Wichita eagle., 1889-12-26
THE MATES STORY.

HE MAIES NIURY.
A night or so ago, after toiling at the pen
until something past the hour Of midnight,
during a moment in which l had paused to
rest from my incesssnt writing, my eye
caught glimpse of huge bundle of half
forgotten MSS. and old printed papers.
List}cssly picking the bundle up and care
fully blowing off the dense incrustation CT
dust, the accumulation of many years, l in
advertently opened an old paper, black with
age, which contained the following curious
tale.
As have good and sufficient reasons for
supposing the story to relate to one, in par
ticular, Of my ancestors, many Of whom, in
the cid whaling times, plowed both the
northern and southern seas as captains,
carefully made verbatim copy of it and
viii again bequeath it to wondering world:
About two years ago left the service |
was tired of it, and as | wanted some more
exciting work, and as that was only to be
found at sea, shipped aboard whaler as
first officer We were unlucky-someway l
bring no luck anywhere, but storm and wind
and being born in March my whole life has
empty.
We were cruising up here to the north, on
and off, and thinking of making for home,
as the weather had changed, and the ice
forms precious quick in these ATTITUDES when
it once begins. The captain naturally wanted
to hang on to the last for the chance of an
other haul.
One bright afternoon, just after eight bells,
| made up the log, as part of the first Off
GERS duty, and carried it to the captain s
cabin.
l knocked at the door, and, as nobody an
swered, walked in.
/ thought it odd the captain hadn't an
swered ne, for there he was, sitting at his
desk, with his back TO me, writing.
Seeing he was employed, told him l had
brought the log-a record of a ships doings,
vessels spoken knots made, etc, during each
twenty four hours-laid it on the table be-
hind him, and, as he made no reply, walked
out.
l went on deck, and the first person met
was the captain.
l was puzzled, for I could not make out
how he could get there before Inc.
How did you get up hereF" / said; 81 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 go and see who it was The log is
made up. | have left it in your cabin, sir"
and with that walked rather sulkily away.
had no idea of being chaifed by the cap
tain, TO whom / had taken dislike.
Mr.. Stoweli,n said the captain, who saw
was nettled, you must certainly have been
mistaken; my desk is locked. But come Wen
go down and see about it.
followed the captain into the cabin. The
log was on the table, the desk was closed and
the cabin was empty.
The captain tried the desk-it was locked.
''You see, Mr. Stowell," ne said, laughing,
you must have been mistaken; the desk is
locked
| was positive. Somebody may have
picked the lock-" ] said.
But they couldn't have closed it again"
the captain suggested ''but to satisfy you
though there is not much here to tempt a
thief"
He opened the desk, and there-stretched
right across twas large sheet of paper
with the words 'sSteer n W" written in an
odd, cramped hand, as if written while the
vessel was laboring in heavy sea.
The captain looked at the paper, and then
handed it to me.
''You are right, Mr.. Stowell; somebody
has been here This Is some hoax. If find
the lubber I'll have him keelhauled for this,
if he freezes for it."
We sat there some time longer talking, and
trying to guess what could be the object of
such joke, if joke it was.
/ tried to identify the back of the man l
had seen sitting at the desk writing with that
of any of the crew.
/ could not do it. 1t is true had first
taken the man for the captain, but now points
OF difference suggested themselves | had not
looked very attentively at the figure, but
still was under the impression that the coat
was brown and the hair, which appeared
under the cap, seemed, as | remembered it,
to have been longer and whittier than the cap
tain's.
Not to appear to suspect any one in par
ticular, the captain determined to have up
all the crew. We had them up, one by one.
We examined them and made all those who
could write write steer n. W." but we
gained no clew. The mystery remained an
other mystery of the seas.
That evening sat drinking my grog with
the captain in the cabin during the second
officers watch We were neither of us in
clined to be laxative. We snoked in silence,
and each of Us was buried In our own
thoughts.
tried to think of home, of my brothers in
= I'd 60 ,oI
and the pleasure it would be to see old Eng
lsnd again, but still my thoughts always
wandered back to that mysterious writing.
[ tried 70 read, but caught myaelf furtively
peeping at the desk, expecting 10 see the fig
ure sitting there.
The captain had not spoken for some time,
and was RAPIDLY succeeding with considerable
arunuo nyno}vn+inn