The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-08-06

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Fict and ga OUT engineer vas un The siah
llsi, The fires we're ult. snil sef. and an
unusual quiet ftifnei through ut me
ship Il vas past eleven 0'olUrk. am 1ut
commander bad turned in could hear
him snoring through the hulkbtad, fYt hia
cabin ass hight nbah nuf little vaul
fDOm. although IN no way connected
herewith Ny cabin wAs The only nne NJ
lhose of The wafdfopm ri present occu
pied, the emily other oilcrf ON b1ati saw
inR the cnginocf-heing the assistant
mymastcr, whose cabin was outside In the
storage Into the further end NJ the
Storage led the companion ladder, A.
that, In orr passage to and from the ward
room 81 the deck, We had o. cross n
was standing In my little box like sane
tum, preparing 10 70 ~ bed, when the
noise Of approaching footsteps In the
Storage attracted my attention. lmsgln
INK that some one was sick, | hastily
throw on my coat, and emerged again
into the ward room, Just a. Mr., Travcrs,
our assistant paymaster, entered by the
outer door. He held right In front Of
him, 80 a. to be hidden from any one be-
hind, a drawn %outlass, which, from signs
and motions he made, | understood he
meant me TO take charge Of and conceal
quickly did 30 behind my cabin curtain,
and had scarcely accomplished the task,
when Mr.. Wheeler, the engineer, stood in
the doorway and the assistant paymas-
ter, afier pretending TO borrow a candle,
babe me goodnight, and retired.
Now, as ] said before, Mr., Wheeler WAS
on the sick, list, and had been 50 tor weeks.
HIS disease was one OF the worst forms Of
alcoholic mania in other words, a bad
case OF delirium tremens. From one at
tack he had only recently recovered, being
snatched from the very jaws of death.
His decisions had been many but prin.
cipally he had the idea that n conspiracy
was afoot OF board, having for It's object
the harrsssing Of him, Mr.. Wheeler, in
every way, and the final abduction of his
body, the binding Of the same, hands and
lee, and the delivering OF II to the deep,
10 Afford food TO the sharks lie used TO
sit Tor hours In his little mess room, armed
with q knife, yet trembling like a new.
born lawn al the slightest noise, Every
one, saving myself, he had deemed n foe,
The drops Of wator leaking in through
the scupper. holes were water dashed upon
him by the righteousness of the boys the
curtain waving gently TO and fro with
the ships motion, was stirred by the hand
ola hidden ASSASSIN. The captain him.
self, he had sverred, was preparing the
hammock In which his living body was
to be sewed before he was thrown over.
board. Then rows of pale beings had ar.
ranged themselves on the opposite side of
his room, pointing and gibbeting ut him,
and spouting blood ON HIM the port
opened, and slimy serpents glided in and
Md themselves In the apartment or about
his dress his legs would suddenly be
clasped a. IN a vice, and looking down,
tehold an alligator, with a strange, strange
lace, crouched beneath the table, embrac.
ing him In its horrid arms, blowing lis
ictid breath In his face, and using fearful
threats Of death and judgment, Repeated
blows with the knife at length dlspclled
this demon and then myriads Of terrible
insects came trooping up ovor the table,
and covered the bulkheads all around
and y sec, he cried TO me, " didn't | see
them on deck, springing up like Jets of
water, and flowing away in streams, those
white thick worms |" and now they are ON
him, gnawirg his hosh, and eating his
yitals.
Corruption corruption morihundl
moribundl |" he shouted, and fell down in
one III the worst sort Of fits | had ever
mad the pain TO witness. From this lit he
had glldcd imperceptibly into a state of
lethargy, from which, after many weary
days and nights Of watching, | had seen
him awake, with pale face and gliltering
eye, Just as he now stood in the ward.
room before inc.
What" said !, "not In bed yet, old
fellowf'
"llushi" he whispered and ly the
very look and gesture, | eaw plainly that
the madness was on him again. Hush r
and as he spoke he pointed To the steer
age "they are there, snd-ughl-lts all
80 dark, dark and dreary. | could not liz
In my berth forward-they would kill me
and Trayers stole my catlass, that
might not defend myself"
Come" said |, my good fellow, never
mind them. I'll protect you, and fighI
Tor you, II need be, TO the last. Come for
ward with me, and turn In to your cot
Nay, nay" he whispered impetuously
At the same time holding me back " mo-
now-not now, doctor wait ill the blessed
sun rises. In the dark | could not wrestl,
with them, and it will be so very long til
morning win 1t burn 7" he added, point
ing to the lamp IN my cabin.
| nodded assurance and then he plead
~ "iNA ouNh ,iDuuthtS W ht hltoWNN II
remain near the light, and TO sleep befor,
my cabin door, that | at last consented
aud spreading a mat and pillow for him
babe him lie down. He did 50, and belor,
morning | had every reason % repent O
my kindness. lie then requested me I,
place beside him u loaded revolver, or a
least a bayonet or c~utlass, which hayinl
no ambition Tor a mailman to noun
guard on me, | peremptorily refused. Al
hour slipped away, during which time h,
lay quite peacefully on the mai, sometime
closing his eyes, but only TO i~mmediatel,
reopen them, and gaze turtively and fear
iuily away out into the darkness of tn,
steerage, az it momentarily expecting Ia,
attack VI an unseen foe.
All was by this time quiet, both for,
and sft, In the ship, foi II must have beel
long past midnight. The tramp, tram
oil The quartermaster overhead haI
stopped; sven The c~ockroaches, after
supper Of corks, biscuit, port wine ant
backing, had gone 10 roost, and the com
marder had ceased 10 snorc, from whicl
l argued he had fallen into his second an
deepest sleep. So there wasn't a SCUM
. 70 be heard, except the creakiug of III
rudder hinges, or a splash Of the way,
lets rs they rippled past my cabin
|. sound that had 50 often wuoei me
- sweetest, dreamlcss slumbcr, and seem,
u kjnHen now inviting mt u rest. Thinkir
my duty 70 remain on watch, howeve