That night the cook was lodged behind bolts and bars, so that he could be found when wanted; and he must have been in a strange frame of mind when he found his villany was discovered, and his punishment in this world certain.

Captain West asked me a great many questions about my father and mother that night, but I do not remember of his ever alluding to them again.

The cook was returned to New York in irons in the Fowler with us, but escaped punishment from lack of evidence to convict him, although the judge was very severe m his remarks as he discharged him.

I sailed many voyages with Captain West in the Fowler to all parts of the world, working my way through the various grades from cabin-boy to that of his chief mate, and I never saw him any different from what he was on my first trip to Rio.

In time I succeeded to the command of the vessel, and then, as he always remained single, he stayed at home and looked after my own family while I was away, for in time I married, and had boys of my own, who are now almost ready to begin on the Fowler to be ready to take her when I leave

the sea, and Captain West is deemed to be grandfather to all of them.

He is a hale, hearty old gentleman now, and as he is extravagantly fond of my youngest boy, I think in the years to come, when a long and honorable life is finished, he will make him a successor to the property he has accumulated.

May the day be distant when the Grand Master calls for his faithful servant, for he is one truly, and one who alway tried to better the condition of those who for the time have been under his immediate control, trying to wean them from the usual vices to which mariners are addicted, and teach them that there is something beyond their usual cry of "a short life and a merry one," failing in some cases, but succeeding with many, who, in after years, blessed the day that they fell into his hands, and rose above the condition to which degradation had frequently plunged them.

Captain West, although he was not a liberally educated man, was the beau ideal of all sailors who knew him, and among others who respect him above measure is the writer of this humble sketch, Robert Ramble.

A blossom from an apple tree
She broke, and, smiling, said to me—
A smile that rippled into words
As wavelets break by breezes stirred:
"This flower, friend, has seemed to me
A hint of what our lives may be;
So bright it blooms, with sun and dew
It's food and drink the whole day through.
"So little, as it hung up there,

It seemed to think of toil and care,
One could but feel as if it grew
To be a blossom all life through.

"But when, sun-kissed, its leaves unfold, The prophecy of life is told.

Do we not know that from God's hand There never falls a broken strand?

"That this, which as a blossom grown, A hint of life's bright things has shown, Appleton, Wis., 1874.

Will yet, by withered leaves, declare The changes we must also share? "But as the long days come and go,

And ere its leaves beneath the snow
Are buried, as our hopes may be
Neath pain and losses-we may see
"The heart within it strangely stirred,
And springing forth, as by His word,
Will be the germ, that power will hold
To draw from sunlight all its gold;
"From morning's sky the roseate hue,
Distil the sweets from evening dew,
Using them all with nature's care,
Till perfect fruit is hanging there.

"Thus may the loss which frets and grieves
Prove, as the blossom, naught but leaves;
And by it may our hearts be shown
The way the perfect fruit has grown.”

MICHIGAN, as a territory, and even in its younger days as a State, was a resort for some of the most noted criminals of the age. Separated from Canada by a river which could be easily crossed, a vast wilderness affording protection to gangs and bands, the towns and villages far apart, railroads and telegraph lines hardly dreamed of, the territory for years contained more rogues than honest men. A man could commit almost any crime and be safe from arrest by crossing into Canada. Robberies could be committed in the barns, murders on the highway, and the criminals had only to seek the swamps and forests to escape. The officers of the law were few in number, were intimidated and overawed by the rascals, and each traveller and settler understood that he must look to his own knife and pistol to protect himself.

In the year 1832, my uncle Silas Wright, living in Chenango County, New York State, decided to make a trip to Michigan with a view of settling there, he having a family, and being a man of considerable means. He was a stout hearty man, who had made his property by hard work, and he was just the man who would defend his means with his life, if occasion required.

