The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-12-22

they were gone, at the ice concealing
the front window shutters, and partly
uncovered one. But we could get no
purchase upon it from the outside and
no one volunteered to venture within.
| kept them all busy, however, the
hard work and sense of command
combining to restore my own nerves
to normal condition. The mate de-
spairing of doing better, finally
brought back a table-leg of pitch pine
which We contriyed to ignite after
several unsuccessful experiments, the
yelIowish-red flames circling the heavy
end like so many coiling serpents, and
sending forth a weird reflection
through spirals of black smoke. It
was poor glim enough, yet it would
serve; and l bore it inside, holding the
torch well before me, the men clus-
tering about the door.
The mottled flare cast mingled light
and shadow over the horrors thus
dimly revealed, rendering the CHASTITY
sight one to chill the blood of any
man. The cabin was long one, ex-
tending aft clear to the stern, the
immense butt of the mizzen-mast al
most separating it into two apart.
ments. About this was arranged a
great arm-rack completely filled with
variety of weapons, many of them
flashing back the glittering rays of the
torch. At one time that had been
a rare sea-parlor, but now it was a
wreck, the walls and ceiling dingy
with smoke, the gilt defaced and bat
tered. Overturned furniture was every
where; piles of clothing and a perfect
riffraff of articles strewed the deck
floor; a violin lay almost at my feet,
all but one string snapped; and some
sort of an odd music-box rested
against the bench over which l had
fallen. A great square box-stove
stood just before the mast-butt, a huge
pile of ashes all about. An immense
lantern, as strange a looking contriv-
ance as ever ! saw, swung solemnly
from a deck.beam, and just beyond,
suspended by wires, was a gorgeously
colored picture of the Madonna and
Child"
| beheld all these details at a glance,
although at the time / scarcely realized
any of them, my entire Mortified atten-
tion being riveted upon the scene Of
death revealed. The table, which |
had previously touched, extending
crossways of the cabin, was uncovered
but contained plates, cups, a large
bottle half-1illed, and some scraps of
frozen food. The bodies of two men,
one with a cloak over his shoulders,
occupied the bench within three feet
of me. The one nearest had fallen
sideways, and hung there, his arm
hooked across the back of the bench,
his long, black hair dangling over his
face; the other sat with head bowed
on the table, his features hidden by
his arms, but the gold rings in his
ears plainly showing Directly oppo-
site these two, sitting bolt upright in
a chair, eyes wide open, staring
at me, was a third. My God! |
it was De Nova! The same eyes, the
same dark curly hlir. the same little |
black mustache, the same smile |
curling the thin lips. could have
sworn 1t was the mate, endeavoring to
frighten and mock me. even
about angrily, flashing the
light of my torch over that cluster Of I
faces in the doorway. No! by heavens,
the creole stood behind, and this, this
counterpart, was a dead man-dead
for hundred years No words can
ever retell the struggle made to con.
troll myself, the smoking torch sha-
king in my hand and casting its mis-
erable flicker over that charnel house,
every limb trembling like aspens, my
eyes staring into the shadows. MY
very violence Of fear angered me;
what had 10 be afraid Of? How !