Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-02-16
THE HAUNTED SHIP.
Prom scribner,s AIagazine.

In the year 1853 was first mate of
the "H," three-decked ship of about
fifteen hundred tons burden, lying in
Mobile Bay waiting for arcargo of cotton.
Our sailors, twenty-four in number,
weressn colored men, pretty fair seamen
generally, but, with four or five excep-
tions, wofully ignorant, and correspond
inglY superstitious. We had been in the
bay. between three and four months, so
the'spars andrigging had been thorough.
ly overhauleds and put to rights. was
sitting in the cabin one evening plan
ming outwork for the ensuing day, when
my second mate, q rough old seaman OF
the packet school, requested an audi-
ence.
"Well, Mr.. X, what is the matter
nowF' afGcT gsrr7-1 ,e'r9 9.-R
"The matter is, sir, that those darkeys
forward there are getting so scared that
unless we do something to or for them
they won't be worth shucks; some of
them amt good for much now. and
there's no use IN h1ving the rest of 'em
spoiled
"But what are they frightened at? I
have never heard anything of it before
now" 10
"Nol they were afraid to say any
thing to you about it; but for the last
month they have q yarn about q head
less ghost going around the decks at
night, grosning at an awful rate. Some
of 'em say it's darkey without head,
and others say it's white chap with a
black face; but whatever it is, there
they are, afraid to come ON deck after
dark or stand anchor-watch alone"
"This is strange piece of business.
If there is a ghost aboard should think
it would first pay its respects to the
quarter-deck. Do you think any of the
rasoa1s are playing tricks r. .. s----- = :.
"No, SIR I the knowingest ones is the
most sacred. There's Bob and jackson
ought to know better, but they both
swear they saw it in the middle-watch
last night; just told the third mate so."
well suppose we go and inquire
into it, So.
We went forward together, and came
down so suddenly upon the sailors that
they evidently thought two ghosts had
arrived instead of one. After the alarm
and confusion had subsidized, told them
what l had already heard, and asked
for further information, which. was
readily furnished by dozen eager vol
unteers, who, now that their tongues
were 1oosened by authority, seemed
anxious to outrivalreac other in their
tale of horrors. It is needless to repeat
their stories; but about half of them had
seen the ghost in one of its forms, and
all of them had repeatedly heard the
groans. Bob and jackson, my two best
men, who were acting as boatswains,
positively declared that they had seen it
in the forecastle on the previous night,
standing up against the bitt where was
then leaning. This bitt, timber about
a foot square, coming down through
from the upper to the main deck, near
the middle of the forecSstle, was paint
ed black up to within foot of the deck.
and the remainder of it lead color. On
either side of it, in the spar-deck, was a
bull's-eye to admit light, and there were
several nails or which were hanging
various articles of clothing.
You saw the ghost standing right
here did you ?''
eyes, sir right where you are now,
sir ~
Y Was the moon shining last night !''
Yes, sir quite bright in themiddle-
watch P'
Did you speak to or try to catch the
r'No, sir wouldn't do such a thing
for the world
Ii you had, you would have found
out that the ghost was nothing more
nor less than this bitt, with the moon
shining through the bull's-eyes on it and
on the clothing you see hanging there
now. / never knew of a ghost that
didn't dwihdle into moonbeam or a
piece of linen"
There was a general look of increduli-
tyrupon the faces of the crew, and one
OF them mustered up courage to Gsk:
But how about the groans and noises,
10, some of you snore loud, and the
restis Imagination" s
Finding that argument or persuasion
wereiof no use in altering the opinions
of my crew, left them, after giving the
following edmonton
Eow, men in the first place, there
areIno such things as ghosts and sec
oudly, l wish you to understand that
there is no ghost aboard of this ship,
and if you can't be made to understand
il IN any other way, I'll give you the
fun of hunting all night for it. You
know what mean. Goodnight -
Having given the second mate his
orders for the following day, / sat down
to think the matter over, and ask nv.
self few questions" as the sailors say.
One thing that tpuEzled meWass now &C,
counted for Several of theAaY1feffehaelz