Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-11-03

Captain, sew me up in a blanket, ant
drop ME overheard at once.
He paused moment as if to gather
e strength, for he was very much exhaust
ed, and then went on:
81 promised last nj ght to explain my
strange words about the vessel we spoke
, Who the person was who hailed you, OF
what is character of the vessel he com
, mands, do not know. I only know
that your icing spoken by him bode.
you no good. Two years ago the frigatt
, to which 1 was attached was spoken il
similar manner in the Straits of Glib
raltar, and during the next week VIZ
/ lost one hundred of our men from chol
era. fear this is an evil omen, anc
! that l am but the first of long list Of
! victims"
} He sank back exhausted. The Cap
, tain turned 10 the Surgeon in state Of
bewilderment, and asked if the Lieuten
ant was not wandering in his mind; but
the Surgeon answered that the mind Of
his patient was perfectly clear, and that
there was no doubt that he would die
before sunset. 1t was the most rapid
case of cholera he had ever known. He
advised the commander to keep the cir.
cumstance secret. No other case might
occur, and the Knowledge of this one
would be sure to produce panic among
the passengers and crew which might
lead to serious results.
Lieutenant Fairfax died that after.
noon. The Surgeon told the passengers
he had died of heart disease, and ac-
counted for his sudden burial by stating
that he had requested it. With these
explanations the passengers were COM
PEELED to content themselves; but they
were far from being satisfied. The
studied reticience of the Captain and
Surgeon, the only persons yet in the
secret, convinced them that there was
something connected with the death
which the officers OF the ship were anx-
ious to conceal; and, besides this, they
had heard from the sailors the story Of
the mysterious ship that had hailed them
on the previous night. These things
made them dissatisfied and before the
next morning, the tenth day out, effect
ually put an end to the careless enjoy
ment they had hitherto experienced
The next morning the Surgeon sought
the Captain with an anxious, troubled
face.
"There are two cases of cholera in
the steerage," he said. 81 have had
them removed to the hospital. l am
afraid they are very bad cases, sir, and
that the predictions of poor Fairfax
will be realized. Heaven help US, if it
shall be-"
"We must keep cool and do our best
Doctor" said the Captain, gravely.-
"We may weather the danger, after all,
if we 60 about it right
Captain Bridges was a brave man.
In times of danger he was as cool as on
the pleasantest summer day, and under
any and all circumstances be strove to
do his duty. He had little hope now
that his vessel would escape the fury of
the scourge which bad broken out so
mysteriously in it, but he meant to do
his duty to the last.
During the day the Surgeon reported
six new cases, and toward night three of
the patients died. Under the cover of
the darkness their bodies were thrown
overheard.
The next day six more cases were re-
ported by the Surgeon, who told the
Captain they were of the most alarming
type. 1t was impossible to keep the
matter secret any longer. 1t became
known to the passengers that the chole-
ra was in their midst, and there at once
ensued panic which battles all descrip-
ton. Captain Bridges almost wore
himself out trying to induce them to be
calm. They seemed utterly incapable
of listening to reason. 1t was horrible
to think they were shut up in the mar
row space Of ship, and seventeen days
from Philadelphia. In vain the Cap
tain warned them that their fright would
expose them more fully to the disease.
They seemed to have entirely lost their
self-control, and to be incapable of re-
gaining it.
Six weary, terrible days passed away
The ship had now been out seventeen
days, and eleven more must elapse be-
fore port would be reached. In those
six days the pestilence had ragged fear
fully. One hundred passengers, includ-
ing six of those in the cabin, and three
of the crew, bad been seized with it,
and fresh victims were being added ev-
cry day. The deaths reached the fright
full number of twelve day, 80 that in
this time seventy-two had died. There
seemed no sign of the sickness abating,
and on the twentieth day of the voyage
the ships Surgeon died. Capt Brydg-
es could not repress the wish that be
might be taken too, for the fearful trial
had almost turned his brain.
After the Surgeons death the dis
ease increased with greater rapidity, and
the deaths became more numerous
The Captain noticed that the fright of
the passengers had given way to reck-
lessness that terrified him. Several
times he saw one of the cabin passen-
gers in close conversation with some of
the crew and steerage passengers. Their
manner and looks excited his surprise
He called one of the men to him and
asked what they were talking about.
The man evaded an answer to the ques-
ton, and, upon its repetition, refused
to reply to it. Another was interrogat-