The Arkansas advocate., 1834-01-17

7 masters and parsons and what not ,nav laiiS!i !. .hsss-hsra stories. ,... ..s. s... g
 such things with my own eyes, and I am
 the man what knows all about it. I was
 sailng once, away on the coast of Europe.
 fise hundred miles sie;s; l;ssl. It vas proud noon-day and there were n't n thing in sipht
 only mayhap cloud as big as mans
 hand had been up to tho mizen ton and
 was coming down tho shrouds, when al, at
 onee--away off to the windward. there was
 screech--for all the world, like a little
 child's--and 1t walled long and loud over
 the water. There wer'n't as much wind as
 there is iloSs-...il stepped and looked alj
 around me. Presently tho Captain sumo
 ss; |; ssii;, sHsii;, t - l he: Hallo fhere. alnfft ne ye..s ee<. a,,,-.
 tblngp No, Sir says I, 'tero ar'n't < speck on the water, as fur as 1 eau see. =
 Presently heard 1t again. It come up. away off in the distance, and it runc ail over the waves--just like child in distress--- and then the Captain sung out again. 'D---r my eyes! Sir, if there isn't some thing Go aloft there, somebody, and look out---alid two or three men sprung LID into the riggin'; but We ali looked in yair. ond so we went down. can't tell you how I felt--jnst as if the flesh was ieaying mv bones. Once more t came, and there was stltied groan overhead, and we heard it no more. livery man gazed in the others face, and all was silence for while. Then there was sudden tumult fonard, and some one erred ont that Jem Hegg had fallen down ln q fiji. He was man that nobody loyed--that Hegg and nobody knew, eith- CT, why they did not. but so 1t was. He was dark, gloomy, half Dutch fellow, that never sand much to anybody. Well. hs was taken below, and put in his berth--and when we come to talk over the matter, fl
 was agreed that, somehow or other, Jem
 iegg Was connected with it. That night we were all on deck, for though 1t was late, no man seemed to care about tlar1inrs i,,---. and we were talking in u low tone. when ali, at once, that same screech rose up 10 the WIndward, close under the vessel. I shall never forget 1t as long as lipe---the long. sad wall ot an infant. Every man shud- dered. Ali was silent again, and then. my God! t come up from forrard--and then
 there was long yell of horror--and Hcgs
 rushed on deck, as white as corpse, with
 staring eyes-and then the same screecl
 sounded right in my ears. jumped back, 5-nS ilnaas s..--~i.@l- s--4 rvvvr tnu vUssefs slde--and there was another screech in lle
 water, where he fell, and a low, fiondish
 laugh, and all was over. When we got in-
 to port again, we heard that Hegg had se-
 duced young girl and that she and her ia-
 fant both disappeared the same day Hegg
 went to sea--so you may judge what the
 screech was about You see they needn't l tell me-"
 "Hush!'' said Ephraim, "What is that?''
 ''Nhat is if indeedl 'Iis drum.o l Away off to the west the faint roll of
 drum was indeed heard, pealing over the
 waters; and Jack gavethe helm to his com panlon and calling mp tho Captain, informed him of the circumstance. He came on deck, and so did every man on board. The
 tones were faint but distinct, and could not
 be mistaken--they were those of drum. "Iis some vessel to leeward,'' said tho
 Captain, ''but what are they beating for,
 at this time of nightf' tits no mortal hands that beats that
 drum," said Jack, solemnly, ssand it's no mortal hands that made 1t. It promises no good to US, I'm affaidd. afifaidd J
 fl "And what do you think 1t IS then9 you
 croaising said ,s Gtiii, don bs frightening tine men with your strai,gc bc- ] liefs, but keep good look-out.n
 "Ay, ay, Sir. Idiot or no idiot, I say fl ssyain, we shall hear more from that drum. Ihere!-It has stopped"
 ! And so it had. After remaining on deck while, the Captain went below, and one
 by one the crew followed his example, The night wore away and faded into day. light, without more interruption. Just as
 sunrise small, globuiar cloud appeared in the west, gradually increasing itself and ri- sing towards the zenith. All sails were furled, and the ship prepared for the gale, : of which the bulls eye was the sure har- binger. Just as the clouds reached the ze- nth, there came fierce flash, and the loud roar of thunder-and white line was seen advancing from the western horizon. In a moment or two the wind struck them, and there came mass of foam oyer the ship and then, obcdient to the helm, she whirled and rushed on before the wind. For half an hour she kept on in continued blaze of lightning and then of a sudden the roll of
 the drum was heard.
 .sSai astarn--on the starboard quarter!''
 shouted Jack, who was at the helm--and
 the men rushed eagerly to the side of the | vessel and looked out into the tempest There was nothing ike sail 10 be seen, but iilerc was the dark outline of vessel, un- der bare poles, running down upon them.