He reached Detroit without adventure, and after spending a day or two in the city to make inquiries, he determined to travel into the interior and look up some land. He had about a thousand dollars with him, mostly in bank notes, and he took a friend's warning and purchased himself a pair of double-barrelled pistols and a good knife. He learned from the newspapers and from citizens that many lawless characters were prowling about the interior of the territory, and his preparations were only a matter of prudence. I have often heard him tell what befell him on his trip, and I now let him tell it to the reader:

"I left Detroit in company with a man named David Comstock, from Ohio, who was in the territory on the same missionto locate himself a farm. After making due inquiries, and learning that some very

choice government land could be found by travelling northeast, we took our departure on foot. It was in September. The roads were in bad condition, and we believed that we could get along better on foot than with saddle-horses, especially as we might have trouble to find provender for the beasts, and as we would now and then want to leave the road, which ran northeast, and was but little better than a path. The trees had been cut down in some places to make a highway thirty feet wide, and again the path wound among the trees so that the passage of a vehicle was an impossibility. There was not a bridge on the route, and the cabins of the settlers were sometimes miles apart. All the goods and provisions taken in had to be packed on horses or carried on the backs of the settlers."

(I stop my uncle to say that this road is now a great avenue, paved and planked, and runs through two of the finest counties in the State.)

"Comstock had about five hundred dollars with him. The money was all in gold, in five and ten-dollar pieces, and he had it tied up in a handkerchief and thrust into his bosom. He was armed with a singlebarrel pistol only, not having so much as a jackknife besides. So far as I could judge, he was not the man for an emergency, having but little confidence in his pistol, and none at all in himself. He had heard of the horse-thieves, counterfeiters and desperadoes which we should be likely to encounter, and we had hardly lost sight of the city when he began to express his fears that we were unwise in making the trip.

"During the forenoon we met several hunters and quite a number of settlers, most of them on their way into Detroit. Every man carried a rifle, most of them a pistol and knife, and all were uncouth and savage-looking in our eyes. We had started out soon after seven o'clock, and despite the bad condition of the path for a share of the way, had made a distance of thirteen miles when we sat down on a log to eat our

dinner. We had provided ourselves with dried beef, crackers, cheese, and other articles enough to last for two or three days, and each one of us had a stout blanket, being warned that we might have to depend on ourselves for provisions and lodgings.

"We had passed at least beyond two miles of civilization, and just previous to breaking our fast had been told by a traveller that we would not find another cabin for five miles. We had seen no land to suit us as yet, and were determined not to end our trip until we had seen the fine timbered country which was said to lie awaiting purchasers and settlers within two days' tramp of Detroit.

"After satisfying our hunger, and while I was gathering up and packing away the remains of the meal, Comstock discovered that his money was not securely tied up, and he drew out his handkerchief to retie the knot. He knew that I had money. I knew of his gold, and so he did not hesitate to unfold the handkerchief and exhibit the bright yellow pieces, which looked truly tempting in the September sunlight.

"That's a fair shake of gold for a man to carry around in the woods! I haint een as much for a year!'

"We looked up to find a man standing within three feet of us-a wicked-looking fellow, with long red hair, red beard all over his face, and a pair of eyes which would not have been out of place in the head of a wolf. He stood leaning on a heavy rifle, and his appearance petrified us for a moment. He must have been watching us for some time from behind some of the large trees, and had taken advantage of the moment when we bent over the gold to step out and come nearer. My hand went up to my breast and pulled at the butt of one of the pistols, but a devilish smile showed itself in the stranger's eyes. He lifted his rifle a little, and remarked:

"None o' that, stranger! I kin put a bullet into your eye before you git that plaything half ready to shoot!'

"Who are you, and what do you want?' I inquired, considerably excited, and not at all liking the fellow's words and looks.

Ez to that,' he replied, grinning like a baboon and lowering his rifle again, 'it's none o' yer business, but I don't mind telling ye. I ar' called Hank Williams by some, an' others call me what they please. I don't ginerally tell my business to stran

gers, but, in this case, I ar' free to say that I goes where I likes, comes when I wish, and stays ez long ez I car' to!'

"He laughed a devilish laugh as he ceased speaking-a laugh more like the growl of a bulldog than anything else, and his eyes roved back to the gold, which Comstock, in his amazement, had nearly forgotten and quite neglected. My friend caught his look, and was not a minute in tying up and stowing away his money.

"Land-hunters, I s'pose?' remarked the stranger, after a pause which neither of us was inclined to break, anxious as we were to get rid of the man, and hoping that he would take himself away.

"I replied that we were of that class, and proceeeded to make some inquiries of the man, realizing that it was more prudent to be civil than to exhibit our dislike of his presence. I praised the country, remarked on the civility of the pioneers whom we had thus far encountered, and offered the fellow our provision bag.

