Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-10-23
CHAPTER XXIII.

1t was heard in tie Office of the paper
winch mad secured my services that there
was TO be held special meeting. on an
evening early in October. of the Royal
geographical Society, in order to hear a
paper read by German traveller recent
~ arrived In Europe. after a heightened
stay in the South Sea Islands
AT the hour Of eight the chairman en-
tered with his captive traveller. Tha
latter, certainly one of the tallest and
hnest men | have ever beheld. took his
place in front of his maps, and began,
after the usual introduction, to read his
paper
After this paper was read, the usual
irrepressible persons got up and began
to discuss. At this point | retired to add
n lew things to my article and hand it
in. l then repaired to the Savage Club
which at ] o'clock legins TO be a cheer
fnl place. Here found, in fact. an ami
mated circle. and among them my friend
of the X. q. S.. the Baron Sergius Won
l1olstein, who had been brought by one
of the members.
1t Is always Interesting to meet with
men who have been on desert islands. or
lived among cannibals. 1t is enough for
some people only to gaze upon such a
man. For our part at the Savage. we
found the baron not only an interesting
person. but also a singularly amusing
companion. and brimful of anecdotes and
stories of all kinds.
We talked till late. At about three In
the morning, when we had gone half
round the world with him. he told us
very singular and surprising story.
He had not been the only European
on certain island all the time, he said
For six months or so he had companion
In the shape of poor fellow-an Eng
lishman-who had been washed ashore
upon n piece of timber. The natives
were going to spear this human jetsam.
when he interfered and saved him. and
continued to protect him until he was
able to get him off the island in a vessel
which came a blackbirding. This fell
low said the baron, was the most in
tolerable creature In existence. Earlier
in his existence he had committed
murder, and during the whole of his stay
on the island he was suffering agonies
of remorse; all day long he wept and
groaned. and was afraid to leave me for
fear Of being speared. At night he would
not sleep at distance of more than a
foot or so from me for fear. And he
was always visited every night by the
ghost Of the respectable uncle whom he
had slain
did you see the ghost?'
"No, nor did | hear its voice. Yet
1t spent the best part of the night in
abusing the poor man. and he in nm
swerng it with prayers and protesta-
tions. AS for revenge. | suppose no 9TH
er murdered man ever took so much out
of his murderer. Well, it was tedious.
At length my Englishman declared that
he desired nothing so much as to get
away from the island. and give himself
up to justice. If he could only make his
way to Australia and then get a passage
to England. he would give himself up
and confess the whole truth"
"A lively companion"
Eyes. But to look at him you would
think him a dull. heavy fellow. who
seemed t. have no spirit for such dcs
perate deed. Well, got him away at
length. and was left happy at last and
alone. Before he went. however. | wrote
down. Mt his request, statement of the
murder. n confession. in fact. which he
and | witnessed. l warned him that
should make any use of it that | thought
fit AS yet | have done nothing with II;
and as | dare say he is dead by this time,
do not see why | should not tear it up
Here it is. however, written in my old
note book"
CTo ne cOntinued)