Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-01-03

''Fhc man sat ON the grating. and
held his hands 20 his face grasped
his shoulder. aud hc looked up and
moancd almost just aS the mate had.
Gracious powers. thought /. an
other visitation. 1t will be my turn
next
Terror possessed me. ana ran for
ward to get into the main shrouds and
climbed Is high as the maiutop. which
l believed would be- out of the reach
or the fumes. and lay in that top till
daynrcak. looking down upon the glim-
Werirg decks. wondering That the 9th
er three-three. / believe kept their
sight. but I will not be sure-lid not
show themselves that l might hail
them and invite them 10 keep me com
pany
However 10 turned out as I had
drco lcd. for when ~ sunrise went
down on 10 the deck / found Thar the
man who was stricken at tho wheel
had made his way to the forecastlc and
that the three whom l hal imagined
sight whole were seeing things throu.h
that same swimming. dusky. nuidlike
medium which the others complained
OF.
"Fhe mate was in the cabin and re-
qD.rcd To- hc fed.
The men forward needed food I
turned To and lighted the galley FIRE
and cooked q plentiful breakfast and
distributed the food so that the men
could easily come az IT, and then as
speedily as I might. with mv own
share Of breakfast i'm my pocket /
Spran a-2.n ia;3 tine mail shrouG~ for
the safety of the top ana had scarce
arrived there when afar behelL the
smoke OF q steamer.
Il watched tlat black film with
dreadful ca-vrue~S.
Il thought l might turn blind even
aS ! lootcl
hen. ry'oilecting that no color was
at our poak. sank To- the deck ON a
stay. rushed % the dag locker sent
aloii nnr biggest ensign inverted and
marc again. with the Swirtue-S of the
fear OF the blindness and of death in
my heart. for thc manJop.
"Tho steamer was aIouyside of us I'm
little more thau an hour
"Shc ran-cd close. Imagining us dere-
Hct. hailed her from the mantop
and gave tao captain our yarn. and he
az once sent boats and took an hands
OF us or.
"Ih1t steamers nanc." said the lit
ue sailor. was thc Eagle of NIiddIes-
brou-h
and this is the sequel of this ex-
traordinary story. Scarcely had the
Eagle Sunf the huli OF tho 1i.Gilesex
out ot sight. leaving her lyiu- Just as
she had been irtt throughout the nicht
from the muiucnt whom thc hclmSlr,n
lost his grip OF thc Spoios. whom auoth-
cr steamer called tlc sea- Queen of
N"Wcastic-on-INne. heading i'm the
wa of thc Ea-lc. fen i'm with the
bark and boarded her
Hero. thou. came m the mystery.
"a fine Ship was found deserted i'm
midoccan. signs of breakfast recently
cooked i'm thc galley. and eaton 10y men
I'm the foreca>tle ant hy ouc or two aft.
Tie galley fire still aU-ht and making
good smoke I'm the mouth OF it's Chin
ncy. hut not a soul aboard
"Not a stain OF blood to supply the
riddle with tragic solution. Her hold
was ti.ht
Her mate went alort and hunted
about the ocean everywhere i'm search
OF boat. But nothing was visible
save the fading trace OF steamers
hght smoke or some delicate streak Of
cloud In the northeast
The galley lire burning was the
puzzler. They took the bark in tow
and carried her To port. but the
story" said the little sailor passionate
ly. lis always wrongly told when its
written about.
And now hope. since you've taken
II in hand. that the public VIII stick 10
my version OF tie puzzle. seeing that
l was second mate of tile bark and had
10 boss the blooming show at the end. g"
New York World.