"Yes, this ar' a fine country,' he remarked, never noticing the provisions. 'I'd like to tramp with ye for two or three days an' show ye some of the finest land in the world, but I've got a press of business just now, and ye'll have to excoose meha! ha! ha!'

"I could not see anything mirthful in his remarks, especially as his face grew more wicked as he uttered them, but I made no reply, and he walked off, we continuing to watch him until he was hidden among the trees.

"Comstock was greatly frightened at the incident, and was for setting out for Detroit immediately, declaring that the man, having seen his gold, would follow and murder us at the first opportunity. While I believed that the man's cupidity had been excited, and that he might not hesitate to commit murder for the sake of gold, I would not listen to Comstock's idea of going back. I argued that we could plunge into the woods, make a long detour, and then throw the man off our trail, if he intended following us, or we could keep the path and take a run for a mile or two, getting among the settlers again before Williams, as he called himself, could come

up.

"Talking in this way, Comstock's fears finally vanished, and we started off and ran for a full mile without a halt. Then,

walking another mile at a fast pace, we concluded that we were safe from pursuit, and at the end of the next mile had almost forgotten the noonday incident. We were getting into a finer country; the road was better defined, the settlers' cabins were more frequent, and Comstock felt quite jolly, boasting that we could have easily finished off the hunter had he attempted a murder.

"My view of the adventure was a more serious one. The hunter was a desperado and a villain, I was sure, and I had a belief that he would attempt in some way to get possession of the gold on which he had been allowed to feast his eyes. I believed he would follow us, but did not think he would dare attempt a murder by daylight, as he would naturally have a fear of being detected, and as he could only shoot one of us with his single weapon, leaving the other to resist or escape, 1 made up my mind that his effort would be made after dark, at our camping or lodging-place, and so imparted none of my fears to my friend. "About four o'clock in the afternoon we came upon a prairie about forty acres in extent, and paused for a moment to survey it. The hieroglyphics on a tree near the path showed that the land had already been applied for, and we envied the lucky

man.

We were then a mile beyond the last cabin, where a woman had informed us that we would have the same distance to tramp from the prairie before reaching another. She had further informed us that four miles on would bring us to The Log Tavern,' which was situated at a spot where the west road' crossed this one. As I stood leaning against a tree, looking about, I caught sight of something moving out from behind a large oak about fifty feet away. Looking sharply, I saw a fur cap appear, then a mass of red hair, and then the face of Williams! He must have seen that my face was turned toward him, for he drew his head quickly back, and 1 saw no more of him, though I continued looking at the tree until Comstock had moved on quite a distance.

"It was now certain that the man was dogging our steps. We had failed to elude him by our run, and I felt, as I started on after my friend, that the villain would shoot at one or the other as we moved out on the prairie. If I turned about and walked up to his hiding-place, he would be

sure to shoot me; if we kept on, he might pass the opportunity by. Thus I reasoned as I followed on after Comstock. If you have never experienced the feeling that an enemy is behind you, prepared to lodge a bullet in your body, having an inclination to do so, and you expecting he will do so, you cannot imagine how I felt. The chilla danced up my spine, I felt my hair crawl, my knees were weak, and had Comstock looked around, he would have seen a pale face. I was thirty rods or so from the tree behind which I knew the villain to be hiding, when the feeling became so oppres sive that I stopped and wheeled about, determined to see if the man was in sight.

"The movement saved my life. As I wheeled, a bullet cut through the rim of my slouch hat, passed close to Comstock, and went singing over the prairie. Then we heard the report of a rifle, and both caught the smoke from the tree.

666

My God! who did that?' exclaimed Comstock, his face as white as a sheet.

"I knew that Williams had tried to murder one of us, but as he did not make his appearance from behind the tree after a moment's waiting, I concluded not to tell my friend what I had seen.

"It was a stray shot from some hunter's rifle,' I replied, as coolly as I could. We had better hurry on.'

"As we turned, about a dozen Indians, all on foot, appeared on the further side of the prairie, and I knew that we were safe from a second shot. By hurrying across the prairie, we should have a good start of the villain, who would not cross until we had entered the timber, and we could then quickly make the distance to the nearest dwelling.

