Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1890-01-02

man I lad seen sitting at the desk
writing with that Of any Of the crew.
eop'd mol Do it. ] is true | had
frsl taken The man for the captain,
bitaaw points Of difference suggested
themselves. had rot looked very
All HniiYeiy at tue figure, but still !
was under the impression that the
coat was brown and the hair, which
appeared under tie cap, seemed, as /
remembered it, to have been longer
and whittier than the captains.
Not to appear TO suspect any one
II particular, The captain determined
toh2ve UP all the crew. We had
then 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 re-
mained another mystery Of the seas.
That evening Eat drinking my
grog with The captain 10 the cabin
during the second officers watch. We
wera neither Of us inclined TO be talk !.
alive. We smoked in silence, and
eech Of us was buried in our own
thoughts.
] tried to think Of home, Of my
brothers in the navy. and my sisters
and parents ashore, and the pleasure
it would be to.see old England again /;
but still my thoughts always wander
ed back to that mysterious writing
tried TO read, but ! caught myself
furiively peeping at the desk, expect.
ing to see the figure sitting there.
The captain had not spoken for
some time, and was rapidly proceed
ing with considerable success in en-
velopiug himself IN an impenetrable
cloud Of smoke. AT last he sudden
y looked up and said. Suppose we
J alter her course to northwest, Mr.
Stowell?
| don't know what 1t wac can
not hope to make you understand the
weird feeling in my mind that follow.
ed his words; it was a sudden sense
Of relief from horrible nightmare.
was ashamed Of the childish pleas-
IRE felt, but I could not help an.
swefing eagerly, Certainly; shall /
give the order2 2
] waited 10 longer, bnt hurried on
deck and altered the course Of the
vessel.
Il was clear, frosty night, aud az
looked in the pinnacle at the
compass before going below | felt
most strangely pleased, aud caught
myself cbucklipg and rubbing my
hands briskly together at what | can.
not sey--I didn't know then--but a
great weight bal been taken off my
mind.
! went down to the cabin and found
the captain pacing up and down the
small space.
lie stopped as came in, and, look
ing up, said abruptly
II can do no harm, Mr.. stowell.
II this breeze coptinues, / an
swered, we can hold on for thirty
hours or so, but then / should
think'-
Bat then we shall find ice. How's
the wind2
Steady, north by east, sir.
We sat down and finished our grog,
which tasted better from having been
out in the bitter air on deck.
! had the morning watch--ihe first
mate's--to keep next day.
! was too restless to sleep sfter it,
50 | kept on deck the whole of the
day.
Even that did not satisfy me.
was continually running up the rat
lines into the maintop with my glass,
but every time / came down disap.
pointed,
No ship or wreck was in sight for
that was what / had brought myself
to believe would be the ultimate out
come Of the strange direction, Steer
n, W..
- 4he captain waa as unquiet as NY
sell,
Tie captain plainly expected some
thing to happen but what it was to
be he made no open conjecture,
The second officer, Mr.. Sonberger,
! believe, firmly thought US both era.
~ indeed, ] often wondered myself
at the state | was in.
Evening came and nothing had
turned mp.
M 4