Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1892 — CAST UP BY THE SEA. [ARTICLE]

CAST UP BY THE SEA.

BY SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER.

r CHAPTER XVI —Continued. Tra/Kit this into his native tongue and the king made a short remark. “ What dcss he say?” asked Ned. “He says, ‘Dat’s a lie!’ ” replied Tim. At this flat*denial of the'planetary system, Ned'felt the impossibility of an explanation: he accordingly requested Tim to ask the king for his regarding the sun. The question having been put, the king consulted the sorcerers around him, and, after an animate discussion, Tim interpreted his reply: “De king say, Massa Ned, dere no such ting as one sun got plenty sun, every morning one. new sun comes ud out of de ’arth same like a pumpkin; den he climb up de sky all day and die when de night come, and bury ’self in de ground.” 1 “And what does he think of the moon?” asked Ned.. _ . After considerable discussionbctween the sorcerers and the king, Tim replied. “De king say, de young moon come very thin and hungry up de sky; den she swaller a lot of stars ebery night and grow a little fatjden at last she swaller too many stars and swell ’self out and bust herself right off ’xactly. , “Tim,” said Ned, solemnly, “these people ar® stupid creatures,xbut tell them that there* shall be a sign in sijt days from this time that shall teach them the truth. Tell them that the Great Spirit who made all things shall darken the sun, and the moon shall pass across its face.” • “Massa Ned,’’replied Tim, thoughtfully, ‘ not tell ’em dat story; now de nigger b’lieveal Massa Ned’s talk, but tell ’em one lie, den upset de boat ’xactly!” . ' Ned wag highly amused at Tim’s honest but ignorant advice, and he had some trouble in explaining to him the natiire'of an eclipse; but when’at length he showed him the exact hour in the “Nautical Ahnprlac” at which the event would take place, Tim at once the importance of 4 the phenomenon, although half incredulous of the fact. He now interpreted Ned’s prophecy, that at the expiration of six days a sign should be seen that would prove the existence of the Great Creator, as the sun should be darkened at midday. * ‘ [ “.'A

At this announcement the entire crowd raised a shout of incredulity, and the king having applied to his sorcerers, who shook their heads in derision, turned angrily toward Ned and spoke for some minutes in great excitement. “Massa Ned,” ‘ ‘better not tell dat kind of talk; de king very angryjlook what he say! He say: ‘How de White \jnan dare trow dedust in.de king's eV®? Tell him ope big lie dat make him look like one big fool ’for his people!’ Den de sorcerers say: ‘Try nim! if he make de sun black, ail, right; if he not make de sun black, kill him, dat s de trick!” At this moment loud murmurs arose among the crowd, and the king rose and retired with his sorcerers without taking the slightest'notice Jof Ned. The, sorcerers had always been jealouS'oLNed’s supremacy,and they now seized the opportunity of prejudicing the king’s mind against 'him, Several gave advice that he should at once be put to death for having attempted to deceive by so gross a falsehood; but the king, having duly considered the matter, came to the conclusion that some great evil might befall the country should he take Ned’s life unjustly, therefore it would be wiser to await the time when the phenomenon was to take place. Should Ned's prophecy be correct, there could be no doubt that he was a wonderful sorcerer : but shouldiL-faitrlfh would be an impostor who should be justly jpunished. In the mean time Ned was regarded with great suspicion. I On the mgrning*of the promised day one-of the king’s cows had twin calves at sunrise ; and, upon the intelligence being received, he immediately arose in astonishment and beat his huge drum to summon the attendance of his sorcerers and councillors. They had hardly arrived and beard the news from the king’s own mouth, as he sat upon his leopard skins beneath the great sycamore, when a messenger rushed in haste to his presence and informed him that one of his wives had just presented him with twin boys., Loud murmurs of astonishment were raised by the assembled crowd, and the sorcerers immediately advised the king to beat the drum qnd summon the whole population to hear the wonderful news, that the favorite cow and the favorite wife had produced twins almost in the same hour. Upon this the king beat the > drum, and every head man of a town quarter replied upon his drum, which general summons was almost immediately followed by a crowd of people, who collected from all quarters and sat upon the ground, completely thronging the open space around the .sycamore. ; The king now addressed the multitude, and explained that he considered this unexpected blessing must be the result of magic';" that the white man had promised a wonderful sign upon this day when the moon should darken the face of the sun, which they all knew must be /impossible. If indeed tMs should take place, there Could be no doubt that he wm the greatest sorcerer that had ever lived , but if, on the other hand, the sun should remain bright, there could be little doubt that the birth of two sets of twins wa» a sign that must be followed by • »"■■■■'. '■ /. *’**, ' - *’*’ a ... » . X*. j ;.. X.. ’'.-J' . i '' ■ -j..- . .