"We had passed the Indians with a mere word, and after entering the timber, ran almost every step of the way to the cabin. It lacked only an hour to sundown when we reached it, and we had made up our minds to stop there for the night. Great was our disappointment, therefore, to find the door nailed up and rude letters on it announcing, 'gOne BaCk to ohIO-curse suCh A Country! The furniture had all been taken out, the place had a lonesome look, and at the risk of another shot from Williams, I advised that we push on to the Log Tayern. Comstock was agreed, and just at sunset, without having heard or seen our enemy, we arrived at our destina

tion. The name given the hamlet was 'Smith's Corners.' Beside the tavern, which was only a fair-sized loghouse, there was a sort of trading-post and the house of another settler. The whole clearing was not over six acres in extent. We saw corn and pumpkins growing in a field, but the balance of the clearing was covered with brush, stumps and logs. A dozen Indians stood around the door of the trading-post, others were riding away, and the scene was wild and savage enough to have satisfied the cravings of any romancer.

"There was no one present as we walked Into the tavern, nearly half of which was partitioned off as a public room. Benches were ranged around the walls, a huge fireplace occupied one end, and a keg of whiskey and a pint cup rested on the end of one bench.

"Hillo, strangers!' cried a voice as we drew up before the fire, for the night was quite chilly. Which way did ye come from ?'

"I leaped up as I heard the tones, and as I turned and caught sight of a red head, a face covered with bristles, and two hyena eyes, I looked to see where the man's rifle was, believing him to be Williams. The same voice, same hair and bristles-it was he or his brother!

"What's the matter?-lost yer power o' answering a civil question ? continued the man, appearing somewhat put out at our astonishment-Comstock having the same,

feeling.

"1-I-thought you were some onesome one else?' 1 replied, finding my voice at last.

"Ha! ha! How can I be some one else and still be Dan Green?' laughed the man-the same 'ugh! ugh! which Williams had uttered. 'But you ar' from Detroit, I s'pose, an' I calkerlate that you mean you want to stay all night?"

"I replied that we so desired, and he went to a door and called to 'Jane' to get supper ready for two. He then threw another log on the fire, took a drink of whiskey and went out, saying that the woman would call us when the meal was prepared. "That's the same man who met us at noon whispered Comstock, his hand shaking as he laid it on my arm.

"I thought so at first, but he is not,' I replied. This man has a scar across his forehead, while the other had none.'

"When the man had drunk from the cup, he pushed up his cap, and I caught sight of the scar. I had also observed that he was shorter and stouter than Williams, and felt satisfied that he had a separate identity. However, I had made up my mind that the pair were brothers! No two men not of the same blood could look so near alike, and have voices so singularly brutal and unpleasant. I did not dare to tell Comstock of this opinion, as I saw that he was already badly frightened. Anything further I feared would completely upset him.

"I was doing my best to reassure my friend, when the woman called us to supper. The fare consisted of corn coffee, Johnny cake and salt pork, and the appearance of the room was in keeping with it. The woman was tall and stout, her hair cut short, her eyes black and ugly, and L did not like her looks in the least. She watched us covertly while we ate, and did not so much as utter a word.

"During the meal I made up my mind that we would settle for our supper, and leave the house for a night in the woods, feeling that we should be as safe with the wild beasts as with such evil-looking people. But as we walked to the door I saw that a cold drizzling rain had commenced to fall, and the fire felt so comfortable that I did not broach my plan to Comstock. Perhaps we were too suspicious, and, being unused to the ways of the pioneers, had wronged the people about us. I was pursuing this train of thought when the landlord came in, replenished the fire, and chatted so civilly about the country, the people, the chances, etc., that I quite forgot my former suspicions.

"It came to be nine o'clock almost be-fore I knew it. One or two Indians had come and gone, the atmosphere had grown colder, the fire felt more and more comfortable, and I was ready to doze as the landlord went to see about our bed. He had just stepped out, when Comstock gave a cry of alarm, his face blanched:

"Look there! Look at that face against. the window!'

"I turned quickly about, but could see no face-only the panes wet with the rain.

"Either the landlord or the man who met us in the woods was looking through that window!' said Comstock, as I turned again to the fire.