Year: 1869

2 Il


/ bad served twenty-five years o.
board an East Indiaman, and for tn
last ten years had commanded the Belle
ioBe Of the finest crafts that ever float
ed. was an old sea dog, who hac
dwelt SO long on salt waters. that l al


most had a hatred for dry land.
90 On the 30th of October, 1873, 1 re
ceived orders to put myself in readines


to sail for Cayenne. | was to transpor
seventy-fve soldiers and convict. ~.
had orders to treat this individual well
land the letter l received from tn,
Directory enclosed another, with hug,
J red seal, which l was not to open unit
between twenty-seven and twenty-eigh
west longitude-tbat is, just before W,


cross the line. ad -


The letter was a long packet, 50 vel


closed up on every side that it was i'm
possible to catch the slightest glimps,


of its contents. l am not naturally


superstitious, but there was something


IN the look of the letter that I did no


altogether like, though l could give nj


reason why. However, carried it int
the cabin and stuck it under the glas.


of little shabby English clock, which


was fastened above my head.


l was busy fixing the letter undel


the clock, when who should come into


my cabin but the convict and his wife


This was the first time Ihad seen either
of them, and may say that a more
prepOssessing couple I never met. The
woman was scarcely fifteen, and as
handsome as a picture; while the hus-
band was an intelligent, magnifcently
formed man, on whose features nature
had never written "villain!"


His crime, to be plain, was the mis-
fortune Of being hundred years ahead
of his age. He and others had attempt
ed something which our Government
calls treason. and which is punished
with death. It therefore oecasioned
me considerable wonder that he should
be placed under my charge, But more
OF this afterwards.


He bad, as l said, his wife hanging
upon bis arm. She was as merry as a
bird; she looked indeed like a turtle
dove, cooling and nesting beneath his
great wing.


Before month had passed over our
heads, l looked upon them as my own
children. Every morning l used To
call them into my cabin. The young
fellow would sit writing at my table
chat is to say, at my chest, which was
my bed. He would often help me at
reckoning, aud soon learned to do bet
ter than l could. 1 was amazed at his
sbility. His young wife would sit up
on one of the round stools iu my cabin,
industriously working at her needle.


One day we were all three sitting iu
this way, when l said:


Do you know my young ones, as it
seems to me, we make a very family
picturei Mind, l don't mean to ask
questions but may be you have not
much money to spare, and are, both of
you, as I think, too handsome to dig in
the burning sun of Cayenne, like many
a poor wretch of convict before you.
It's bad country, take my word for it.
Tnwho have roughed through the
tempest, wind and sunshine, till I have
the skin of rhinoceros, might get
along there; but yod-Fm afraid for
you. So, if you should chance to have
bit of foolish friendship for your old
captain, why, Pll tell you what I'll do.
I'll get rid Of this old brig; she's not
much better than an old tub after all
so I'll settle myself down there with
you, if you like. You see I have no
one in the world to care for, or that
cares for me. l want relations, | want
a home, l want family. l should
like TO make my home with you, my
pretty ones. What say yep


They said nothing at all, but kept
looking at each other, and then at me,
as if they doubted whether they under
sSOO0 Wna5 Salus


| At last the little bird threw her arms
around my neck and cried like baby.
/ &c Butt said she, suddenly pausing,
8 you have not looked at the letter with
the big, red seal.'


I l felt g queer creeping come over my
flesh as she said this,


Hang it ? l exclaimed, it had slip
ped my head entirely


/ With a cold, dreaded sensation, Il
went to my chest to see where we were.
! found that we had several days re-
manning, before we should reach the
proper longitude for opening the letter.
( Well, there we stood, all three of us
looking up to the letter as if it could
have spoken to US. As it happened,
the sun was shining full upon the glass
of the clock case, and fell upon the
great staring red seal of the letter. /
could not help fancyiDg it looked like
great big monster, an ogre's face, grin
ming from the middle of the fire; it |
looked !


Gould not one fancy, said I, to make
them laugh, its great eyes were staring
out of its head


'Ab, my love- said the. wife, st |
looks ike blood


Pooh, pooh, said her husband, tax
ing her arm under his, it looks like a |
letter Of invitation to wedding. Come |
leave the letter alone if it troubles you
20. Let's to our room and prepare for
bed


And off they went upon deck, and
left me with the beast Of letter. Ire
that l kept looking at it as I
smoked my pipe; it seemed to fix It's
great red eyes upon mine, fascinating
like the eve of serpent. 1t was red,
wide, raw, staring like the nav Of
fierce wolf I took my great coat and
hung it over both clock and letter, and
went upon deck tofnish my pipe.


We were now in the latitude of the
Cape de Verde Islands-the Belle was
before fair wind at the rate
Of ten knots an hour. 1t was a splen-
lid night-the stars large and shining /
,he moon rising above the horizon, as
srge as a sun of silver; the line of
ocean parting ii, and long stream of
pail shimmering light falling upon the
waves, which, as they broke, sparkled
ike jewels. l sat upon the deck,
imoking my pipe and watching them.


All was quite still, save the football
# the watch, as he paced the deck /
yaziDg, as l did, upon the shadow of 1
he vessel, stealing over the silent wat