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"The contract," said the unfortunate captain, "will expire precisely at twelve o'clock on Friday night next. I shall then be sent for, and I must go, though floated upon a river of flame."

The tale was uttered with the emphasis of fearful sincerity; and the captain was listened to by the crew, who had silently gathered near, with mute amazement and terror. Sailors are always superstitious, and under the circumstances of the present case, the wildness of the night, the angry billows rolling beneath them, and the agitation of the captain, upon whose face large drops of sweat stood trembling, induced them to yield a ready belief to the dreadful tale.

During the two succeeding days the same strange conduct marked the behavior of the unhappy captain. The weather, meanwhile, became lowering and gloomy. It was November; the clouds hung heavily above, and the wind blew in fitful gusts. As the evening of Thursday drew duskily on, the captain was observed, in deeper agitation than ever, to be looking toward the north with his glass. He looked again and again, and was sometimes heard in half-suppressed mutters between his clenched teeth: "Tis she! She nears! O God! There! do you not see her, Seward ?'' exclaimed he to the mate, handing him the glass. The mate looked, and, strangely enough, he did see, or thought he saw, a trim ship, with all her rigging set, yet without sails, just on the edge of the horizon. The captain said it was a fireship, and directed the man at the wheel to change his course, as though he would escape from it. The mate, however, had a stout heart, and endeavored to pacify the captain. But Captain Warner still insisted that he saw a fire-ship, and seizing the helm himself, bore away to avoid so unwelcome a companion.

The mate now endeavored to rally the captain by gratifying his whim, and, if possible, by diverting his mind.

"On deck, there!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Come, boys, and get up the guns. True enough, it is the devil that Captain Warner sees; but he's a lubberly seaman, and can't stand silver. We'll put a few of these doubloons into the guns, and give him a peppering which will throw him on his beam ends."

But this rally had not the desired effect. The unfortunate officer was not to be amused, and some of the sailors now almost thought they saw

Anon their knees began to the fire-ship too. shake, and their stout hearts to sink within them, as, without a rag of canvas on her bare poles, the fire-ship came nearer and nearer.

The morning of the fatal day at last dawned. The sun rose clear and red. Again was the captain gazing through his glass, apparently at some distant object, paying, meanwhile, no attention to the affairs of his ship, the government of which, indeed, had for several days been left with the His eyes began to glare more wildly than mate. ever, gleaming at times as though a spark of hell lay burning in them. He took no refreshment, but paced the deck when not gazing through his glass, his bosom heaving with unutterable anguish. During the day the phantom-ship did not approach rapidly, but was still dimly seen in the horizon, tacking on and off as before. Toward its close the sky was overcast, and the weather grew tempestuous; and with the approaching twilight the dreaded ship seemed to shoot along and approach nearer and nearer with astonishing raAs it became darker, moreover, the pidity. capper-light, called by the Italian sailors the corpi-zanti, and in the estimation of seamen the rare precursor of disaster, played around the masts of the brig to the increased consternation of the hands, and even the stout heart of the mate began to fail him. The fear and the agony of the captain increased every instant. Before ten o'clock, the mysterious ship was seen to glide around the El Dorado (the name of Warner's ship), and the captain seized his trumpet and hailed her. "Ahoy, the fire-ship!" applying it to his ear and carefully listening to catch the reply. Then, placing the trumpet to his mouth, he entreated, "Oh, spare me a little longer!" Dropping the trumpet, he now attempted to spring on the side of the ship, but was prevented. By and by the El Dorado was hailed from the strange vessel which continued to hover around like a spectre, and the captain returned through the trumpet: "Ay, ay, directly," attempting at the same time to disengage himself and leap into the deep.

Meanwhile, the agony of the captain increased, and he wrung his hands convulsively. He then made a short prayer, and, taking an elegant gold watch from his pocket, called for the mate.

"Here, Mr. Seward," said he, "take this watch and remember the fate of its owner."

"I don't want your watch," exclaimed the honest seaman, "I have one of my own."

"I have but one moment to stay," continued Captain Warner, "and may as well leave it here," at the same time laying it upon the binnacle.

The mate and crew, meanwhile, kept a sharp watch upon the captain, whose movements caused them to fear another attempt to spring overboard. But at this moment, it being past eleven at night, their attention was startled by a loud thundercrash, and, to their inexpressible horror, the shadowy vessel that had been chasing them suddenly blazed forth a ship of entire flame, and the cry of "Ahoy! Come on board!" was distinctly heard proceeding from the fire-ship. The poor captain, now writhing with the most horrible contortions, replied as before, and a fiendish laugh was heard in the distance. It was now impossible to hold Captain Warner longer upon deck, and he was accordingly confined in the cabin and the doors barred; one of the crew, a vigilant and trustworthy fellow, being stationed below to watch his movements.

