"what Was It?"

In tho yeat 183 - I was in cumman 1 of tha Dolpliin, a hne bark of six liuii.li ■ . tons. We had boen on a whaling voyage, and bad obtained an ünusually good oargo of oil, both in quality and quantity. Witli our course luid for itom.0, the OTew in good hoalth, and a fair prospect of percentage moiiey oti the oatgo, what inore could wo want to keep the song anl tho jost on the lips of thy crow 't Tiine pussed quiekly tilong. "Iloincwtid bouud" haa an inteusifiod uienning to tho whalur's crew, and as we bowlod ulong with a good breeze, each day getting nèarer and ntutrer our hornea and firesi les, thero were Few on tlu; vessel who did not i'eol tupir spirits riaing with cacti duy's progrese. no niglit about dlovtiii o'clock I was ñtting ut ihu upper end of my cabin-ta■ nsulting a chart on which tho :i"iyimw. liji'l ((.■."■nAlia'Lbïwi blo nature of the woik had aroused ny sensitivo féulings to such an extont tlis.it [ determinad to try how far a cigar and a walk on dook would stoady uiy ñervos. Just as I was about rising Irotn niy ohair to go ön dock, I noticed u, figuro desconding tho compaiiion way before nio. A singlí! glauco told me it was not one ot' the ortiw. Xo one of my well-fed, eleek men could possibly look as miserable as tliis iiguro looked, oven ut the digtanoe at which I saw him. Slowly ho descended tho eteps, grasping the hund-rail to support himsülf as if ho were too í'ceblo to desosad without support. His back wus bent, and his head lay forwani on his broast as if ho was carofully watching his footsteps ; his feot werö barj, whiío his head was enveloped in a pieco of old sail-cloth in placo of a cup. His left arm hung downby his Kido carefully rollod up in his coat, which had ovideutly beou taken offi'or thatpurposo ; and iliü arm itsolf appeared to be brokeu. tuietly and without uttenng a woixl ho appfoacbed nic ; and ut last he sat down at tho opposito oud of tho table to that which was my accustomod place. Ho thou slüwly iraisod his houd, and a sight was proaented to my astouishodgaze, the like ot whiuh I hopo 1 uiay novor seo again. A fine, noble faco it was ; but attouuatcl by diseaee and euüoring, or perhnpa both. Tho features had been good and regular, but now the oheoks were bunken and hollow ; tho teeth, white uud btbq, were iinuly set togethor, while toe thin, parchad lips were arawn back from tliom. The cyos wero black as coal, but sunK far back into tho hoad, and I taw that they were at onco tixod on uio with a dull, unmöauing stare. Tho figuro now stood just opposito to mo, and I feit luyself bi)ollbouiid to my seat without the power to address it. llaving looked at mo fixedly for somotime, tlio tiguro then walked up to my sido till it touchcd my shoulder. Itoaching out his arm, ho laid a bony fiager on tho chart which was on tho table, and beiore I could musler courage to articúlate, lo, he disappeaivd ! Becovering my composuro somewhat, I sprang with a bouud up the companionway, and shoutod for tho mate. He speedily replied to my cali, and carne aft, draggiug Bomethiiig behind hiiu which kopt up a continua! howling. As he cumo nearcr to me 1 saw that it was my Labrador dog Casper, and 1 inquircd tho meaning of what lic was doiug. "Why, sir,'' lio replied, "tho dog lay on the eompanion-natoh untilafow moments ago, apparently sound aslcep, when all of a suddeu ho sprang up with a horrible huwl, and rau forward to his kennel with his tai] between his lega. I then went af ter him, and found him in bis kennel ghaking with fright ; and when 1 pul my hand in to pat liim, lio attempted to bitts me. Hearing you cali, I dragged hiiu after me ly bis collar, to seo ií he not bcen hurt in soino manner, í'or 1 nov er,saw him act so bei'oro." 1 did not examine tbe terrified dog. 1 i'olt that he had seen my visitor as v 11 as myeelf. With 80me difficulty I soothed him, and tbon went down bulovr. Walk ing ap to niy table, 1 cast a look down ut tbe chart. At tbo oxact spot wbi ; visitor luid plueeil his attenuated íinger I s;iw a dull red mark, and, on a cío:naination, I perceived tbat it was a drop of blood. ïbe mark indicated a position on the chart whicb. was about a days sni I and ;it right anglea to our courso. Poi two Uours I paced tbo deok, wondering at what had bappened. Tbo visitoi too surely no creation of my own iio iitinn, for the dog hadseen the figuren WL'll as inyself, and the spot on the ohar was plain evidonce. What could i mean 'i I half dotermined to ask tbc mate's advice. He was a tirm believer in spiritual man ifestations, and would enduavor to solvo the enigma in some way or other. Bu thtüi I nad alwaya ridiculed hié notioní and it was too galling to my priile to aak bis advice now or. that of which I -Ji;ul always denied the existeñee, sare in a heated iniagination ; so I deteruiined to keep my own counsel. Turning in soon I after, I slept woll, awoko rcfresbud - termined in my own mind to say uothiiiM' and think nn more ftbout it, Wlu'ii [ got on dock, I found that wo wti'u becalmod. Not a, ripple was on the water, 'i'lio day passed away monotonously onough. Th o crew alopt I read ud smoked, and eleven o'elock thatnih found mo in my chair ut tho hcad of thi table in the eabin. 