the’ death of tUa, white man. A loud cry of assent from some thousand voices followed the .©king's address, and a messenger waSmmmediately sent to summon the attendance of Ned and Tim. Upon their arrival the decision of the king was at once made known to them. ** Dis a very bad job. Massa Ned, ” said Tim ; “ a foolish business 'xactly; if de sun not turn black, dese black niggers kill Massa Ned. What can do to change dis bus’ness, Massa Ned ? ” “ Don't be afraid, Tim, ” replied Ned , “ the eclinse must take place between noon and one o’clock ; we shall triumph if you translate what I tell you without flinching. Tell the king, ” continued Ned, as he rose and fixed a lance perpendicularly in the ground,. “ that before the shadow shall reach this line (which he marked in dust with his foot) the sun will be darkened ; and, if my words are untrue, he may drive that lance through my body. ” With much reluctance Tim interpreted the ominous sentence, which was received by the king and the crowd in deep silence. .With much tact Ned then demanded of the king that twenty oxen should immediately be slaughtered and distributed to the multitude to celebrate the occasion. A loud, cheer burst from the crowd at this demand, and the king having assented, thektoxen were shortly brought to the spot and slaughtered; at the same time a huge tire was lighted, and long strips of flesh were thrown into the blaze and divided v'hen haltcooked among the thousands present. ’

This savage feasting consumed the interval, and twelve o'clock —arrived by the time that the remnants were cleared away and the feast was over. Ned now arose from the ground and drove the people from the spot in which he had placed the lance, while he deepened the line with burnt stick that was to mark the limit of the shadow. The king and his sorcerers now anxiously watched his proceedings, but none more eagerly than Tim, who dreaded the result of failure. At first the lance threw no shadow as the sun was vertical; but slowly the dark line began to lengthen toward the east. Many of the crowd now stood up in their excitement to watch the gradually increasing shadow, while some attempted to gaze on the glaring sun that shone in a spotless sky with a power that appeared unquenchable, The time passed oil and the shadow of the lance grew longer, and stretched nearer and near to the fatal limit. Tim’s heart beat quick, and he fixed his eyes upon Ned in despair, as at length the dark line extended within a few inches of the mark. The crowd began to murmur and the sorcerers whispered to the king and shook’their heads in derision of Ned’s presumption. The king’s features assumed an expression of angry discontent as he lent forward

to see whether the shadow had reached the defined limit, at the .same time he beckoned to a huge black whom Ned knew to be his principal executioner. This brutal looking fellow anvanced with a rope wound round his waist, with which he was accustomed to tie the arms of his victims, and he smiled grimly at Ned, as though he considered him already in his power. Ned began to fear that he had made some error in the calculation of the hour, as the shadow 6f the lance almost reached the line; when a sudden gloom, as though a passing cloud, caused the shadow to disappear. Ned sprang to the ground and raising his extended arm toward the heavens, he invoked the protection of the Almighty in a loud clear voice that produced a startling effect upon the king. The gloom increased, and, shortly a black shadow veiled a portion bf the sun, and a dark sphere crept slowly but surely over its disk. It was like the dim twilight of evening gradually tncreasihg toward darkness, and the round black object could now be seen Creeping across the sun, until merely a thin crescent of its light remained. With a loud cry, the king and all his people threw themselves upon the ground and hid their faces in their hands; Ned and Tim alone remained standing amidst the crowd of prostrate savages. “Cry out, Tim, in your loudest voice,” said Ned; “This is the work of the Great Spirit that the white mamserves! this is the hand of his God!” Tim repeated these words with great energy in the native tongue; the whole crowd groaned with terror. “Cry out again, Tim,” said Ned; “Rise up and the sud will regain its light!”

At these words the king arose trembling; together with’tgome of his people, but the greater number still remained prostrate upon the earth. Ned then approached the king and directed his attention to the sun, which slowly resumed its brilliant proportions as the eclipse passed away. " Turning to his chief executioner the king gave some directions, and before Ned could interfere, the sorcerers who had advised his death were seized and strangled upbn the spot, and their bodies were dragged outside the town to be devoured by the hyenas that prowled around the entrance during the night. The king and all bis people were now convinced that the birth $f the double twins was the work of Ned’s magic, and he was

looked upon as the most wonderful sorcerer that had ever been known; thus from that day he had the highest position in the state, and he was hourly tormented by applicants of both sexes for charms and talismans against every imaginable evil. With all this evil be had been unable to inculcate the true idea of religion into the savage minds. Some few, indeed professed to believe in the Great Spirit that had darkened the sun; but thedeSth of a gbat or a cow was in all cases sufficient to dispel their belief in a god who allowed their cattie to die. Prisoners in this land of heathens,: and apparently cut off from the rest of the world forever, and from his loved home and Edith; wem us t leave Ned and return to other scenes.

