The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-14

those times, from the privateerfns Of Shell.
velock and his kindw And without giving
me chance to reply, Old Miggles con-
tinued:
"Carita was like one insane when she
made this discovery. She delayed not, but
rushing upon the schooner's deck, up.
braided Despard as only woman in frenzy
can do and then she cursed him.
Here Old Miggles paused and moistened
his thin lips, while on his yellow forehead
stood beads OF perspiration which even the
warmth Of the fire famed into fierce activi.
ty by the terrible wind In the chimney could
not have produced. After which, as one who
repeats words which some to rrible associa.
tion have served to grsve on the memory,
he said:
"lfay the cmrss of a ruiaed aud betrayed soul
resi- upon you, Mi1net Despdrd. In nfe and
death, sickness orhed,M, jon or sorrop, curse
yon.'"
"And theni" said, wondering not little
That Old Miggles could 30 identify himself
with his Story as to emotionalize In all the
proper places.
"And them" responded Miggles, covering
his face with his quivering hands, and
shaking like one in an ague fit, "she sprang
over the taffrail into ths sea, which closed
above her forever!"
Louder and louder doomed the surf on
yarmouth Point. Mingled with the rain
were drops OF salt spray blown from the
wave crests by the gale, which was at its
height.
whether Of the curse or no." continued
Old Miggles, uplifting his voice to be heard
above the elements, "from that day forth
Captain Despard's luck turned. His vessel
was followed by armed cruisers, bent upon
her destruction. His men mutinied and
finally, in quarrel over the division Of the
Hddlgo's plunder, Despard, his first lieu
terant, Lagos, the quartermaster and one
other were marooned on coral cay, sixty
odd miles north and east from Great Aba
cor
''Marooncdi" I said, questioningly.
LEFT to perish by starvation and thirst
on an acre Of barren reef far out OF the
track Of sailing vessels" explained Old
Miggles, with savage execration in Span
ish. "Despard was given his sea chest
which the nutineers-malediction upon
them-said might serve to bury him in.
There was left for the four a bottle OF
water and a pound Of salt porls-voila."
"Before tho Catalina was hull down on the
horizon" continued Old Miggles, ''there
was quarrel between Captain Despard
and Lagos, who, in his hot anger, defiantly
boasted Of having undeceived the unhappy
Carita. Blows were struck and Despard's
dagger pierced the traitors heart. Three
days later the second lieutenant died raw
ing mad, and twenty-four hours later an
other, leaving Despard alone-famishing
with hunger, choking with thirst, scorched
by the tropic sun and chilled to the bone by
the night winds, to suffer the torments Of
the damned for an awful eternity Of four
teen days!'
"But for heavens sake" exclaimed, no
longer able to contain my curiosity, show
could he exist without food or water all
that time1"
Something like shudder convulced old
Miggles' spare frame.
"Quien Sabs!" he hoarsely replied, sper-
haps that he was harder of frame-who
shall say. Certain it was that he had
strength to bury out OF sight, one by one,
in holes scooped in the sand, the-the re-
mains of his companions. And one day, in
half insanity, he wrote with piece of
chalk inside his chest lid the verses Of the
song you ask about. Then he was taken of
by a passing vessel, representing himself
when he was able to tell his story, as the
only survivor Of brig which laundering in
gale had driven himself aud his sea chest
to the cay. Whether he was believed or
not no questions were asked, and under q
name not his own, he sailed the seas over
till age and infirmities forced him to seek q
home on the land"