The fire-ship now drew fearfully near. The sea, lighted up by the reflection, rolled and heaved like an ocean of liquid fire. Noises of a frightful description also proceeded from the ship, the flame now assuming a bluish hue. At length, as the chronometer was on the point of twelve, the same grating hideous voice called:

"The hour has come. Come on board!" In an instant was heard from the cabin, "I come, I come!"

Then followed, in a twinkling, the crash of windows and a splash into the water.

Immediately the fire-ship disappeared, leaving the El Dorado in a gloom of undistinguishable darkness.

A shrill, piercing cry of distress followed the plunge into the water, which was succeeded by a burst of harsh, discordant, diabolical laughter, mingling in the wind as it swept over the surges, and all was still. The cabin doors were unbarred tremblingly, but the captain was not there.

The man who had been stationed below reported that the captain continued to walk the cabin in great agony for a few minutes, when he made the exclamation just repeated, and, turning suddenly around, sprang from a surprising distance through the cabin window, carrying away the casement and all. Lights were procured and the boats let down, and every effort made to discover the captain, but in vain. Though repeatedly called, no sound was returned. The spectre fire-ship was seen no more. The black clouds broke away soon after she disappeared. The sea was hushed, the moon arose, and its silver beams began playing upon the tossing billows, sparkling like a lake of liquid light.

The command of the brig now devolved upon the mate, and after a long passage, without further incident, he brought her safely into the port of destination at Antigua. The story, however, of the captain's fate and of the spectre fire-ship was soon bruited about, and never would seamen navigate the El Dorado more.

THE LITTLE DEMON. By B. P. SHILLABER.

THE following story, told me by a friend who occupies rooms in town, he being a single man without family, has a little witchery in it that may please the young reader under whose eyes it may fall. Anything that bears a mystery about it has a particular charm, and a fairy story of a pleasant sort always commends itself. The incident which the story describes had so pleasant an effect on my friend that I thought the narration of it might be equally satisfactory to others, and so I have told it as nearly in his own words as

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one feels better alone, and this was one of them. I sat in a half-dreamy mood, leaning back in my arm-chair, thinking upon what had happened during the day. The rumble of carriages in the street came faintly to my ear, and murmured sounds of life within-doors were occasionally heard, when suddenly these sounds all ceased and perfect silence reigned, except the faint ticking of a clock upon my mantel shelf, which seemed to add to the impressive stillness. By and by the clock struck nine, when, as if in continuation of the alarm, the air seemed all alive with the sweetest melody, as from many little bells, which rose and fell in waves of sound, now near now remote, coming near me and then retreating into. distance, until almost lost to hearing. It wove itself among my dreamy fancies as a complimentary surprise concert, and I listened with pleasure and wonder.

"Puzzled, aren't you?' something said very near me, with the least bit of a very sweet voice.

"The bells ceased their ringing. The shade over my lamp cast a gloom about the room, and I removed it, turning my eyes to every corner to see, if possible, what or whom it was that had spoken. Nothing unusual was there, and the voice and the bells were silent.

"Speak again,' said I.

"I waited for an answer to this, but none came, and thinking I had been deceived by some sound in the chimney, or had fallen asleep for a moment and dreamed it, I settled back in my chair again and dismissed the matter from my mind. I had recovered that day a cent, which bore the initials of my name, that I had set in circulation more than twenty years before. It was a new coin when it started, but had come back to me battered and worn, bearing marks of having seen very hard service. As I settled back in my chair, I thrust my hand into my pocket, and, feeling this coin, took it out to examine it. I thought of the many hands and scenes through which this penny had passed, and then recalled changes in my own career during our years of separation. My mind seemed unusually active, and many things came before me long since forgotten.

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tion, and there, sitting upon a book, was the queerest little figure that could be imagined. It was of human form, but only two or three inches high, dressed in a very strange costume, with a round, shining face, brimful of fun. There it sat upon the book, swinging its little legs and arms, its body swaying backward and forward, as if it were moved by a spring. As I looked at it, it nodded its head and gave me a broad grin. "Do you know me?' it asked.

"I can't say that I do,' I replied; but your face is very much like this cent which I hold in my hand. Your features are very marked.' "That's so. Now look closer.'

"I did so, and, sure enough, the face of the little object was an exact copy of the coin which had come back to me after its long absence. The eyes and mouth were formed after the stamped letters, and the living look of the eyes, the queer twist of the mouth, and an almost invisible nose, made it very funny.

