Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-03-19

DON M'DONALD'S OATH.
Copyright 1898. BY CHARLES B. LEWIS I
BY R B. LEWIS.

English bark EndeaNor, which had I
p cciyed notice of the desire of the owl
ID crS of the cargo. The captain of III
5. EndeaNor made up his mind to sci,
Of the wreck, rig jury maSts and carr
IN her into port, and 4 nice plum he woul
1t have had in the way OF salvage ha
le he succeeded. The Highland Chief wa
y then below the latitude of the Cap
5 and drifting TO the south. Can't. NJ,
h Donald, placidly smoking a cigar an,
seeming To be clear OF all anxiety. re
e celNed the mate of the Endeayor in q
c hospitable manner. but soon LEI him
understand that he did not intend ID
t leave the wreck. If he could get spare
SparS at his figure. and if three
! or four men could be had without n
? bonus, he would make shift to finish
5 his voyage, hut otherwise he would let
the hulk drift where she would and
end his days with hers. This WAS no
more than lie had said before. but the
mate OF the Endeavor believed that
loneliness and anxiety had affected his
mind 10 a considerable extent. While
he was obstinate minded and had a
pride in keeping his word. his whole
fortune was invested in that hulk. and
1t was but natural that he should want
10 save il. The captain of the En-.
deaFer offered him fair terms in several
directions, and it was only after Nc
Donald had rejected them that a move
was made to carry the wreck by force.
Inc mate returned with four men to
back him, and suspeeting their inten-
tons Capt. Mcdonald armed himself
and ordered them OIL. When no atteu-
ton was paid to his threats he opened
nre and killed the mate and a common
nand and wounded a third man. That
ended any further attempt on the part
OF the Endcayor to take possession.
Some j. days after the tragedy | ran
across the derelict for the second time.
| was now second mate of the English
Rrlg Morning Star" bound fer sydney
with a general cargo. After we had
made our sounding and were ready to
pear up for the Cape, we got a fierce
gale from the northwest which drove rs
to the south of our proper course.
he gale lasted for ~ hours, and during
most OF tins time we were hove to. Ten I
iours before the gale broke we discov. l
RED the hulk of tue "Ilighland Chief"
ioout a mile TO the west OF us. She was
.rIitIng broadside to the seas which
'roke over her every moment and sent
pray 80 feet high, and why she didn't
aPSlze WIS something no sailor could
out. 1t was bad enough with us
wing to under a storm try-sail and
lking the great seas head on lint %
board of that hulk the pitching and
must have been sometime
.ar1ui' We saw 10 signs of life aboard
Her uhtll the storm ahatcd. Then II
apt. Mcdonald appeared on deck and Il
a look at us through his spy az
IaSs. 1t was the intention of the nc
'ptaln OF the "Morning Star" to make st
prisoner of him, and seize the wreck
the interests Of the cargo owners. Of
as SEM away to board her as soon q,
'he seas would permit, and the plan in
IN una the four men pulling the boat fo
o''ld follow me on deck at the first
,portun'ty and rush upon the can. r.
IN The ~"Highland Chief" presented eli
most dosolatc appearance. Much of ne
T onlWarks had been torn away bv
t seas. her paint had faded and
tied OH and her sides were covered ha
tn mold and patches of grass.
IS helped on board by Capt. Nc. ~
'nald' who expressed no surprise nj tha
' presence. He was unshaven and Pre-
kempt' and had a wild look in hi.
rs put his talk was rational enougb I
asked for news of the outside world hb
ne iei the way to the cabin, and a,..
ol we mad drank a glass of wine
'e'Ner lie began to inquire about
ire men and spare spars. | sounded 7
as to allowing us to take tbe buII lcal
o port but he lost his temper in an del,
amt and shaking his fist in my face
shouted: "Ne |,
! KNOW what you and all of the 9th. g.
are after--the salvage~but T tell '''
mat unless | can sail this hulk y
, Il port no other man shalt I emo.
ne oath to that months ago. and I Las,
keep that oath though | drift of
ut for ten years."
If Il man-of-war siphts va, cha w."
take possession whether or no." oa,'
I''o, ana you may be punished for loni
,ard'zing the cargo" "
one will take me off a~live," bo 'n,''
tered, and he returned to tbe ,,tI II
OF sPars and men, While we talked
'oor sailors boarded the wreck f. ' Wv
, out the other part of the plan ars
one OF them stumbled and fell win "Au
eat noise and this was near brine 'Aoi
ABOUT a tragedy. The man iumnn1 'nus
d pistol before I could move. and "do
ne n''@zle OF it forced the five Of WV !
. retreat to our boat. That ended uoul
cnhhce we had, and after an bour ",e'
morning Star" sailed away and ni''e'
him. That was tbe lost ti. ""o Peep
rerN was seer by mortal eve. Men. nu
ar hunted for her for months md VINO
1'ored merchantmen kept n look. win
out sne was never again reportod eou'i
possible that she may have been speal
'red TO pieces in a storm, but there Is u'
more likelihood that she drifted ern
l into the great sea sout, .o tong
ana brought up at last among the pal +
eius' She may have been cut down Gov
'c or'''ng ice, crushed by collision 'ioh
some great berg, or she nav have more
frozen IN and will some dav an. ulifc'
peiore the eyes of an A@ntarctio "nli,
ring party to cause surprise and Is INF
erha!ion. If it be so then ber and
IN will be found aboard of bar l n all
'ps sitting in his chair at tahle but o.
'noing over his ~log-book, bpt hs lions
ave Deer dead for years and Years been
q OF WEAKNESS, and exhaustion homo
old. ritory
g.. - this Ii
Curt. HUI Apropo. r;a. l.
SAID the lady who gossips. 80 land.
olng to tell you something, IN, ton a
must remember that 1t was toId ward
IN confidence and you m,stn,t been