A STRANGE STORY FROM VENICE.

Patea Mail, 20 January 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

A STRANGE STORY FROM VENICE.

The Pall Mall Gazette say s : —“ There is a- story current among the gondolier and fishermen of Venice. There ware;, six pen fishing once in this ‘Yalie, ' of the Seven Dead. They had with them a little boy, the son of opeipf jtheir band. The boy did not with' his father, but stayed behind to take care of the hut, and to ccfok the meals for the men when they returned. He spent the nights alone in the-cabin, for most of the fishing was done between sunset and sunrise. One day, as the dawn w r as beginning across the water, the men stopped tKeir fishing and began to row home with their load as usual. As they rpwed along they met the body of a 4rownedman going out to sea with the tide. They picked the body up and laid it on the prow, the head resting upon the arm, and rowed on slowly to the hut. The little boy was watching fop tliem, and went down to the edge of the canal to meet them. He saw t;he body of the seventh man on the prow, but thought he was asleep. So, when the boat came near he cried to his father, 4 Breakfast is ready ; come along !” and with that he turned and went back to the hut. The men followed the boy and left the dead man lying on the prow. When they had sat down the boy looked round and said, ‘ Where is the other man 1 Why don’t you bring him in to breakfast, too ?’ ‘ Oh ! isn’t he here ?’ cried one; and then added, with a laugh, ‘ You had better go and call him; he must be asleep.’ The boy went down to the canal and shouted, ‘ Why don’t you come to breakfast ? it is all ready for you-’ But the man on the prow never poved nor answered a word. So the boy returned to the hut, and said, ‘ What is the matter with the man 1 he won’t answer.’ 4 Uh !’ said they, 4 he is a deaf old fool. You must shout loud and swear at him.’ The boy went back again, and cried, 4 Come you fool; tie others are waiting for you.’ But the man on the prow jiPYjpr moved nor, answered a word.

Then the boy ran back to the hut and said, ‘ Come one of you; for I can’t wake him up.’ But they laughed and answered, ‘Go out again and shake him by the leg ; tell him you can’t wait till doomsday for him.’ The boy went down to the water once more. He got into the boat and shook the man by the leg. Then the man turned and sat up on the prow, and said to the boy, ‘ What do you want V ‘ Why on earth don’t you come ? Are they all to wait till doomsday for you ?’ ‘Go back and tell them that lam coming.’ Then the boy went back to the hut and found the men laughing and joking. ‘ Well! what did he say !’ they cried. ‘lt is ;all right,’ answered the boy, * he says he is coming.’ The men turned pale ■and looked at one another, and sat very still and laughed no more. Then outside they heard footsteps coming slowly up the path. The door was pushed open, and the dead man came in and sat down in the boy’s place, the seventh at the table. But each sat with his eyes fixed on the seventh, their guest. They could not move or speak. Their gaze was fastened on the dead man’s face. Their blood flowed chiller and chiller in their veins, till, as the sun rose and flashed along the lagoon, there were seven dead men sitting round the table in the room.