The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-07-30
THE MIDNIGHT BELL.


the watch on board her majesty's fFigate
Inconstant, cruising in the Pacific. Eight
bells had struck, and the shrill whistles of
the boatswain's mates were heard calling
the watch below to ''tum5le up there
slash and carry" The lieutenant of the
watch stood on the weatherside of the
quarter deck, gazing anxiously to wind
ward, where the heavy black clouds,
edged with gray, seemed to threaten the
good ship with a heavy squall. 1t was
perfectly calm the sails tapped listlessly
against the masts with the slow motion of
the vessel as she rose and fell on the long
regular swell of the Pacific 1--WE shall
have it directly" muttered the officer to
himself, as he turned to give his orders.
"All hands shorten sail down all stays
sails; haul the foresail up; in topgallant
sails" Scarcely were these orders exc
cuted when rushing noise to windward
showed that tho squall was upon them,
and would be heavy one. ''Lower away
the topsails," shouted the officer; sup with
the helm, quartermaster-keep her off
right before it The next instant the
squall struck the ship The noble frigate
laid over beneath itS force almost on her
beam end, then falling gradually off from
the wind she darted through the foaming
waters with the speed of lace horse.
The lieutenant stood by the quartermas-
ter at the wheel, looking astern at the wild
masses of clouds which seemed to be
chasing the ship over the waste of waters,
and then aloft at the spars, which were
binding and creaking in the gale Suddenly
there came borne upon the wind the sound
Of a bell, ringing a wild and irregular peal.
"What on earth is that 2" exclaimed the
officer; "ihers was nothing in sight at
sundown, and there is no land in that
direction for three hundred miles or more
by the chart" by this time the captain
was on deck. "Heavy squall, Mr.. Will
son." said he. "Yes, SIR" replied that
officer, ''but think it will soon be over.'
"What is that ringing l hear % said the
captain; ''that is not our ships bell"
s'No, SIR" said the lieutenant, sit comes
from windward, but what it is l cannot
conceive there were no vessels in sight at
sundown." BY this time the squall had
moderated somewhat, and the hands were
sent aloft TO double-reef the topsails, a
duty which was quickly executed. As
daylight dawned the wind moderated to
steady breeze, and soon I'll, sail was set
upon the ship again.
The mysterious ringing was now the
subject of discussion fore and aft. One
maintained that it was nothing but some
whaler ringing to be heard by her boats +;
but this opinion found few supporters, as
there were no vessels in sight when the
lookout came down at dark and further
more, if il had been whaler's bell it
would have been rung with regular strokes.
The greater part of the crew, with the
superstition common amongst seamen,
seemed to think that there was something
supernatural in this mysterious peal thus
borne upon the wings of the wind at the
hour of midnight.
''Ah," said an old salt, of whose sixty
years forty-ive at least had been passed
afioat, 81 tell you what, shipmates. these
kind Of things bode not good to the ships
company. When | was in the old Thalia
frigate, going out to Calcutta with troops,
one night, just at eight bells, the watch on
deck heard an awful shrek, which seemed
to come from all sides at once, and the
NcAI pun
Jack Stone, fell from the foretopsail yard
and broke his neck. It's true we found
out afterwards it was only a soldiers wife
in the highstrikes, think they call it, that
made the noise but that don't explain
why poor Jack should break his neck the
next day" Having delivered this piece
of wisdom, the speaker shook his head In
a very serious manner, and sat down with
the AIR of one who had exhausted the sub
ject of discussion.
On the quarter deck the officers OF the
frigate were discussing the same subject,
though in a slightly different manner
"Well," said the captain, "we will stand
to the eastward for a day or two, and see
if we can discover anything. There may
be some islands hereabouts, which are not
marked on the chart" "Aweel, SAID
the master, an old Scot, whose native
| brogue had not suffered by his twenty
wears of service and absence from his
native land. "Aweel, rn 10 for saying
that the chart is altogether infallible, but
| it is one of the latest admiralty surveys,
and am of opinion that there is nothing
above water about this part of the Pacific
I but what will be found untilPt." 'tStill," :"
said the captain, ''it is quite possible that
there may be some islands which have not
been marked At all events, we will
keep to the eastward for the next twenty
| four hours" The wind was now from
| the south, with fine weather, and every
| sail being set, on the starboard tack, the
noble frigate bounded over the waves like
a thing of life A vigllent look out for
land was kept. and the next morning at
daybreak the cry of ''land ho'' was heard
from the to pmast head. AS the frigate
drew nearer, it was found to be very
small island, apparently thickly covered
with trees. The old master was now
obliged to admit that his chart did not
show Everything above water in the
Pacific, and every one seemed to expect
to find some clue to the mystery of the