t red
Admiralty book, an official publication, later in date, and particularly
full on Midway Island?"

"That's a fact!" cried Nares; "and I bet the first Hoyt he ever saw was
out of the mercantile library of San Francisco. Looks as if he had
brought her here on purpose, don't it? But then that's inconsistent with
the steam-crusher of the sale. That's the trouble with this brig racket;
any one can make half a dozen theories for sixty or seventy per cent. of
it; but when they're made, there's always a fathom or two of slack
hanging out of the other end."

I believe our attention fell next on the papers, of which we had
altogether a considerable bulk. I had hoped to find among these matter
for a full-length character of Captain Trent; but here I was doomed, on
the whole, to disappointment. We could make out he was an orderly man,
for all his bills were docketed and preserved. That he was convivial,
and inclined to be frugal even in conviviality, several documents
proclaimed. Such letters as we found were, with one exception, arid
notes from tradesmen. The exception, signed Hannah Trent, was a somewhat
fervid appeal for a loan. "You know what misfortunes I have had to
bear," wrote Hannah, "and how much I am disappointed in George. The
landlady appeared a true friend when I first came here, and I thought
her a perfect lady. But she has come out since then in her _true
colours_; and if you will not be softened by this last appeal, I can't
think what is to become of your affectionate----" and then the
signature. This document was without place or date, and a voice told me
that it had gone likewise without answer. On the whole, there were few
letters anywhere in the ship; but we found one before we were finished,
in a seaman's chest, of which I must transcribe some sentences. It was
dated from some place on the Clyde. "My dearist son," it ran, "this is
to tell you your dearist father passed away, Jan twelft, in the peace of
the Lord. He had your photo and dear David's lade upon his bed, made me
sit by him. Let's be a' thegither, he said, and gave you all his
blessing. O my dear laddie, why were nae you and Davie here? He would
have had a happier passage. He spok of both of ye all night most
beautiful, and how ye used to stravaig on the Saturday afternoons, and
of _auld Kelvinside_. Sooth the tune to me, he said, though it was the
Sabbath, and I had to sooth him 'Kelvin Grove,' and he looked at his
fiddle, the dear man. I can