Year: 1867

We could discern nothing ten yards dis
tance from the vessels side. According
to my calculations and by Tia, sog, we
should have been not faT from that spot
on the wide sea where l hoped to find a
solution of the mystery. Toward noon
the wind died away, and at length desert
ed us altogether. Then the fog slowly
rose, and at once, glass in hand, ascend
ed the rigging. With eager gaze scanned
the horizon ahead on both bows. but no
welcome object met my eyes. Disheart-
ened at | knew not what, was about
coming down, when l chanced to look
astern. Almost directly in our wake. but
far astern of US, lay an object. which, by
the aid of my glass, 1 made out to be an
open boat. L could not discern anything
in it. and it appeared to lie like log up
on the water. The gig was soon lowered,
according to my orders, and mate and
boats crew were dispatched to inspect the
boat as it lay far astern. l felt quite une-
quail to going myself so agitated was /, but
l had the presence of mind to order some
brandy and nourishmenG suitable to the
sick and famished to be brought upon deck.
l felt as assured that my visitor was there
as if had seen him in the boat; but
whether alive or dead 1 dared not to spec


ulate. Twice L had been summoned, and
twice I had neglected the summons. On
the third occasion my spectre had sunk, to
all appearances, lifeless on the floor of nv
cabin. Was he dead, or was he only in a
deathlike swoon? 1 thought over the won
derful incidents which had caused me to
find the boat. The wind had died away
when / neglected to obey the first sum-
mons, nor did it return until had received
the third call. Had it not died away again
when it did l should have passed the boat
SO far in the fog as not to be able to see it
when the fog lifted. AS it was, we were
nearly out Of sight when the horizon be-
came clear. Half an hours more wind
and the mystery would have never
been revealed. Scarce could / re-
strain my impatience. However, there was
no help for it. ] must wait until the gig
returned. After hours of suspense, l at
last beheld the boat approaching slowly
with the other boat in tow. Unable to en-
dure the terrible suspense, L went down
into the cabin. Soon / heard the gig touch
the ships side, and the mate giving orders
to lower away the chair from the yard
arm. Then thought they had found him;
hut he must be too feeble to climb up the
ships side. A few moments and 1 heard
approaching footsteps, and down the stairs
was brought, with the assistance of the
crew, my visitor for the fourth time; but
now really and truly in the flesh. He was
supported in the arms of the mate, but he
held on the handrail just as l had seen him
in the three visions. His left arm hung
loosely at his side, and bandaged up just as
l had observed on three occasions of the
spectre's visits.


put him to bed. He gradually revived and
in a few days was able to tell his story
He0had been captain of large vessel trad
ing in the Pacific. The crew had mutinied
and cast him adrift in the open boat, with
nothing to eat except few biscuits, which
were thrown into the boat in derision by
one of the mutineers. When these were
oof fat,h ha had frin f0 a1ya fa Ix,o
his shoes, and with water wrung from his
clothes after rain and heavy dews, he had
quenched in manner mis- thirst. When
found by the mate, he lay extended in the
bottom of the boat i'm death-lik swoon,
and owed his recovery, perhaps, chiefly to
the brandy which l had sent in the gig
In a few days more we assisted him on
deck. Casper no sooner saw than he flew
at him, and but for my interference would
have torn him to pieces. During the rest
of the voyage we were obliged to keep the
dog chained up. AS soon as we received
the boat, the Dolphin was put on her for
mer course; and now with fair wind, we
again sped merrlly on. H-


l now felt satisfied that signs and omens
were sometimes vouchsafed to mortal men
for certain grave reasons, and though not
superstitious, l believe that they are more
frequent than is usually supposed. As we
neared the port for which we were bound,
Captain Williams (tor such was the name
of my visitor), was one day sitting with me
in the cabin, when he asked to see the chart,
as he wished to pick out the spot where /
had found him. 1 gave him an entirely
new chart, and he busted himself sharpen
ing pencil with which to mark the place
where he had nearly lost his life. Sudden
ly heard an exclamation from him, which
he followed by saying: my dear =, L
am sorry, but cut my finger, and 1 have
lrOnnQ6 nn oh art
and L see l have soiled the spot which
was going to point as the whereabouts you
found me. But" he said, in light laugh,
'that will do instead to mark the place.
l have the two charts now, both marked
exactly alike. one done by Captain Will
liams, in the flesh, accidentally; the other
by-reader, can you tell whom2