Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-27
VOL. 3.----N0. 10.
We'll, Bob said the captain, .what

by a jug full, to figure out what it is or
whar ii come from.
DO you see anything like sail!'
Not morsel, and no place TO put one
either, as ] can see. I can't make out
the least mite of yard, or boom, or
anything of the sort. 1t looks more
like some great, gawky, outlandish, OIL
natured-lookin' light boat, cut adrift, nor
anything ever / seed afore. And now |
can see the bell too; they've got it rig
ged up on the masthead, SO that it swings
backward and forward every time the
thing gives lurch to leeward.
'Can you make out whether there is
any one on board'
Not soul, sir, that is, not as can be
seen. And it's my opinion sir, that if
that thar craft is manned at all, it's. by
something that's not TO be seen thro' a
spy-glass.'
you mean something supernatural
Exactly so, sir, something more su-
perfine than natural-so supcrfine they
can't be seen with a glass, let alone the
naked eye.
Nonsense, nonsense! | didn't think
you were so superstitious, Bob,' said the
captain, as he took the glass again ard
walked away from the wheel.
There's three soopers, one on top o
tother, muttered the seamen, as his SUR
prise left him, 'but that won't make the
least
Keep her away couple Of points,
cried the captain, inierrupling the solilo-
guy.
AYE, aye, sir!' responded Bob, and
the ships course was altered, so as to
bring her rapidly nearer to the mysteri-
Gus craft, to which all eyes were now di-
rected.
The second mate four first officer,
Harry Wharton, had died during the
voyage had the glass to his eye for
some time, and showed evident symp-
toms of uneasiness.-At length sliding
up to the captain, he exclaimed in a
whisper:
'Don't you think its got something TO
do with poor Wharton!'
Bah! Mr.. Davi,, replied the captain,
you're Just as bad as Bob, and he thinks
ole Knick's aboard of the thing, with
crew of invisible imps. bound for Sicily,
! suppose with Cargo of Birthstone.
Ii you'll wait half an hour, I'll tell you
something more about it, for | mean to
board the concern, though it should turn
out to be the Flying Dutchman, or Davy
Jones flag ship.
In pursuance os this intention, orders
were given 10 'heave to- and get one of
the boats in readiness. The vessel with
The bell was now plain to be seen---a
nondescript sort of a hulk, with single
mast in the centre of it, and only rugged
enough TO keep this mast in its place
The bell was suspended from the mast
head, and ever and anon sent forth its
doleful clang, as it swayed to and fro
with the heavings of the sac. As the
ship drew nearer, the strange looking
craft seemed moving rapidly towards us,
as if impelled by some ocean spirit, "a
thousand fathoms deep from the land Of
mist and snow
The curiosity of the crew was so
great, and the eyes of all had been so
frequently diverted from the matter in
hand, that the ship had not been brought
to soon enough, but shot ahead a good
deal farther than had been intended, SO
that when the vancouver was at last ac-
complishel, and the vessel had become
stationary, the mysterious bark was at
a considerable distance. A boat was
lowered away, however, and the captain
having with some difficulty selected a
crew, put off from the ship.
Louis Allwyn and myself had both
wished TO accompany the expedition, but
recent illness made il matter of COM
mon prudence with both of us to avoid
all unnecessary exertion, and we remain
ed behind. Every individual among the
crew and passengers was on deck, watch
ing the motions of the boat that was to
solve the mystery which occupied their
thoughts--many of them with intense
curiosity. There was no cause for anx-
iety or alarm, but there was something
so singular in the incident which had
thus suddenly and unexpec,ly broken in
upon the monotony of their tedious voy-
age, that almost every one felt that there
would be something like disappointment
experienced, if the mysterious boat
should be found to contain nothing ex-
traordinary. In the mind of the second
mate, and some of the more superstitious
of the sailors, there was confused SEN
saiion of dread of something, they knew
not what; and they would probably have
been ashamed to communicate their
thoughts to one another.
In the mean time the boat was seen to
reach the side of the strange vessel, but
there was not light enough to see any
thing more. A profound silence reigned
throughout the crowded deck; interrupt
ed only by the distant tolling of the
mysterious bell.
Suddenly score of voices exclaimed
in startled whisper, 'Hark! What Is
that?' go .l8k
Some had heard nothing, but the ma.
jority declared that strange peculiar
noise had met their ears from the direc-
tion of the boat. Curiosity was now on
tiptoe, and eyes and ears were both