WE were homeward bound with a fair wind. Two bells had been struck in the mid-watch without one of our men having started even an apology for a story; but the silence was at last broken by the following inquiry: "Does any man on this forecastle know what's become of Cap'n Osborne as used to sail out of Boston a good many years ago?"

       "Which d'ye mean?" said an old foretopman; "there's been a good many of that name masters of Boston vessels; but I never knew anything particular about any of 'em, unless 'twas Cap'n Willis Osborne."

       "Ah! he's the very man!" returned the other; "I sailed with him a number of voyages, off and on, but of late years I've lost track of him; but do you know what's ever become of him?"

       "Run mad — crazy — got out of his senses," was the reply, "and finally got killed by a whale, which was the most rational thing he'd done for a whole cruise; but if you'll take the trouble to listen for the matter of a few minutes or so, I'll tell you all about it.

       "I was supercargo of the Muscatine barque; Cap'n Will, as we used to call him, commanded her. We were bound from Boston to Valparaiso. We were several days out before Cap'n Will made his appearance on deck. He stayed below in his state-room, and left the barque entirely to the charge of his officers; and I couldn't help thinking that certain ship owners in Boston had got rather a queer sort of man to command the fast sailing vessel in their service; however, I saw nothing which led me to suppose he was not in his right mind, until one day when we were a little more than a week's sail from home, it begun to blow in squalls.

       "The second officer had the deck at the time, and had just given orders to clew up the royals, when Cap'n Will made his appearance on deck for the first time since leaving Boston. 'Mr. Toby,' said he, addressing the second mate, 'I wish you to recollect that it's expressly against the laws of Neptune to ever take in a royal excepting while the vessel lies in port;' then looking aloft, he recalled the boys who had gone up to furl the royals, then went immediately below again. When we were in the Gulf Stream, he came on deck and ordered stun'-sails set, when we should at least have been under single-reefed topsails, and the consequence was, the loss of the booms with everything attached.

       "After this he did not interfere with the officers again — in fact, he took no interest, seemingly, in the working of the barque, until one night off Cape Horn, when it came on to blow — and it did blow a terrific gale, too. Not caring to sleep, I left my berth a little past four bells in the first watch, and going upon deck, joined the mate on the quarter-deck. Every stitch of canvass had been taken in and furled, with the exception of the main-topsail close reefed, and the fore-staysail; yet the barque rolled and plunged fearfully, and the sea continually swept her decks.

       "'Have you noticed how singular Captain Osborne appears of late?' said the mate, addressing me.

       "Before I could reply, we were joined by the object of his inquiry, who came on deck with nothing on but his pantaloons, and his long hair streaming in the wind. There was no longer any doubt in my mind but what he had gone crazy, and taking the mate a little further aft, I told him my fears.

       "'I think the same,' said he, 'but it will not do for him to see us talking here,' and requesting me to stand by him in case of an emergency, he turned away.

       "'Mr. Freeman,' said the captain, 'go forward and call the other watch, and prepare to make sail.'

       "'They are already on deck, sir,' replied the mate. 'I have just taken in the fore-topsail, and was obliged to call all hands.'

       "The captain burst into a fit of laughter. 'What an idea,' said he, 'calling all hands to take in a mere rag like that! A mere child could furl it without difficulty; but I'm glad you've called all hands, for we need them to make sail; we've lain here becalmed long enough; now good-by to all slow sailing, and go forward, Mr. Freeman, and set that fore-topsail again.'

       "The mate hesitated a moment, to satisfy himself that the captain was in earnest, then went forward and set the sail, although it blew so violently it was with difficulty sheeted home. He started to go aft, when he met Cap'n Will coming forward.

       "'Mr. Freeman,' said he, 'set everything forward.'

       "'It wont do, sir,' said the mate, 'there's already more canvass on her than she can well carry.'

       "'Set everything forward, I say,' shouted the captain, in his ear, 'or, if you like better, you may go below and keep the cabin-boy from throwing the anchors overboard. I'll take the barque to Valparaiso before daylight. Loose the foresail, men; see the halyards all clear, and stand by to sheet home. Wont she sail beautiful, though? Some of you boys lay up and cast the gaskets off the fore-top-gallant sail and royal. I'm bound to be in port before morning, so work lively, boys, while we have a breeze.'

       "'Captain Osborne,' said the mate, 'this is downright folly, to think of carrying so much sail in such a gale as this.'

       "'Loose the fore-topmast staysail and the jib,' shouted the captain, entirely regardless of the remonstrances of the mate.

       "The foresail was at length set; but no sooner set, than the lee sheet parted, and the sail was blown into ribbons quicker than you can say 'belay that.'

       "'Work lively with those head sails there, and bend on a new foresail — it never'll do to lose such a breeze as this.'

