The Last Entry

he Equator, stealing silently through the dusk. The hour was about half-past nine. The moon rode high and shone gloriously, and the edge of

p, stirless as alabaster mouldings, curving from each yard-arm,

rs from India to London, and once only had she halted-at Simon's Bay, where she put a lieutenant of Marines and fifteen men ashore, and then proceeded, after filling her fresh-water casks. She was a flush-decked ship, and w

nd silvered the whiskers of the gentlemen. On the weather side of the long quarter-deck walked the commander of the ship, Captain Barrington. A lady's hand was tucked under his arm,

ke upon the quarter-deck after five bells in the first watch. A considerable surface of grating stretched betwixt these three gentlemen and the wheel. The wheel was something forward of the gra

eyes up at the moon, and tasting his tobacco, with slow enjoyment, in the discharge of each little cloud of it; 'did it

to me?' said Captain Parry. '

lear-cut, that you might then realize, if you never did before, the miracle of her self-poised flight through the domain of violet ether. 'She is a circle,' said the doctor. 'So is the sun. S

ne of the gentlemen. 'P

is theory of construction proves the existence of a genius like

, I shall be like the sailor who, when he was washed ashore on a desert island i

arried ought not to be be

arried, Parry?' said the third gentl

wed the beautiful

t image. A man marrying is like unto a ship that grounds on a bar and beats over, where she lies unable t

continued to

om to move in. He's still contained in her, d'ye see, still in sympathy, still sacramentally one, yet he's got plenty of room,' he drawled. 'I remembe

?' said Parry, pointing into the starry

rs seeme

' said Piercy. 'I wonder if ghosts

e of Saxony. He came in complete steel, suddenly, upon his unhappy relative, who had idly pronounced his name, never

ho had been straining his eyes at the elusive gl

said th

play the spinet. I knew the old cock hadn't a note of music in his soul. His head wagged like a simmering cauliflower. I was in a mortal funk whilst he played, but was too weak to throw anythi

, before he left Ireland, he lent an uncle five pounds. On returning, after fourteen years, he called upon his unc

mistake has happened, goes forth to search for his own family. He finds them at last, a cultivated circle of people, and they all seem to know that he belongs to them. Strangely enough, young Brown meets in this family with one of the sons, a young fellow of his own age-call him Jones. Jones laments to Brown that he is entirely out of sympathy with his family. They are superior to him. He likes vulgar songs, the diverting compan

b and Jones an

cked in, so the sails hollowed to the sudden emptiness of the atmosphere along with the s

rd yesterday delights in it, and dwells alongside, a loving listener. I say, Mr. Mulready,' he called to the mate, 'when are you g

' answered the

stepped across the grating, and sprang upon the deck, then stood

said Lieutenant Piercy, 'or is it that his spirits sin

a fit of despondency, a mood of unspeakable depression, reaching even unto tears, may be ca

iercy; 'come below, do

and silence. At intervals faint catspaws stirred, none of which were neglected by the mate of the watch, who, regardless of the smothered curses of

face of the eastern sky. The watch of the mate came round again at eight bells-four o'cl

lass,' said he

saving her little top-gallant sail and royal. She was certainly not under command, an

. She lay head to wind, and the long pulse of ocean swell, in lifting and sinking her, exposed her sheathin

ass, and intently examining her for any signs of life, for smoke in the

d nearly the whole night long to measure the space betwixt the gleam over the

using for a breath or two in their scrubbing to glance at the graceful, helpless, lonely fabric that was now dr

icked up the telescope that lay upon the skylight.

