"Yes, sir," said the housekeeper, lifting the faded velvet cover. "You can see it."

"Move the carvings," said I, looking steadily at Miss Westneath, "till they take the shape of a crown.' "A crown!" said Miss Westneath, raising her head and looking at some distant point in the ceiling, as if she were slowly recalling something. "Yes, I seem to remember; it was a crown, and then the keyhole was visible. I saw my uncle do it."

She stepped to the coffer, and with my help slid the scrolls into the position I had suggested, exposing the keyhole.

"But the key-where is the key ?" she exclaimed, with disappointment.

"Do you remember nothing about it ?" I said, watching her keenly.

"Nothing whatever," said she, decidedly, and I saw she spoke honestly.

I stepped to the tall candelabrum, and after an instant's examination discovered the little brass key deep in the heart of one of the brazen lilies.

Years have passed since then, but nothing unaccountable or mysterious has happened to me; not even a dream worth telling of has visited my quiet slumbers. For the largest part of the time Rita has been my dearly-cherished wife, not picked out for me by my happy cousin Nellie alone, but selected, as she and I fondly think, by some fateful power, before I had set sail for England.

GENERAL PUTNAM'S FEAT AT HORSE NECK.

THE many hairbreadth escapes and the remarkable acts of bravery, with which the name of General Israel Putnam isconnected, begin to fade from the attention of the present generation, though there are old people among us who still delight in telling over the story of the wolf, the

"Give it to me !" he exclaimed; "she has no right to it. Perhaps there's jewels in that chest, and she would like to get them the way she got the rest."

"More like the will is in there that will set things to rights," said the housekeeper, who, I learned later, had already given warning to her new master, and did not mind offending him.

He grew pale and seemed to wither at the possibility. "No," I said, "I do not think the will is there now, but perhaps I can tell you where it is," and I was about to tell the whole strange story of my vision, if that is what it should be called, when it occurred to me that Miss Westneath might not wish it told just there; so I begged to be allowed an interview later in the day at the house where she was staying.

I met her there at my aunt's, and in the presence of Uncle Ralph, Nellie and some others, told the whole strange coincidence of my seeing Miss Westneath's somnambulistic acts in the library upon the identical night when her aunt's body lay in state, and of my recognizing the scene of the occurrence in the house at Westneath to day.

"If the opening of the coffer to-day had not proved your words, I should almost question your sanity," said my Uncle Ralph.

"I almost question it myself," said I; "but I am per suaded that the will is buried in the coffin with Mrs. Dillon."

"The vault shall be opened and the coffin examined at once," said my uncle; "although I very much wish that no hopes may be excited to be disappointed at the results of a search, which I cannot help feeling myself foolish to anthorize, as it is founded only upon the baseless fabric of a dream-if dream it was.

*

The search was made, and there, where I knew it had been placed, was the packet of papers. Among the documents was the will, which gave Rita her own again, and a memorandum stating the banking-office where Mrs. Dillon's jewels were stowed.

I have no theory by which to account for my strange

the sturdy old hero.

One of his bravest acts was in putting out the fire that threatened to blow up the magazine of Fort Edward. On that occasion he was so badly burned that several weeks passed before he recovered.

In 1758, being hard pressed by a band of Indians, he, with a few men, dashed down the dangerous rapids of the Hudson River, near Fort Miller, in a bateau that seemed every moment to be going under or breaking in pieces.

The astonished Indians, finding him apparently proof against their bullets, concluded that he was under the especial protection of the Great Spirit, and gave up their pursuit. The same year, while returning to Fort Edward from an expedition to watch the French and Indians near Ticonderoga, Putnam's corps was surprised, and he himself was captured and bound to a tree, where an Indian warrior amused himself by throwing a tomahawk at his head and informing him that when they got to their destination he would have the honor of being roasted alive.

The tree to which old Putnam was bound was between the contending parties, and he was for an hour or more exposed to a hot fire of bullets and arrows. At last the French and Indians were forced to retreat, taking their captive along. He was tied to a tree, and brush and dry bark heaped around him and set on fire.

Putnam was past hope, when a French officer, named Molang, came up and discovered the deviltry of the Indians. He instantly dashed upon the fire, scattering the burning stuff, cut the cords that held Putnam, and set him free from death-but not from captivity. He was taken to Montreal, where he was honorably treated, and subsequently exchanged.

All this was in what is known as the French and Indian War. We know how, when he heard of the battle of Lexington, he left his plow in the field and hastened to Boston, riding sixty-eight miles in one day; and we know how well he behaved in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

When Washington came to take command of the army, he had in his possession commissions for four majorgenerals; but only that for Putnam was promptly delivered, there being dissatisfaction with the others.

hundred feet in height. The astonished British reined in their horses, not one of them daring to take the fearful risk of such a ride. As Putnam went down he got one English bullet through his hat.

