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

teh Hiui; Which, lOr Hlul W pIocccu'
at was in the year 1875, ten years ago
now" he began, shat 1 was in command
of small steamer on the Australian coast.
| had taken her out from England when
she was new, and at the request of the
owners, remained in her after our arrival
at Adelaide. had left my wife behind
me in London; but as, after a time, de-
cided to make my home out in the colonies,
sent for her to join me. She sailed
from Liverpool in bark called the Lord
Give on the 10th of December, 1875;
that vessel never arrived at her destina-
ton. Only once, from that day to this,
has she ever been heard Of" Here the
captain paused, and stood for a few
minutes gazing out to sea, as though lost
in thought.
"Was the Lord Give lost, sir p the
chief officer ventured to inquire, finding
the skipper still remained silent.
"They say so, he replied. ''The last
time she was seen, or at least spoken with,
was by whaler, in latitude 81 degrees
south, and longitude 10 degrees east, some
where near the supposed position of the
Bouvet Islands; though what she was
doing there can't imagine, unless she had
been driven out of her course by a succession
of northerly gales. That was nine years
and half ago, and she has never been
heard of since. The owners, underwriters,
indeed everybody | have spoken with on
the subject, seem convinced that she is
lost; in fact, the captains wife has married
again; but | believe the Lord Give is still
afoat, and that my wife is on board of
her-alive ~
The chief mate started, and stared at his
commander with astonishment, not unmixed
with slight feeling of alarm, for whatever
doubts he may have previously had on the
subject Of the captains sanity, it now be-
came evident to him that on one subject at
least he was mad. To suppose that ship
which had not been heard of for nine and
half years was still aAoat, and people
alive on board of her, struck the practical
chief officer as out of the bounds of reason.
Il went home to England" continued
Capt. Roberts, and the tone of his voice
showed that he was laboring under sup
pressed excitement, land interviewed the
owners of the Lord Give, offering to take
command of ship without pay if they
would place one at my disposal, and go in
search of her. But they would not listen
to me, for by that time the insurance had
been paid and they took no further interest
in the vessels fate | have made eight
voyages out to the colonies since then--for
| will never trade anywhere else, and |
can't get command of whaler-and every
time l 90 long way to the southwark in
the hope of meeting the Lord Give, for |
expect she got down among the ice and
was frozen in. But some day she'll break
away and drift out into the open sea again;
and should like to be the first to board
that ship, to meet my wife, and welcome
her back to the world once more For
she is not dead, sir. tell you, Mr.. Will
sou with an inpatient stamp Of his foot
and "a wild CLEAN in his eye-"she can't
be dead; We only parted for time-only
for time-and l feel as sure as | am
standing here that we shall meet again
But not in this world" muttered the
chief officer under his breath.
The captain turned to walk aft, but his
steps were arrested by shout from man
who was about some job on the main yard
"Sail no ~
"Where away?" roared the mate from
the break of the poop.
BROAD on the starboard bow, sir, re-
piled the man.
The captain seized his glass from the
companion hatch and hurried to the wealth
ermizzen rigging, followed by Mr. Wilson.
On the utmost verge of the horizon, where
the gray-blue waters seemed to finish in a
sharp clear cut line against the paler sky,
small dash of white, barely the size of
sea-gull's wing, was visible. For the space
of three minutes the captain gazed at it,
then, closing his telescope with snap, he
took a few hurried PAGES on the deck.
After few moments of this restless kind
of walk, he again pointed his telescope
at the strange sail. aWere rising her;
don't you think so, Mr. Wilson ?" he ex-
claimed.
at is scarcely possible to tell yet, sir >
replied Wilson, ''she has been in sight so
short time
"Iam going below to examine the chart
continued the captain, and despite the as
sumed calmness of his tone, it was evident
that he was strongly excited. keep her
up a couple of points; we must overhaul
yonder craft, for want to speak her,
and-if | am not on deck before-let me
know when you can make out her hull
Two hours passed, and the Enterprise,
slipping smoothly and cleverly through the
water, closed up to within three miles of
the strange ship, which appeared to be
drifting helplessly upon the ocean. She
had only one rag of sail, which huttered
in the breeze, and her mizzen-mast and
foretopmast we're gone. As they drew
still nearer, the chief officer was struck
with the strange, dismantled appearance of
her spars and rigging. Capt Roberts