-luck,' answered the mate. 'The

elescope at his eye. 'She's a gentleman's pleasure-boat. Has she been sacked, and her

aking on parrel and truss as they came round to the drag of hauling sailors. A boat was manned, lowered

ain had said. 'If she is derelict,

the schooner the skipper turne

ome together. There is value in that little ship, sir, and she

h in the head. Do not believe the bath-room of the metal pa

weetness through and through you. You gazed down, and saw the clear blue profound out of which the sparkling coil that hissed over your body was being drawn. It was t

caught sight of the schooner. He stood awhile staring; someone coming up behind him forced him to move out of the hatch. He stepped out,

dark, and there was something Roman and heroic in the cast of his countenance. He was airil

the third officer might with the naked eye easily have been seen to spring aboard,

eling suddenly upon the skipper of the ship as he

boat to board her,'

low me to us

n the bulwark rail, gazed thirstily. There was something of astonishmen

ooner. 'It is the same figure-head, exactly the same rig, the same size, so far as the eye can measure her at

is breath in

arry?' asked old Barrington, looking with cur

hen I was last in England, I went a short cruise in her along with Mr. Vanderholt and his daughter, the lady to whom-to whom-- Good God! the longer I look, the more I am satisfied. No nam

on. 'It is a very remarkable meeting. But we can b

ce on the quarter-deck, the heaving of the quoit, the bets on the run. Even a floating bottle was a something to cause a stir. It broke the dull continuity of the day. A sail was a Godsend. And here now, after many weeks of tedious ocean t

ed to have existence, the time of waiting and suspense was f

ern your friends. The vessel may have been sold. They may have been carrying her to some distant p

not often go afloat. How amazing to see her lying there! Of course it is the Mowbray,' he exclaimed, again levelli

Piercy, 'or something living wou

low Blundell return?' muttered

rd mate stepped on board. All the people of the saloon or cabin had by this time heard the news; they knew that an abandoned schooner, which was an ocean mystery, lay close by, and they had made

any papers. Here's her log-book, sir. The last entry is in a

that book,' sa

. All saw by his face and his motions, by his strange gestures, by the wild looks he would sometimes cast from the page to the sch

thing alive

r. I searche

ead b

e, s

enable us to make a guess at

left conspicuously open on the table of the cabin,

on?' said Captain Parry, who was so extremely agitate

t. They had heard that the last entry was in a female hand, and they ha

in, the door of which Captain Barrington shut. A large, old-fashioned stern window provided a spacious view of the sea. The light came off the water in a

nd. She is Miss Violet Vanderholt. You perceive,' he said, pointing with a shaking forefinger, 'that she writes her name. The story she tells is of a diabolical mutiny. It took place on December 15. This entry is dated the 18th; to-da

that the hands, together with the young lad

her story. Pray read it aloud t

s' on the right-hand side of each page. Captain Barrington, a white-haired man of fifty-five, with scarlet cheeks, glanced over a few of the ear

with them, that this yacht may be met with, and this log-book discovered. I heartily pray any into whose hands this book may fall that he will publish my na

concern. The officer brought his hands together in a convulsive gesture, an

as occasioned by the bad food supplied to the sailors. This was undoubtedly Captain Glew's fault. He had been commissioned to victual the vessel, and was responsible for her stores, and I fear he knew that what he bought was not wholesome for men to eat, though the charges my poor father was at should have given the men the very best quality of food. They complained to Glew, but not to my father. Captain Glew never hinted that the men were murmuring, and the mutiny was sprung upon us with dreadful suddenness. The captain and the mate seized the boatsw

ould not say. The men were undecided. Some were for going away in the boat, and taking their chance of being picked up, and some for remaining in the vessel. I gathered from his manner that these were few. What are they to do with the schooner if they stick to her?

e entry

the ship looked

this,' said the scarlet-faced

arry, stepping to the stern window with an ai

ng which moves by canvas has received the crew, we may p

Captain Parry, 'to be transferred from s

hat they were wit

a craft and send her home, sooner than leave her to go t

l writing, so to speak, in the heart of the Atlantic, with particular reference to her lover, and that lover reading her words there. 'It is as likely as not,' he continued, 'that they have gone away in the long-boat.

ain Parry. 'She can bear witness agai

ng a deep breath. 'It is certain, any