The place down which the daring officer rode was furnished with rude stone steps, by means of which the people could get up to the top of the hill, on which their meeting-house stood. "Putnam's Leap" was long one of the sights of the neighborhood, but it has pretty much passed away.

Putnam rode on to Stamford, roused the available militia, and hung upon Tryon's flanks for a time, capturing fifty prisoners. These he treated with great humanity, and soon after had them exchanged. Governor Tryon was so pleased with Putnam's kindness to the prisoners that he sent him a letter of thanks, in which he alluded to the spoiling of his chapeau when he was riding down the precipice, and sent a promise to send him a suit of clothes in compensation.

This was the last daring feat of a man who did not know what fear was. In the same Summer he had service in Pennsylvania, but in the Winter was taken with paralysis, and returned to his home. The motto on his tombstone is: "He dared to lead where any dared to follow."

SMUGGLING OPIUM.

FOR five years had I sailed in the ship Formosa, in the capacity of first mate. She was an old China trader, and every trip that I made I saw splendid opportunities by which I could make money; so I determined, on this occasion, the third trip of the Formosa, to leave her in Shanghai, and try my luck on the coast of China. My cousin, Ralph Hasty, was third mate of the ship, and when I made known my intentions for the future to him, he signified his willingness to leave the old ship also, and link his fortunes to mine. Accordingly, when we dropped anchor in the river, after the sails had been furled, the yards squared, ropes laid up, and the decks swept down, I approached the captain, and told him of my intentions. For a while he tried to dissuade me from leaving, but finding that my mind was fairly made up, he at last consented to let us both go, and within two hours after the

SMUGGLING OPIUM.-"TURNING MY GLASS IN THE DIRECTION POINTED OUT, I SAW TWO OF THE LONG, SHARP, MANDARIN BOATS APPROACHING."

arrival of the Formosa we found ourselves ashore, and at liberty to go or come at our pleasure.

I was well acquainted with all the principal houses in Shanghai, and after securing accommodations at a good hotel, I proceeded at once to the office of Messrs. Owen & Co.; Ralph, of course, accompanied me. On a former occasion the principal of the firm made a proposition to me to enter into his employ, but not being prepared to leave the ship, I respectfully declined his offer, and he had told me that at any time I wanted a situation to call on him and he would assist me.

I was now about to test the sincerity of his assertions; and entering his office, I was soon in close confab with Mr. Owen. I introduced my cousin to him, and made known my wants; and suffice it to say that in half an hour I found myself in command of a full-rigged clipper brig, with orders to proceed at once to Calcutta, there to take in a cargo of opium, and run to Macao, where a quantity of opium-boats would be on the lookout to receive us. Liberal pay and commissions were offered, and we both accepted Mr. Owen's proposal with many thanks.

We went at once on board the brig, which was called the Ariel, and had but lately arrived from England, being built expressly for the trade. With her low black hull, tall rakish masts and immense square yards, she was a perfect model of nautical beauty.

She was well armed, having two guns on a side, and a long brass thirty-two amidships. On the forward part of the after-house boarding-pikes were arranged in racks, their steel points polished bright as gold. The mainmast was encircled by a row of cutlasses, ground sharp as a razor, while in a large armchest on the quarterdeck were several pistols, and cutlasses in any quantity.

It was absolutely necessary for us at the time to be prepared at any moment to resist the attack of a Malay or Chinese pirate, and especially in the trade we were about to engage in, to be able to repel any assault that might be made upon us by the mandarin boats, whose duty it was to prevent the smuggling of opium into the country.

The Emperor of China had issued an edict against bringing the article into the market, and the punishment, if caught, was severe often death. But the deadly drug was eagerly sought after, and enormous sums paid; and as it grew extensively in India, and could be purchased

reasonably, it gave rise to a large and lucrative trade. The southwest monsoons were blowing fresh at the time, and a long and tedious beat we had of it down the China Sea. It was an excellent opportunity, however, to try the sea qualities, as well as the sailing capacities, of the Ariel; and in every respect she proved herself worthy of the name and reputation of being the fastest thing afloat on the China Sea, and would go to windward like a porpoise. We reached Calcutta in safety, without meeting any adventure worthy of being mentioned; and taking in our opium, the chests were safely stowed, and the hatches secured and battened down. With a light wind we sailed down the river, and making all sail, I headed the Ariel for the Straits of Malacca. I have never before or since seen a vessel of the Ariel's tonnage that carried the amount of canvas that she did; so that we were prepared to show a clean pair of heels to any craft that might be disposed to make any inquiries.

I had a crew of fifteen men, stout, able fellows, who were not afraid to face any kind of danger. I allowed them to amuse themselves in any way they fancied; all that I required of them was to keep the Ariel in order, and make and take in sail when necessary.