"What are you?' I asked. Can't you guess?'

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"'No.'

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You?'

'Yes, the cent you held was but the form. I was its spirit, and gave it the power to awaken thought.'

"This was said very seriously, and the little face looked quite centennial.

"But,' continued the genius, 'I did not come here to worry you. I thought you might like to know the story of the cent and some of its adventures, and so I slid myself into your hand to-day as the apple-woman at the corner gave you your

"A penny for your thought!' said the little change, deciding to make you a friendly call this voice again, just by my side.

"It was very distinctly spoken, and came directly from my table. I looked in that direc

evening. Am I welcome?'

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should open the book, and lean against the cover, it would serve the purpose. Your legs, however, permit me to say, are too short for that; but if I put this paper-weight at your back, it may do quite well. There, how is that?'

"Excellent, thank you. And now, how would you like to hear something of the twenty years' experience of a penny tramp?'

"Very much,' said I, assuming a listening attitude; now, fire away.'

"I don't like your expression,' said the little visitor; it is disrespectful to me, and is slang, besides unfit to be employed by one gentleman in addressing another. I shall not fire away. I am not a gun.'

"Well, I ask pardon. Please proceed.'

"After a few moments' silence, the visitor began: "Of course, I cannot remember every circumstance that has happened during twenty years; even what I could tell would fill an immense volume. When you stamped those letters upon me, I felt that I was a slave, and resolved to escape the first chance that offered. As you dropped me into your pocket, I discovered a hole in it, and determined that, when once in the street, I would slip through. This I did, and rolled off gleefully, happy to be free. My freedom was short, however, for I was picked up by an old lady, who got into a car, and gave me, with four others, to the conductor. I soon found myself among a pile of very common cents, from which I was taken to serve as a pocket-piece, because I was new and bore your initials. Don't go to sleep! You were nodding.'

What!

children, traded by hucksters; I have off to sleep again? Is this the way to treat one cent to you, so to speak?'

"But, really, my dear'

"Demon,' said the sprite, seeing my hesitation. "Well,' I said, dear demon, if that pleases you, I heard every word. If I gaped, it was from a greater wish to take in all you said.'

"Did you hear,' said the demon, anything I might have said about the National debt and Mr. Vanderbilt and the Washington monument?' "Of course,' I replied.

"Well, that is cool enough,' said he, looking at me a little scornfully; 'I didn't allude to them.' "Then I heard all you did say, didn't I, if you didn't say anything?'

"That's a logical escape,' said the demon; but I thought you were napping.' "Not a bit of it.'

"Well, I haven't much more to say. Did you ever hear of Peter Smith's sentiment ?' Never did.'

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'Well, he got a lot round him, and called upon them to respond to a sentiment he had, he said, to offer. Taking a cent from his pocket, he laid it down upon the table. "That's the cent I meant," said he. Capital, wasn't it?' "'Yes.'

"Well, I was that very cent. Ha, ha, ha!' And the little imp laughed till he was red in the face.

"Pardon me,' said he, stopping suddenly and resuming his narrative, 'I have taken part in our important financial matters, went around the world in the pocket of General Grant, helped

"I was merely nodding,' said I, in response buy oil for torchlights, been the last cent of to what you said,' blushing as I spoke.

"Don't tell me!' replied the little imp; 'I can see through a millstone, especially if it has a hole in it as large as your mouth was then. You were gaping, sir.'

"Well, well, go on. I'll be all attention.' "I have been in the pockets of millionaires and beggars, and it was hard to tell which held on to me the tightest; I have formed part of the capital stock of a child's savings' bank, and been shaken out to buy hairpins of a peddler; I have been the last penny that finished a monument and picked up by an organ-man's monkey; I have helped pay the public debt, and served in a scant collection for the poor; I have been hoarded by misers, squandered by profligates, invested by

several ruined fortunes, but of all the things I've done about which I'm least disposed to boast, is where I was exchanged for a cent's worth of yeast by a man who weighed two hundred pounds. I am battered and defaced by age, but am still as good as new, and yesterday-'sterday-'sterday

"

Then I heard the ringing again of the little bells, wave upon wave, all around, coming near and then retiring, and a little voice cried "Goodnight!" in my ear, as a mosquito might have uttered it, when I brought up my hand holding the cent with a hard slap, which hurt me, and I became conscious that I was alone. The seat was vacant upon the table, the bells held their tongues, and I held the coin in my hand, bearing date 1859. Was it a dream?

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