The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-03-23
S TO w ED A w AY.

pier, Williamstown, Port Philip, and m,
duty chiefly consisted in keeping watch
full eye upon the steyedores at work in tn,
hold, for they were terrible fellows fo
brOachiDg cargo whenever they could ge
chance, and the quantities of wines
beers, and spirits on board offered then
many temptations. l'i
Notwithstanding all my vigilance, cask,
and cases were constantly sent on deck
void Of contents; and was repeatedly
censured by the chief officer for not keep.
ing a sharper lookout This CALLED me
much, for was confident the gang then at
work were not the depre,iators, as had
seen several bottled ale casks dragged
empty from the places where thoy had
been slowed, and l knew that their de.
pletion was owing to some other agency
than the one attributed. AT last re.
coivcd hint from the cook that there was
always plenty of grOg knocking about in
the fOrecastle and the inference I natu-
rally drew was, that the sailors had effec-
ted ingress to the hold by forcing passage
through the bulkhead in the fore-peak,
and made nightly incursions upon the
cargo. So | resolved to sneak below af-
ter the hatches had been closed at sunset,
and endeayOr to catch some of the crew in
the act.
told the first mate the suspicious I en-
tertained, and he considered my project
good one; so, shortly after nightfall, he
lowered me down the after hatchway HIM
self, carefully reclosing it, as, of course, if
the men got "a notion of what was in the
wind, my mission would be fruitless.
The night was cloudy and stormy, oCca.
siOnal squalls of wind and rain drowning
every sound on deck; but in the spacious
lower hold all was still and dark, and 81.
lent as the grave, | groped my way for
ward for some distance, clambering on
hands and knees over chests, bales and
boxes, until at last found my progress
impeded by several huge cases of ma
chinery, which barred up the passage from
one hatchway to the other, on the star
board side. On the port side and amid
ships small cases of wines were slowed
and as could easily lift them, cOmmon.
ced removing the top layer and crawling
ahead as did so. As lamp would have
betrayed my presence to the thieves, did
not carry one bat Lhad few matches in
my wsistcOat pocket, and | occasionally
lighted one when l lost my way among
the labyrynth of goods.
AT last, on removing a good sized bale,
| found empty space before me; and sup
posing that | had arrived at the main |
hatchway, from whence all the cargo had
been removed, | faced about and began
lowering myself By my hands and feet to
the kelSon; but case | graSped gave way,
and | was suddenly precipitated to the
plank flooring, the package falling upon
my legs and holding me down with its
weight, which was considerable. l tried
to rise, but the effort was futile, and the
pain in my crushed limbs was excrutiat-
ing. The air was hot and sitting, and
peculiar sickening odor hanging upon it.
After fumbling in my pocket for a
match, | struck the last one | hal against
the iron band of the case. Directly it ig
nlted, sheef Of white flame fitted jund
and in IT, n, wired light, / saw a ghast-
" skeleton crOuched in close proximity to
where | lay.
Huge drops of sweat welled up, and
stood in dewy beads upon my brow yet
ch!ll sensation shook every norve and mus
Gle in my body. l could see nothing in
the intense darkness; but, as if lured by
fascination, glanced in the direction of
the ghastly figure, until my eyes stood out
1f their sockets. | fancied | could see the
long, bony arm of the skeleton thrust it.
sell forth to grasp me; the flcshless face,
me hollow temples, seemed clear to my
sight, and the white rows of teeth seemed
70 mock and grin at me in my despair. |
was bnt youngStcr, and | could bear the
lorrihIe Phantasy no longer; my over
;tran2d nerves relaxed, and I swoOnod
low long / remained unconscious, |
'aonot tell! but, when my senses return
ID, heard noise short distance ahead
i where ! lay, and saw yellow light
.tcam through the iutcrsticcs Of some
ooseiv slowed packages on my Fight.
Then the sound Of mans voice folRupon
ny ear; and, by The intouation of it, [
knew that a sailor named Carstairs was in
he vicinity of where I av.
"lts good for us the mate thinks it's
.he land -portcrs as breaches the cargo; or
we'd never get drop of this good liquor.
say, Bill, can't We smuggle off enough to
asst the voyage home!" | heard him say.
"Carstairs" halloocd in faint voice,
hat sounded strangely unnatural even to
myself. "Help Pm jammcd up in here"
heard crash of glass, as if bottle
lad been let fall. ..
"Heavcns! Bill, did you hear that?"
lalf-shrieked the terror-strcken sailor.
"'Tis summat Onnat'ral, anyhow. Let's !
,et out O. this, Joe. knew no good would
ver come of this way of doing business"
eplied his companion.
| balloOed again, louder and more dis.
inctly. I
"For heavens sake, don't leave me here J
o die p cried. .e t
AhuN o-lHV NHIIu MAUI NOICc, lOT sure,
aid Carstairs. "What's he arter, down /
ere2 Spying on us, s'pose. But if i
e's hurted, it's best we go and help him; c
c's not bad sort, and, perhaps, won't Q
pitt on u.s." C
Flinging cases and bales aside, they ad- a
anced quickly toward me, guided by my c
dice as repeatedly hailed them. At /
'st, only one ease stood between them 9
nd me they rolled it away, and grasped +
he one beneath which | lay. g
"Are you much hurt, sir ?'' asked Car !,
tairs. .l.t n i,
81 can scarcely tell" replied, rs they :,
fted me up. Then ! pointed in the d.
'eton of the skeleton. "Look there" / y
lid.
"Merey, mcrcy!' cried the sailor, his a a
alwart form trembling all over as bis y