oal was passed, the merchant sighed
with relief at seeing the vessel now safely on her course, when the woman
uttered a harsh cry, and raised her hand as if to command silence until
something happened that she evidently expected. For this the onlookers
had not long to wait: the brig halted and trembled--her sails shook in
the wind, her crew were seen trying to free the cutter--then she careened
and sank until only her mast-heads stood out of the water. Most of the
company ran for boats and lines, and few saw Rachel pitch forward on the
earth-dead, with a fierce smile of exultation on her face. The rescuers
came back with all the crew, save one--the man who had challenged the old
woman and revengefully burned her cabin. Rachel's body was buried where
her house had stood, and the rock--before unknown--where the brig had
broken long bore the name of Rachel's Curse.

NIX'S MATE

The black, pyramidal beacon, called Nix's Mate, is well known to
yachtsmen, sailors, and excursionists in Boston harbor. It rises above a
shoal,--all that is left of a fair, green island which long ago
disappeared in the sea. In 1636 it had an extent of twelve acres, and on
its highest point was a gallows where pirates were hanged in chains. One
night cries were heard on board of a ship that lay at anchor a little way
off shore, and when the watch put off, to see what might be amiss, the
captain, named Nix, was found murdered in his bed. There was no direct
evidence in the case, and no motive could be assigned for the deed,
unless it was the expectancy of promotion on the part of the mate, in
case of his commander's death.

It was found, however, that this possibility gave significance to certain
acts and sayings of that officer during the voyage, and on circumstantial
evidence so slight as this he was convicted and sentenced to death. As he
was led to execution he swore that he was not guilty, as he had done
before, and from the scaffold he cried aloud, "God, show that I am
innocent. Let this island sink and prove to these people that I have
never stained my hands with human blood." Soon after the execution of his
sentence it was noticed that the surf was going higher on the shore, that
certain rocks were no longer uncovered at low tide, and in time the
island wasted away. The colonists looked with awe on this manifestation
and confessed that God had shown their wrong.

THE WILD MAN OF CAPE COD

For years after Bellamy's pirate shi