After we had beat to the northward of Singapore, it was all plain sailing. Being now fairly in the China Sea, we had the wind nearly aft; and crowding on every stitch of canvas, I made the Ariel walk along like a humming-bird. We were now rapidly nearing the coast of China, and I thought it best to prepare against any attacks that might be made. The pistols were loaded, cutlasses placed ready at hand, and boarding-nettings got up between the rigging, which could be stowed along the rail when not in use.

We sighted the Ladrone Islands, which are but a short distance from Macao; and Frank and myself were congratulating ourselves that our trip would soon be over without meeting a single obstacle. But, alas! we reckoned without our host, for at that instant the man on the lookout reported two boats in sight; and, turning my glass in the direction pointed out, I saw two of the long, sharp mandarin boats approaching.

Among those islands the breeze was light, and there was no opportunity to escape; we had got to fight-it would never do to let those fellows take us. The boats were approaching rapidly, their long oars fairly making them leap from the water.

Loading up the long thirty-two, I trained it upon them, and, as the ball went skipping past them, they laid on their oars and held a consultation.

In the meantime the men were all armed, and willing to defend the Ariel to the last gasp. I had loaded up the long gun, this time with musket-balls, also the broadside guns, and awaited the attack. It was not long before they were reinforced by another boat, each one crammed full of men; with long, steady strokes they pulled toward us.

We were now hopelessly becalmed, and our position became desperate. I was certain, if we fell into the hands of the wretches, that they would torture us to death by inches, and I had no more compunction about shooting a Chinaman than I would a mad dog. Many a sailor's body have I seen floating down the river, while lying at anchor in Shanghai, murdered by the rascally Chinese boatmen for the sake of gaining a few coppers.

I did not allow them to engage us at close quarters without speaking a few words of remonstrance through the medium of the long gun, and with so much effect that one boat was sunk and several men killed. The survivors swam to the other boats, and were taken in by their comrades.

Those two other boats now advanced rapidly to the

attack, and pulled directly for the bows, where we could not bring a gun to bear upon them. One boat made for the starboard, the other for the port bow, and jumping into our head-gear, the Chinamen tried to force an entrance through our boarding-nettings. But we quickly picked them off with our rifles and pistols, and the long, deadly thrust of the boarding-pikes kept them at bay.

With their sharp knives they endeavored to cut the nettings, but before one of them could get a second cut, he was tumbled back wounded, dying and bleeding, into their boats.

For a moment there was a lull in the conflict, and then, with a fierce rush, they cut and hacked a hole through the nettings, although a dozen fell in the attempt. My men fought well, and kept their ground, and the battle raged fiercely around the bows and top-gallant forecastle of the Ariel.

With a boarding-pike in my hand, I skillfully kept the Chinamen at bay. Already I had slain three with my own hand, but they pressed us hard and fought like tigers. My men were getting tired, and the Chinamen in overpowering numbers were clustering on the forecastle; already were my men being forced back inch by inch, and the yelling fiends were following up their advantage, with the mandarin officer in the advance, cheering on his party.

In an instant more we would be overpowered and food for the sharks, when a brilliant idea flashed through my brain. Rushing into the galley, I seized a burning brand from the cook's stove, and in a voice of thunder, that was heard far above the din and roar of the battle, shouted: "Fall back, Ariels! Retreat to the quarterdeck !"

All hands heard it and obeyed, and as the Chinamen were rushing aft in pursuit, I let drive the contents of the long-gun amongst them. The gun was crammed to the muzzle with musket-balls, and it was fired almost into their very faces. The carnage was terrible; their leader had fallen, and they huddled together wavering, and undecided what to do. Drawing my cutlass, I shouted for my men to follow, and with a fierce charge we drove them like frightened sheep before us, and over they went pellmell from our bows into their boats.

A light breeze now filled our sails, and every rag was set to catch the wind that was stirring. The two mandarin boats dropped rapidly astern, glad to get out of our way; but my blood was up, and I wasn't going to let them off so easily. The breeze increased steadily till the Ariel was rushing through the water at the rate of nine knots. Taking in the light kites, I put the wheel hard down, and the Ariel came dancing round, and was soon close-hauled on the other tack.

On rushed the brig with the speed of a swordfish. The Chinamen saw their danger, but too late to avoid it. With a terrible crash, followed by a yell of despair, the sharp cutwater of the Ariel struck the largest boat amidships, cutting her in two as clean as a knife could have done it.

"Just look there!" and Ralph pointed toward the main island, where four large mandarin boats were approaching.

"Let them come; we have a breeze now, and can laugh at them. If they do not disturb us, I will not harm them; but if they injure a hair of our heads, they shall rue it, every mother's son of them !”

Once more I put the wheel hard down, and the Ariel hove in stays.

"I will keep her on her course now, and see if those fellows have learned wisdom by experience. I see the other boat has joined them, and the men are probably telling them the fate of their comrades."

"Ab, ha! they intend to try us again, as I live!"