Year: 1872

/ oodFu an East InQianman, and tOl
the last ten years had commanded
the Belle, one of the finest craft.
that ever foafed. I was an old sea
dog, and had dwelt so long on sail
water that I felt almost a hatred foI
the land.


On the 2Oth of October, 1924, /
received orders to put myself in
readiness to sail for Cayenne. /
was to transport seventy-fve soldiers
and a convict. 1 had orders to treat
this individual well, and the letter
/ had received from the directory
inclosed another, with a huge red
seal, which [ was not to open until
between 81 and % degrees west lon
gitude; that is, just before we were
about to cross the line.


The letter was a long packet, SO
well closed on every side that
it was impossible to catch the
slightest glimpse of its contents. I
am not naturally superstitious, bit
there was something in the look of
that letter that / did not altogether
like, though could give no reason
why. However, l carried it in my
cabin, and stuck it under the glass
of little shabby English clock,
which was fastened above my head.
was busy fixing the letter under
the clock, when who should come
into my cabin but the convict and
his wife! This was the first time I
had seen either of them. and l NAV
say that more prOpossessing couple
never met. The woman was
scarcely more than fifteen, and as
handsome a picture, while the hus-
band was an intelligent, magnificent
ly formed man, on whose features
nature had never written "villian." :"


His crime, to be plain, was the
misfortune of being a hundred years
ahead of his age. He and others
had attempted something which our
government called treason, and
which is punished with death. 1t
therefore OccasiOned me considerable
wonder that he should be placed un-
der my charge, but more of this af-
terward.


He had, as I said, his wife hang
ing on his arm. She was as merry
as bird; she looked like turtle
dove cooling and nesting beneath
his great wing.


Before a month had passed over
our heads, [ looked upon them as
my own children. Every morn /
used to call them into my own cab
in. The young fellow would sit
writing at my table-that is to say,
at my chest, which was my table.
He would often help me at reckon
ing, and soon learned to do better
than I could. I was amazed at his
ability. His young wife would sit
upon one of the round stools in my
cabin, working at her needle.


One day we were all three sitting
in this way, when [ said:


+" Do you know my young ones,
as it seems to me, we make a very
pretty family picture? Mind, 1
don't mean to ask questions, but
may be you have not much money
to spare; and you are both of you,
as l think, too handsome to dig in
the burning sun of Cayenne, like
many a poor wretch before you. Its
a bad country-a bad country, take
my word for it. /, who have rough
ed it through tempest and sunshine,
till / have the skin of a rhinoceros,
might get along there; but you'll
am afraid for you. So, if you should
chance to have bit of foolish friend
ship for your poor old captain, I'Il
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 l have
not a living soul in the world to care
for, or that cares for me. / want
relations, I want home, 1 want a
family. / should like to make my
home with you, my pretty young onel
What say ye? ?"


They said nothing at all but sat
looking, first at each other, and then
at me, as if they doubted whether
they understood what l said.


At last the little bird threw her
arms around my neck and cried like
a baby.


But" said she, suddenly paus-
ing, you haven't looked at the
letter with the big red SEAL"


" Hang it ~ l exclaimed, it had
slipped my mind entirely"


With a cold, dreadful sensation, I
went to my chest to see where we
were. l found that we had several
days remaining before we should
reach the proper longitude for open
ing the letter.


Well, there we stood, all three OF
us, looking up at the letter as if II
could have spoken to US. AS il
happened, the sun was shining full
upon the face of the clock case, and
fell upon the great, glaring red seal
of the letter. / could not help fan
cying it looked something like big
monster, an ogre's face grinning
from the middle of the fire it look
ed horrid.


+" Could not one fancy" said I, tC
make them laugh, " its great big
| eye were starting out of Its head p


" All, my love-" said the wife, ''it
looks like blood"


ft Poor,I, ,,no,,h y, 81 IL L.