The Nevada Democrat., 1856-12-24
STAND FROM UNDER,
OR, THE MYSTERIOUS coRpsE


The following was told as actual fact by q
sailor, who solemnly affirmed he knew it to be
40; whatever else he was, he certainly must have
been sailor of genius
We were on board q slave ship bound to the
coast of Africa. | had my misgivings about
the BUSINESS and | believe others had them too.
We had passed the Straits of Gibralter, and
were lying off Barbary, one clear, bright even
ing, when it came my turn to take the helm.
The ship was becalmed, and everything around
was silent as the day after the deluge. The
wide monotony of water varied only by the
gancings of the moon on the crest of the waves
made me think the old fables of Neptune were
true; and that Amphtrite and her Faiada were
sporting on the surface of the ocean with da-
monds In their hair. These fancies were fol-
lowed by the thought of my wife, my children,
and my home and all were wildly enough jun
bled together in delirious state of approach
ing slumber. Suddenly heard above my head
loud, deep, terrible voice call out. "Stand
from underl" / started to my feet--it was q
customary signal when any thing was to be
thrown from the shrouds and mechanically
] sung out the usual answer, q Let golu But
nothing came. looked up into the shrouds,
there was nothing there. | searched the deck,
and found that was alonel tried TO think il
was dream; but that sound, so deep, so stern,
80 dreadful, rung in my ears like the bursting
of q cannon.
In the morning told the crew what had
heard. They laughed at Inc and were all day
long full of their jokes about "Dreaming Tom.h
One fellow among them was most unmerciful
in his railery. He was swarthy, malignant
looking Spaniard, who carried murder in his
eye and curses on his tongue: daring and lord
ly man who boasted of crime as if it gave him
prc-cminence among his fellows. He laughed
loudest and longest at my story. "a most un-
civil ghost, Tom, said he; ''when such chaps
come TO see me, I'll make 'em show themselves;
I'll not be satisfied without seeing and feeling
Ms well as hearngp bod
The sailors all Joined with him; and ashamed
was glad to be silent. The next night Dick
Burton took the helm Dick had nerves like an
OK, and slnews like q whale; it was little he
feared on earth or beneath it. The clock struck
one. Dick was leaning his head on the helm,
as he said, thinking nothing Of me or my story
when that awful voice again called out from the
shrouds, "Stand from under!n Dick darted
forward like an Indian arrow, which they say
goes through and through buffalo and wings
on Its way as If II had not left death in its rear
1t was an instant or more before he found pre-
sence of mind to call out, "Let gol'' Again
nothing was seen-nothing heard. Ten nights
ly sound rung through the air, making our
stoutest sailors quail as if bullet shot had gone
through their brains.
AT last we grew pale when 1t was spoken Of
and the worst of us never went to sleep without
sayiug our prayers For myself, | would have
been chained TO the oar all my life, to have got
out Of that vessel. But there we were in the
vast solitude Of ocean; and this invisible being
was with us, No one put bold face on the
matter but Antonio the Spaniard. He laughed
at our fears, and defied Satan himself to terrify
him. However, when it was his turn at the
helm he refused to 60 several times, under
pretense of illness, he was excused from this
duty, which all on board dreaded But al
last, the captain ordered Antonio to receive O
round dozen of lashes every night until he
should consent to perform his share of the un.
welcome office. For while this was borne pa
tiently; but at length he called out, al may as
well die one way as the other Give me over
10 the ghost"
That night Antonio kept watch on deck Few
OF the crew slept; for expectation and alarm
had stretched our nerves upon the rack Al
one O'Clock the voice called. Stand from un-
der !" "Let co." screamed the Spaniard. This
was answered by shrek Of laughter, and such
aaughterl 1t seemed as if the fiends answered
each other from pole to pole, and the bass was
howled in hell. Then came sudden crash upon
fhe deck, as if our masts and spars had fallen.
We adj rushed to the spot, and there was a
cold, stiff, gigantic corpse. The Spaniard said
ft was tbrewn from the shrouds; and when he
looked upon it, he ground his teeth like mad
man. II know him." exclaimed he, 81 stabbed
hin within an hours sail of Cuba, and drank
bis blood for breakfast
We all stood aghast at the monster. In fear
ful whispers we asked what should be done with
The body. Finally, we agreed that the terrible
light must be removed from US and hidden in
ne sea. -Four of us attempted to raise it; but
uman strength was of no avaiI-we might as
ell have tugged at Atlas. There it Law. stiff. |
gid, heavy, and as immoveable as If it had |
rmed part of the vessel. The Spaniard was
rious; "let me lift him. said he, HTll teach
N what it is to come and trouble me,u He
ok the body round The waist. and attempted