The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 226: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Beacon Ship of Half Moon Bay. 219 motionless, he saw no signs of life about it. He called and no one answered, but seeing a chain hanging down the side, he let his boat go and climbed by it to the deck. He expected either to find the vessel deserted or the crew all below. On the contrary, he was met by a man in officer’s dress the moment he stood upon the deck. This man’s face was as emotionless as a Sphinx, and the ereeting he gave my friend was as cold as a New Yorker could give a poor relation from the west. No one else appeared on deck, and without inquiring into the manner in which he had been shipwrecked, or evincing any in- terest in him, the officer led him to the cabin, where food and a change of clothes were given him. On board every- thing was supernaturally quiet. The waves. lapped against the vessel’s sides and that was all. No figures moved upon the deck, and the vessel itself was absolutely motionless. Within a few hours the rescued man was able to move about, and he made an attempt to reach the upper deck. He found his cabin door barred. Calling for help, his call was answered by the man who met him on the deck of the mysterious vessel. His re- plies to my friend’s questions were short and unsatisfac- tory, but this much the latter soon learned—that he was a prisoner. Why, he could not conjecture. Who his jailer was he could not imagine. For two days he remained in his cabin and to him was given every necessary attention, although in a non-com- ECOnNIE OOO“KS (©)