'aspor, who had quite got over hi: fo:trs, lay on tho batch at the head o'f thi, c ilnii staii's. I could hear the pat, patoi his tail aa a, BOrt óf ;t greoting to tho mato ui ho kopt passing hiia in his walk on the doek. luis eveuiug my thoughts wen tranquil, for I was reading a volunto ot of Lougfello.w'a pootos, uud was iu tho ni.it:.;. of "Evangeliue," when 1 heard a howl front Caoper, and thu scurry ot' wis feet as ho scaininered forward. Looking up, I eaw my visitor of tho provious ïiiglit iigftin dogoending the companionwiiy. ELe seemad uiuch weaker, and (iiiü; lowiy down, clutching thu band-rail with his one sound arm and hand. He walUcd uoros.s tho cabin moro í'culjly than bi.'t'ore, and his rospiration was heavy and labotod wlu'ii ho reached the tabie. He glonoed at iho table with au anxious look) as if to nee whether ino chart was stiil thero. It was not. IIü thon gazod at nu? with ;i dioappointed iiid borrowful stare, and disappeared. 1 retnsined ((uictiy in my chair for about ten minutes alter tho (■■pei.'tro had departed. NV ben l went on duck, I found ■ --U' endeavoring to soothe tlie dog, who snapped ai.iI snarlod iu his kennel until it waaunsars toupproaoh bira. Leaving hiiu there, 1 w i.t below ; aml tbrowiug myself, draesed us I was, ou my coi, 1 triedtoiljep. Unrefreehmg aud fovorUh was the ?loep whicll VÍHÍtcd Ulo tliat uight, ;uit l arose in tho morning t. t-tlly unlit tor wü. of any kiud, and with my nérvea ontirely uustrung. Wliat was expeeted of mt r For wiiut purposo had I beo:i wacned r1 Vi'liat umst I do p Tlms I musid tho ontire day, Ut&per kopt eloso to bis kennel all the timo, and steadily rofuaed to Oüt or (hink. Whenever auy of us approachod hint hu attemptod to gaap at us, nd appoared s if entirely under the infhkenoe of some taí fe ie. '1 Uec .1:. coatir.ued the entire duy, aud wo mudo uo progresa wbatü tot. Again evoning appioached, and thu Banio liour fouud ïuo, us on the piovious two nigbts, sittinfl; at my tuble. This tiute l eagerly awaited tnyvisitor. Wonld tho figure ag:tiu appoarh I found aiyBulf hgpiug that it would. This time I did not attempt to road, for my thouphts were to.j tvoubled to poruiit oouoentra my miud on any böok. The iame chart, with tiiu bloodstain on it, l&y on tho table befóre m ■- Woulil my visitó if he como agaiu, touch that spot, or would ho ri vtf Hit? sumo othur t'ín wliili raight indicíate !o me the oöurSe I ouc;ht to]ursao ï Tliis time there w:'.s ho Casper ti want me, but I feit that the Bgure was coruin);, oven ore it appn'inl. Proaently I raw it coming down the stuirs. Tbiatimi t w ; evidontly lar wcakor than before, for with dimculty could it stand, and it tuileJ down tho Bteps in manifest sufforing andagony. At last it roachod thu cubin floor, and attomiiicd to mlvunco toward ïprang up and ran toward it ; but tiio moment i moved the spectre vanished, uud whon I atteinpted to raiee the fallen ilgui', my hands touched tho cabin üoor. And r.ow a light seemed to break npon me. I roshed upon doek, whero 1 found tho inattó and crew Betting all Bail to oatch the bre&ze whicli bad gprung up. I iuimediatcly gavu orden that tho Dolphin'i courso should be altercd to that whioh would briug us to tho spot markoJ so plitinly on tho chart by the drop of blood. All that night I paoed the doek. Xo hlet'p seemed possiblo to mu until thia hiddeu mystery should bo revealed. We made a beautil'ul run, and with d:iyiig!it I hopud to had what 'i - 1 kuew not. Thu day dawn brouyht a ditappointmout. A dense fop lay ou tho face of the ocean. Wo could diuutru nothinj; at ton yard'a dietance from tlu vesael'a sido. Aceording to my caleulatiou, and by the log, wo should have been not far iVom hat bpot on thu Wlde soa whero I hopod o iïnd a solutioii of the mystery. Toward noou tho wind died uway, and t length desorted us :;llogothor. ïhon he fog tlowly uro.su, and I