       Cap'n Will had hardly ceased speaking, when the jibboom parted close to the bowsprit, and came alongside with a terrible crash, throwing the man who was loosing the jib into the sea. Almost at the same instant the fore-top-gallant and fore-royal mast went over the side, carrying overboard the two boys who had gone up to loose the fore-top-gallant sail and royal.

       "'Lay up and loose the mainsail, and shake the reefs out of the main-topsail — we want more kindling wood.'

       "For the last few moments I had watched the mate closely, and on seeing him beckon to me, I left the quarter-deck, and made my way forward, but before I had passed the main rigging, he took a belaying pin from the rail, and with one blow felled Cap'n Will to the deck; then binding his arms with a bit of seizing stuff, he lifted him from the deck and carried him to the cabin, and into the state-room, then fastening the door, came immediately on deck, and ordered the barque put about on the other tack, in order, if possible, to save those who were overboard. The men all saw the true state of affairs, and obeyed the mate's orders with all possible despatch; but the barque was so encumbered with the fallen spars, that considerable time elapsed before we could clear the wreck, and put about on the other tack; and no boat could live in such a sea as was running then; and although we cruised about there for a long time, we saw nothing of the missing men.

       "Mr. Freeman mustered all hands on the quarter-deck, and stated to them his belief that Captain Osborne was crazy, and that while any symptoms of it lasted, he should take the command of the barque upon himself. The crew had seen enough that very night to convince them of the truth of his statement, and they all agreed that it was best for him to take command of the vessel as long as Captain Osborne should show symptoms of insanity.

       "The captain was securely confined in the cabin, and a close watch kept upon his movements. For a few days he raved incessantly, although he did not appear to realize how matters stood on board the barque. A few days before we got into Valparaiso, he was taken dreadfully sick with the brain fever, and remained so most of the time we laid in port; but a few days before we started for home, he began to recover not only his health, but his reason, and had forgotten entirely the events of the past few weeks. All he knew was that he had been sick. He now took the command of the barque as though nothing unusual had happened, although he several times remarked to the mate that he must have had a great deal of heavy weather to have carried away so many spars.

       "When we were three days out, on the homeward passage, the mate had a fall from the main-topsail cross-trees to the deck, which broke his arm, and otherwise disabled him so that he was unfit for duty. Cap'n Will stood his watch for him. Everything went on finely until after we doubled the cape.

       "One fine night, while we were coming up the South American coast, I was below, engaged in conversation with the mate, who had not yet sufficiently recovered to resume the charge of his watch.

       "'I've been thinking,' said he, 'that I should go on deck to-morrow and try to stand my watch again. I don't exactly like the way the captain has appeared for the last twenty-four hours; he acts strangely; he may have another crazy spell for all I know; at any rate I think it best to keep watch of his movements.'

       "He had hardly ceased speaking, when we were startled by a tremendous crash, accompanied with a shock that shook the barque from truck to kelson. The thought of the instant was that some vessel larger than our own had run afoul of us. We both rushed upon deck immediately, but not a craft of any kind whatever was in sight excepting our own. The next thought was that we had struck upon a coral reef, but upon going forward, I knew in an instant that such was not the case, for our starboard bow was completely demolished from the top-gallant rail to the water's edge, and had we struck upon a reef, the probability is that the damage done would all have been below the water line. There was but little time to spend upon conjectures, as the barque was rapidly settling in the water, and we had barely time to provision our boats and push off, before the barque went down. Upon mustering our men we found them all safe with the exception of Captain Will. He was in neither of the boats; but his disappearance was accounted for, as well as the cause of the loss of our vessel, by the man who had been last at the wheel, in the following words.

       "'I relieved Jack Bronson at the wheel at four bells. I had been but a short time there, when Cap'n Will came up on the quarter-deck, and says to me, 'Ned, go forward on the forecastle and see if you can make out what there is on the weather bow.' I was going to strike one bell for some one to take the wheel while I was gone, but Cap'n Will stepped up, and taking the wheel, tells me to hurry up and report what I made out ahead.'

       "'I went right away forward, and soon made out that what the captain had seen was a very large sperm whale apparently asleep on the top of the water, and I went aft and reported accordingly. At the course we were then sailing, we should have passed somewhat to leeward of the whale; but the moment Cap'n Will knew what was ahead, he had the yards braced in, and ordered me to keep her up a couple of points.'

       "'I dare n't disobey orders, although I knew that if the whale didn't haul off or go down, we should be afoul of him. As soon as the yards were braced up, Cap'n Will went forward. He had hardly got on to the forecastle when the barque struck the whale about amidship, and the next instant his tail came across the forecastle directly where Cap'n Will stood — and here we are in these two boats as the natural consequence.'

       "After a brief consultation, we headed our boats for Pernambuco, and having pleasant weather and a smooth sea, we arrived there in a little more than two days from the time the barque went down so unceremoniously, and we soon had an opportunity of shipping for home."

(THE END)