The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-02-17

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in his hurried perambulation TO gaze at the
other vessel with an eager, longing look,
as though on board of her he could see the
form of some dearly loved person whom he
had long been parted from. Presently he
stepped up to the chief officer, and touching
him on the shoulder, pointed to the strange
vessel, and in voice trembling with ex-
element, said "Just look through your
glass, Wilson, and see if you can make out
anything on her quarterback woman. "
II can see nobody; the ship is evidently
deserted" the chief replied as he handed
the telescope to the captain.
Deserted Man, are you blind? Can't
you see the futter of woman's dress p
he cried, with fierce impotence. Then
stretching out his arm and pointing towards
the drifting vessel: ''That ship is the
lord Give; and my wife, | have every
reason to believe, is there, sir. | saw her
figure but this minute, aud | should know
her even at this distance Yes, have
found her at last--I have found her at
last y
Wilson's honest sunburnt face wore an
expression of the utmost astonishment and
pity, and he was about to make some sort
of a reply, when the second mate came aft
and reported the boat as ready.
Capt. Roberts, without another word,
entered it and took his seat in the stern
sheets; but the chief officer managed to
convey hint Of the shippers mad fancy
to the second mate before the boat showed
off 'Look well after him, he whispered;
afor God knows what he will do when he
finds no one on board that ship, as l feel
confident will be the case"
As they approached her, Martin observ-
ed that her hull was terribly weather
beaten-somc shreds of sails hung from
her topsail yards, and ragged ends of riggg-
ing and running gear hung over her side.
There was ice, too, about her, although the
thermometer was scarcely down to freezing
point, pretty conclusive proof that she
had but recently drifted up from the desc
late frozen seas that encircle the South
Pole. The captain occasionally muttered
something to himself; his face was flushed,
as though with some pleasurable anticipa-
ton, and his bright eyes burned with a
wild light, but all the time he kept his
gaze fixed upon the after part of the dis
mantled bark.
Presently the boat swept under her
counter; the name which had been painted
on her stern was partially obliterated; but
Martins heart gave big thump when he
saw that the letters which remained
evidently the final ones, were-''IvE.'
Was it the Lord Give, after all?
"In bow Way enough !" he roared.
They were alongside
The captain swung himself lightly into
the main chains, then climbed over the rail
on to the deck. The second officer was
about to follow him, but the skipper waved
him back "Wait until | call for you, Mr.,
Martin, he said; and then he disappeared
For about twenty minutes the boats crew
held alongside, but the captain made no
sign, although at times they fancied they
could hear him moving. about the decks.
Suddenly they were startled by loud cry,
which seemed to come from the cabin.
Sharp and shrill it rang upon the air, with
note Of grief and agony in the CHASTITY
sound of it, such as might have been the
last cry of a lost soul. Sailors are usually
superstitious, and that awful scream, COM
ing as it did from the heart, as it were, of
that mysterious vessel, caused the sunburnt
faces of the boats crew to blanch with fear
Even the second mate, who was a hard
headed practical man, felt an eerie feeling
creeping over him, and it was some few
minutes before he could muster up courage
to leave the boat and try to find out the
course of that awe-inspiring cry; but after
a short hesitation, he clambered up the side
There was no sign of living soul upon
her decks, which had been swept nearly
bare by the seas \ piece of canvas Aut-
tered from the stump of the mizzen-mast,
and it was probably that which Capt. Rob
ert's mad fancy had transformed into a
womans dress, when he saw it from the
deck of the Enterprise He had evidently
gone down below; and Martin, as he stood
by the companion hatch of the deserted
ship, had an inward feeling that he was
about to assist at some weird tragedy.
Before going below, Martin took look
round the horizon, and what he saw there
caused him more real apprehension than
any of the underlined terrors of the mysteri-
GUS ship. Away to the northwest the
horizon was blotted out by gray smother
of vapor, which was rapidly spreading it
self in all directions. There was consider
ably more weight in the swell, too, and the
wind gave out hollow moaning sound as
it swept through the rigging. Martin
rushed to the tafrail and shouted: Come
on board here, one hand y
In answer to his call, one of the men
scrambled on deck.
keep lookout while | go below and
search for the captain, and let me know
before that smother gets too close on top
Of us, pointing to the white mist that was
steadily coming down on them.
SAY, ay, sir =