at onoe, , n hand, asoonded the riggiug. Witli ea;er gaze 1 Boanned tho horizon ahead and on both bows, but no wolconie objeot met my eye. Disheartenod at I ki:ow not what, I was coming down, when I chancd to look directly astern. Abaiost direotly in uur wake, but far astern of us, lay m object, which by thu lid of my glas, 1 made out to be an opon joat I eould not disoern anything in it, md it aiJDeared to lie like a ioír udoii tho water. Tho i; was soon lowerod, according to my orders, and a niate ind :i boat's crow wero dispatched to innpect the boat sit ay far astern. I telt quito uoequal to go uygelf, 80 ugitütuii was ), but 1 had presince oí' miad enough to order some brandy and nourishtnout suitable to the riek ;nd faiuished to be brought up ou deck. 1 feit as assured that my visitor was there as ii' I had mmh kim in the boat ; but wbetber dead or alive I darod not Epocuate. Twice I bad b( rn summoned, and iftil neglected tho summons. Ou the bhirdoccasü hilsunk, :o all appearanci i on tho iloor oí my cabin. Was he dead, oi was bu only in a dciith iike svoon 'i I thought over the wonderful incidente which had caused me to iiud tho boat. Che v.iüil had died away wben I had nog; lectedto obey the fin t uiumons, uur did it return un til af ter 1 had recoivedthe tbird cali. Had it not again died awny wben it did, I should have paesed tho boat so far in the fog, us not to beable toaeeit whon tbc fog hi'ted. As it was we wire vfry nearly out ei' sight when the horizon ba - oaine o Half an hour's more wind, iindtlii' tery ' ver have boen revoaled. Searco could I restrain my impatienoo. ïïowevcr tbero was no help for it. I must wait xuitij the p;ig retumod. Afti'r bours of ■ in tow. Umiblo to enduro tho terrible suspense, I went down hito tbo cabin. vd the gigj toueh the sido, and the mate giving orders 1o low..:iy thechair front . i rm. : 1 thought they had fouad him; but hu must be too feoble to climb the ghip'g sido. A few moinents and I board approaching footsteps, and down tho ght, wiih the a88iatai some of the crew, my visitor for üxofourtf, time ; but now reaily und truly iu tho He was Bnpported in tho arma of th . but he held on to the band-rail jus as I had seen him in tho threo visión llis lt;i't arm hung loosely at bis siJe, an was bandaged up jugt aS I bad obscrvei on the threo occasions of the spoctre' Yu gave him proper refreahment, anc ]mt him to bed. Êe gradually revivei] iind in a few daya waa able to teil hi j sttiry. Ho had been a captain of a larg trading yessel in the l'aeifie. Tho ere had mutinied, und cast him adrii't in th open bout, with nctbing to eat but a few biscuits, which were Üiro wn into the boa ■ in derision by oue of the mutiaeors. When these wore eaton, ho tried to eko out Ui' by eatioc liis shouH, and with water wrung from his clothes uftur ruin uud heavy duws hu had quenohed ia a manner his thirat. Whon found by the mato, ho lay extended in tho bottotn of tho boat in iv (Jo.ith-liko swoon, and ovvtsd his recovory porhape, chioily to the brandy which 1 had Bont in tho gig. Ia a few duya mure wu Osuiatud him on deck. Casper no soonor saw him thun hu low at him, and but for my iuterfererict) would hnvo torn him to pieoes. During thu reut of the voyagü vru wure oUJiyod tt kcoj) the dog chainod up. As soon us vo puixoivud thü boat, the T)üljjiiiü bad duuu jut upoa hér futuur course, and now, with u fuir wiud, we aguio upad merrily on. I nuw iolt satisSud that omona and tigi.s were sometimos vonchsatud to mortal men i'or :urtuin gravo ruuBuns, und though not supurotilious, I still be liuvo that thcy are lauro lïtiquent Ihan ia usually .suppused. As we uuurod tiiu port tbr which wo wore Luund, Ceptaiu Willimns (for sucli wa tho mime of luy visitoi) wiis ono duy oitting with me iu tho caUn, wheB ho uakod to m tUo ohart, as tiu wished to piuk out thu put whure 1 ia. L louud luiu. 1 g;vvo him au cntiroly nw chart, and ij busied huuselt' bharp ening his pencil witli wiiiuh to mark tho place whuro he uid to ncarly loit Uis lile, üuddonly I leard an exclaiuation iicia L.m, winch 10 foüowud up by b:tyin : "My duur 1 au very sorry ; but I lavo out u;y iino.', unti have drupped i somo blood ou your ohart, aud I bue that . h;ivo oilt'd tUo vuiy sjiot whiuh I wus oinj; tu pjiut out ai tltat whereabouts yuu iouud uio. Uut, ho uUik-d witü u iight luugh, "that will do iuitcud to mark tüo place." l liuvu the tvvo cliurts now, both of j thom matked oiiicüy alike; onu duno by Captain Williaing in tUo ilnh, aooiduntüliy : the othur by Beadr, ouu Vuu teil whom i