The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-04-05

il | could see the simmer of ice. ]
sent down to tell the captain, who
came on deck directly.
1T is no use, Mr.. Brown" he
said. "you mnst put her about"
"Wait one moment, the mist is
lifting more, il will be quite clenr
directly"
The mist was, indcod, lifting rapid.
ly. Ear to tho north and west we
could sec tho ice stretching away in
one uubrokcn field I was trying TO
sec whether there appeared any break
in the ice toward the west, when the
captain, seizing my arm with one
hand, aud pointing straight ahead
with the other, exclaimed
"Good heavensl there is ship
there"
The mist had risen like curtain,
and there, sure enough, about three
miles ahead, was a ship seemingly
firmly packed in the ice. We stood
looking at IL in silence. There was
some meaning after all in that myste
rious warning, was the first thought
"She's nipped bad, sir" said ole
Shiel, who, with the rest of the crew
was anxiously watching our new dis
covery. I was trying to make hei
out with the glass, when the flash OF
gun, quickly followed by the re
port, proved that sue had seen u.s.
Up went the flag, union downward
", oil 30 L., ln,.
tress. The captain ordered the sec
ond officer off into the boat. ]
watched him as he made his way over
tho ice with few of the men toward
the ship. They soon returned with
eight of the ships crew. 1t was q
dismal account they gave of tbeii
situation. They might have sawed
their way out of the ice. but the ship
was 80 injured that she could not
have floated an hour. The largest
of their boats had been stove in, the
others were hardly seaworthy. They
were, preparing, however, to take to
them as last resource when our vel.
come arrival put an end to their fears.
Another detachment was soon brought
off, and the captain with the remain.
der of his crew was to follow imme.
diately.
l went down to my cabin and tried
to think over the singular fate which
had made us the preservers of this
ships crew. I could not divest my.
self of the idea that some supernatural
agency was connected with that paper
in the desk, and I trembled at tho
thought of what might have been the
consequence if we had neglected the
warning. The boat coming alongside
interrupted my reverie. In few sec.
onds was on deck.
| found the captain talking to fine,
old, sailor-liko looking mau, whom he
introduced to me as Captain Squires.
Captain Squires shook hands with me,
and we remained talking some time.
/ could not keep my eyes OFF his face.
| had o conviction that ! had seen
him somewhere, where I could not tell.
Every now and then seemed to catch
at some clue, which vanished rs soon
as touched. At last he turned round
to speak to some of his men. / could
not be mistaken--there was the long
white hair, the brown coat. He was
the man l had seen writing in the
captains cabin.
That evening the captain and ] told
the story of the paper to Captain
Squires, who gravely and in silence
listened to our conjectures. He was
too thankful for his escape out of
such imminent peril to question the
means by which it had been brought
about. At the captains request he
wrote "Steer N. W" We compared
it with the original writing. There
could be no doubt of it. II was the
same old cramped hand.
Can anyone solve the mystery?