The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-03-25

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but not one Of the men could sleep sesootl
after the sad event which had taken place.
At the end Of Eve hours they were again
on deck to relieve their shipmates The
weather had not changed since they went
below. The gale continued to sweep with
dismal Shrek through the shrouds, and
the old ship plunged wildly through the
heavy seas. The gloom would have been
intense, but fCr the strange, phosphores-
cent light emitted by the waves. Sparks
of fire seemed to flash among the white
clouds of foam as they drifted over the
sea. A child to have seen the spectacle
might have fancied that the stars had
fallen from the sky into the ocean.
Poor Tom Leaward His grave is
among those trehics Of the sea-" thought
the sailors as they gazed upon the wild
waters.
Suddenly they were startled by cry
from the mate, who had been leaning over
the quartcr-rail with his eyes fixed on the
turbulent billowS
Oh, heavens hcavensn
The men rushed aft ia s-bodv, Il STe71
BY the light of the ships lantern, they
beheId their officer staggering toward the
mizen-mast like drunken man, his face
as pale as death, his lips colorless, and
his eyes bulging fron his head, with an
expression of terror.
What is the m.ttcr, sir?' inquired one
Of the men.
There there! gasped the mate point.
ing to the wcathcr-rail; under the ships
quarter. | saw it! saw it! Oh, heav-
ens.'
The men sprang to the bulwarks, and
| peered over them into the sea- At first
they could see nothing, but the next mo,
ment, as huge wave swept against the
side of the vessel and scattered into liquid
| fragments, they uttered Simultaneous
cry Of superstitious horror for they now
distinctly behcld white hand rascG
above the water.
Shudderinsly they started back, and
stood gazing at each other, with pale faces
and wondering eyes. Not word was
spoken for some moments when one Of
them, an old sailor, shock his head omin-
ously, and remarked:
lCdi llIdl ~ lliC'thS w BOOu W luC
old craft, my lads. | take it as sort of
warning from poor Toms spirit
The men now venturcd to look over
tue rail again; bat this time the hand was
not to be seen.
It's gone, sir said the old sailor, turn
ing to the mate. What dye think was
the meaning Of it?' =
Il dent know said the mate, in a
/ husky voice; you had better 60 forward;
so forward, ali Of you,' he added, almost
tiercely.
The men obryed, when the mate COM
menccI % walk the deck.
1t could not Lave been mere fancy,
he muttered for they saw il, too
Heavens that fearful sight! 1t was his
hand-his hand as | beheld it-when-'
lie cuac,n'lcd with n groan, and, ad-
vanccl feariully to the rail, again pecrcd
into the sea. But nothing now was to be
, seen. expect tic wi.diy-hi>siHg waters ;
and he breathe1 sigh Of relief
Perhaps ! shall never sye it again, he
mg,t,red. My Heaven gra;A that such
may he tie case
And he resumed his nervous walk on
the quarter-fl ok, occasionally advancing
to the rail to cast frightened glance into
the water, and muttering low Thank
Heaven when he perceived the vision
was not there. A few hours afterward,
the dawn Of light began 10 steal upon the
waters, and the other watch was called
Of course the men did not fail to relate
the affair OF the hand to their wonder
stricken sl.ipmates and, as many CT the
listeners were superstitious, the effect can
be better imagined than described.
All seemed to agee that it was warn
ing from their drowned messmatc-a dark
warming Of shipwrcck or some other ca
lamity. Even the captai1p who prided
himself on his wisdom, seemed to enter
tain the same opinion. The carpenter
was at once despat chcd to examined the
hold while the officers were ordered to
70 over the craft, from stem to stern, to
see if everything was in its place and in
ship-shape condition.
The carpenter and the officers having
brought satisfactory report to the cap
tain, the latter remarked that his con-
science was satisfied, and that if the YES
sci took it in her head to go to the bottom,
it would not be his fault.
The subsistence of the gale was follow
ed by week Of good weather, during
which nothing was seen of the mysterious
hand which had created so much excite
mcnt among the crew Of the Huron. The
vessel was now approaching Cape Horn,
and rough weather was looked for. 1t
came laundering upon the old craft one
night, Just as the larboard watch made its
appearance on deck, compelling every rag
to be taken in, with the exception Of the
main topsail, and in short time that
was reduced to a goosc-wins.
1t was gloomy night-the storm
shrouds of the vessel, which was every
moment swept by heavy seas. The men
OF the watch were soon gathered aft I'M
der the round-house, closely mutf1ed in
their pea Jackets, while their officer stood
by the weather-rail. He had been look
ing to windward, but now happening to
cast q glance under the ships quarter, he
again 6eheld above the surface Of the rag
ing tides that fearful hand, which he had
hoped he would never sec again. Yes,
there it was, held high above the crest Of
foaming wave, as before, whitley gleam-
ing in the phosphoresccnt light Of the
sea.
With one wild and terrible cry the
mate fell senseless upon the deck and, at
the same moment, huge wall Of water
rushed down upon the ship, and, lifting
him like feather, carried him far away
to leeward. The men rushed from their
shelter, upon hearing the cry Of their ofli'
Ger, to ascertain its cause but the noise
of the approaching sea warned them to
save themselves by clinging to the run
ming rigging of the mizen-mast. Now,
however they sprang to the weather.rail,
Just in time to catch glimpse Of the