The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-12-25

the dead blackness of unpublished Jet
Instead Of speaking of him as the "old
man." his sailors called him "the monk
He was exceedingly reserved, said little
or nothing at table or on deck outside
such instructions as he had to give; yet
spite of his monastic or collegiate looks
which might have qualified him to adorn
a pulpit rather than merchantman's
quarterback, he was an excellent sailor,
possessed of a thorough knowledge of
every walk of his vocation, and n man
of considerable refinement of speech.
Nothing particular occurred until the
little bark was drawing on to the equa-
tor, when it was observed that the cap
tain grew restless. He seemed unable
to sleep; throughout the night watches
he was necessarily arriving ON deck, and
for whole half hour at a time he would
stand right in front of the pinnacle, OBJ
scuring it to the sight of the man at the
wheel, and keeping his eyes fixed upon
the card with the lifeless air of person
acting in his sleep. At noon one day the
latitude was found to be about six miles
north There was pleasant breeze
blowing off the port beam, and the clip
per keel was made by the log to be slid
ing through it at some seven miles in the
hour The captain, putting down his
sextant, walked aft to the pinnacle and
stood before it, holding his watch in his
hand. There was light as of fever in
the gaze he rooted upon the, dial plate.
Suddenly he called on the second mate
who had charge: Glands to the port
braces Get the yards trimmed for
westerly course. Down below" The
little ship came around with the men
rounding in upon the braces too aston
ished to sing out. The captain walked
the deck chatting his hands and chuck
ling, Now sir, we have it," he cried
to the second mate. "Have what, sir
asked the astonished officer. "The
Equator sir!" roared the captain. "The
Equator" cried the mate, looking around
him. eyes, sir, true as hair by the
magnetic bearings-a fore and aft line,
sir Keep to that course, dye hear.
Not an inch off to port or starboard, or
quicker than you can say Jack Robinson
I'll blow your brains Quit"
The second mate, glancing through
the skylight, observed the chief officer
in the cabin, and with slight motion
of his head summoned him on deck. The
man arrived, with face of wonder,
gazing aloft and around, and not a little |
amazed to find the ship bound to the
eastern American seaboard instead of |
New Zealand. "This is to be an achieve
ment, sir" shouted the captain to him,
"that'll rank me foremost among the
most famous men this century has pro-
duced." The mate viewed him with a
stupid look of Interrogation. "Sir,"
cried the captain, approaching him with
IN expression of ecstasy on his singular
"the keel of this bark will
be the first that ever ploughed the line
If the Equator without hairbreadth of
deviation for one thousand miles at least;
Ind mark you this" he cried, drawing
himself erect, and extending his clenched
list at the mate, ''if l catch the vessels
lead off her course by the smallest frac-
ion of point, will blow out the brains
f the man who has charge of the deck
t the time" IA VA
He slapped his breast that the two
men might guess what he concealed
here, and, picking up his sextant,
talked below. The unfortunate crea-
ure went entirely out of his mind that
hight, and they had to pinion him to
prevent him from destroying himself or
lealing death to the ship by firing her.
he died within the week, raving mad,
lot little to the relief of the mates,
who could do nothing for him beyond
seeing him watched.-W. Clark Russell
n Independent.