CHAPTER XVII. Five years had passed away since the memorable day when the body of the brave Dick Stone had been committed to the waves and the dismasted Polly had been towed into Falmouth by the British cruiser.. The gallant defense of the lugger against a superior force, and the dexterous escape of the crew from a French prison through the intervention of Leontine, had made a great sensation at a time when hardly a week passed in England without some deed of daring that claimed the admiration of the world. ALeontine, upon her arrival at Falmouth, had found herself in the position of a heroine father than a prisoner, and upon her devotion and brave conduct being made known to the authorities she was Rewarded by the freedom of her brother Victor, who was in the Falmouth jail. It was a happy day for Leon tine when the order for his release arrived and she was permitted to visit the prison and throw herself inSher brother’s arms as his unexpected deliverer. She had been kindly received by the mayoress of the town, who had supplied her with clothes, and after a few week’s delay both she and her brother,, with other French prisoners, were forwarded to France in exchange for the British sailors who had been captured in merchant vessels. In the meantime, while Leontine had been rendered happy, a cloud of misery had shrouded the cottage on the cliff at Sandy Cove. The few men who had remained ’ among the Polly’s crew after the fatal engagement returned to the Cove from Falmouth, and the wailing of women in the little village for husbands and sons lostTn the action was the first sound that had struck upon Polly Grey’s ears a few minutes before Joe Smart arrived and gently broke the dreadful intelligence. Paul Grey had been seen to fall in the heat of the fight, and there could be no doubt of his death. Polly was stunned bv th# shock of this overwhelming affliction; her heart was withered by the blow, as all the fond 'hopes'with which she had comforted herself in her husband’s absence were thus crushed forever. It was long before she could weep, and for days she sat upon the terrace wall and gazed at the barren sea as though she still hoped that the well known sail would reappear, and that she might once more clasp her arms around Paul’s neck. She would then retire to her cottage and open the drawers and look at the clothes in which she had so often seen him; everything that he had worn had become dear to and all that had been his was how sacred; there was the red Woolen comforter that she had knitted for him, and this she took in her hands, and letting it fall upon the ground, she fell upon her knees, and buryingher face upon the bed she sobbed “O God! I am a widow, and my boy Ned is also gone!” she cried, as she appealed in the agony of her grief to Him soi 1 comfort. In this hour of, deep affliction she was not alone; she had a devoted friend and comforter in Edith, who loved her fondly, and who strove with affectionate care to soothe her distress. Mr. Jones, who had gone through a similar bitter trial, showed her the greatest kindness, and it was resolved that the cottage at Sandy Cove should be sold, as»4he scene of the old home only served to awaken painful recollections. When a few weeks had passed and the first burst of grief was over, Polly mournfully turned her thoughts to her late husband’s affairs. She was in debt to Captain Smart, as he had advanced considerable sums to liquidate various claims. She therefore proposed that all the effects, together with the cottage, be sold, and that the Polly should be put up at auction at Falmouth, as it would be useless to enter upon the expense of the necessary repairs. It went to Polly’s heart to part with .Paul's old lugger; but as Joe Smart was hey counselor, and he declared it to.be positively necessary she at length decided, and it was sold at Falmouth for £160.' ,

The cottage remained;and this, together with, the furniture and the nets, etc., was shortly advertised for auction, and upon the appointed day the people assembled at the sale. Joe Smart was not only the active manager of the whole affair, but he had determined to become the purchaser of the cottage, which would thus relieve him from the unpleasantness es receiving* money from the widow of his friend Paul for sums that he advanced. He therefore outbid the highest offer, and therefore became the ptpprietor, not only of the cottage, but of the principal articles of When all the little was realized, through the care and industry of Joe Smart. Polly found herself possessed of knout £3OO. Although the interest of small

sum was only £ls a year, /t was Sufficient for hey, simple wants, as she resided with Mrs. Jones and Edith at the rectory as one of their family, while Captain Smart called twice a 'week to arrange the accounts of the estate. (to be continued.)