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-14
Select gtorg.
THE oUANDONG'S SECRET.
From Chambers Journal.

HE QCsANDUNUO > OEChEI.
From Chambers Journal.
asteward, exclaimed the chief officer
of the American barque Decatur, lying just
then in Table Bay, into which she had put
on her long voyage to Australia, for the
purpose of obtaining water and fresh pro-
visions-"the shippers sent word off that
there's two passengers coming on board for
Melbourne; so look spry and get them after
berths ready, for l guess the old man IL
straighten you up when he does come along.
Soon afterwards the cold man" and his
passengers put in an appearance in the
barque's cutter; the anchor, short since sun
rise, was hove up to the cat-head, topsails
sheeted home, and dipping the "stars and
bars" to the surrounding shipping, the De-
catur again, after her brief rest, set forth
on her ocean travel.
John Leslie and Francis Drury had been
perfect strangers to each other all their
lives long till within the last few hours;
and now, with the frank confidence be-
gotten of youth and health, each knew
more of the other, his failures and sue
cesses, than perhaps, under ordinary cir
cumstances, he would have learned in a
twelyemonth. Both were comparatively
young men; Drury, Australian born,
native of Victoria, and one of those rowing
spirits one meets with sometimes, who seem
to have, and care to have, no permanent
place on earth's surface, the aoaneergeist
having entered into their very souls, and
taken full possession thereof. The kind of
man whom we are not surprised at hearing
of, to-day, upon the banks of the Fly
River; in a few months more in the interior
of Thibit; again on the track of Stanley, or
with Gordon in Khartoum.
So it had been with Francis Drury, ever
seeking after fortune in the wild places of
the world; in quest, so often in vain, of
phantasmal eldorado-lured on, ever on,
by visions of what the unknown contained.
Ghauts wild and rocky had re-echoed the
report of his rifle; his footsteps had fallen
lightly on the pavements of the ruined
cities of Montezuma, sombre and stately as
the primeval forest which hid them; and
his skiff had cleft the bright Southern
rivers that Waterton had loved so well to
explore. but gone farther than the nat
uralist. adventurous and daring as he too
was. had ever been AT length, as he
laughingly told his friend fortune had, on
the diamond fields of Klipdrift, smiled upon
him, with measured smile, twas true, but
still smile; and now, after an absence of
some years, he had taken the opportune
chance Of passage in the Decatur, and
was off home to see his mother and sister,
from whom he had not heard for nearly
two years.
Leslie was rather contrast to the other,
being as quiet and thoughtful as Drury was
full of life and spirits, and had been trying
his hand at sheep farming in Cape Colony,
but with rather scanty results; in fact,
having sunk most of his original capital, he
was now taking with him to Australia very
little but his African experience.
A strong friendship between these two
was the result of but few days intimacy,
during which time, however, as they were
the only passengers, they naturally saw
great deal of each other; so it came to pass
that Leslie heard all about his friends sis
ter golden-haired Margaret Drury; and
often, as in the middle watches he paced the
deck alone, he conjured up visions to him
self, smiling the while, of what this girl, of
whom her brother spoke so lovingly and
proudly. and in whom he had such stead
fast faith as a woman amongst women,
could be like.
The Decatur was now, with strong
westerly wind behind her, fast approaching
the latitude of that miserable mid-oceanic
known as the Island of st. Paul, when
suddenly serious mishap occurred. The
ship was running heavy" under her fore
and main topsails and a fore topmast stay
sail, the breeze having increased to a stiff
gale, which had brought up a very heavy
sea; when somehow-for these things, even
at a Board of Trade inquiry, never do get
clearly explained of the two men ct
the wheel, or both of them, perhaps, let the
vessel Hbroach-to," paying the penalty of
their carelessness by taking their departure
from her for ever, in company with the
pinnacle, skylight, hencoops, &C., and a
huge wave which swept the Decatur fore
anu aIG, ITOm H6I ldnldl W UuO hOOA VI hSA
bowsprit, washing at the same time poor
Francis Drury, who happened to be stand
ing under the break Of the poop, up and
down amongst loose spars, underneath the
iron-bound windlass, dashing him pitilessly
against wood and iron, here, there and
everywhere, like broken reed, till when at
last, dragged by Leslie out of the rolling,
seething water on the main deck, the row.
ing, eager spirit seemed at last to have
found rest; and his friend, as he smoothed
the long fair hair from off the blood-stained
forehead mourned for him as for younger
brother.
The unfortunate man was speedily as
certained to be nothing but a mass of frac-
lures and terrible bruises, such as no human
frame under any circumstances could have
survived; and well the sufferer knew it, fol
in brief interval of consciousness, in a
moments respite from awful agony, he
managed to. draw something from around
his neck, which, handing to his friend IL
the semi-darkness of the little cabin, whilst
above them the gale roared and shrieked
officers and men shouted and swore, anc
the timbers of the old Decatur groaned anc
creaked like sentient things-he whispered
SO low that the others had to bend dowr
close to the poor disfgured face to hear it
"For mother and Maggie; | was going t
tell you about-it, and -good-byel = ant
then with one convulsive shudder, and witt
the dark-blue eyes still gazing imploringl..