The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-04-14

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a corpse. Poor Addison suffered till noon,
and then the startling announcement went
through the ship that he was dead
This was the first, but who should be the
next A panic had seized upon the men
the cholera was with them, and none dared
remove the form Of their dead shipmate
from his berth. Night approached, and
with it came an almost dead calm, but the
corpse still remained in the forecastle, nor
did the men dare go thither. The captain
urged that the longer presence of the body
would breed more dangerous contagion,
but the only answer he received was a
mournful shake of the heads about him.
At length, finding that all argumente were
useless, he turned to his mate and asked
him if he would assist himself in throwing
the body Of the dead man overheard. The
mate, at first, hesitated, but in a moment
he signified his consent, and together him
self and captain, went down into the fore
castle. They dared not remain long
enough with the corpse to sew it up, nor
even to attach to it a sinking weight, but
throwing over it single blanket, they
managed to get it upon deck and lay it
across the bulwarks of the starbOard bow.
A moment Captain johnson hesitated-he
opened his lips breathed prayer for the
soul of the departed, and then, while
shudder ran over his frame, he let the cold
form of young Walter Addison slide into
the blue water Instinctively he cast his
eyes over the side as the deed was done,
and by the pale phosphorescent light he
could just see the corpse sink, then rise
and sink again, and then with heavy
step and still heavier heart, he walked
aft.
The first watch had been set, but the
other watch dared not go below, and hud-
ding themelsves beneath the long-boat,
they sought the repose which they feared
to seek where their companion had died
but each seemed to fear his neighbor, for
none knew where the contagion might be.
At eleven o'clock the slight breathings of
the air, which seemed for the last few
hours to have had no settled point, began
to gather more force from the northward
and westward, and ere long good fresh
breeze filled the ships canvass, and started
through the water. The wind continued
to increase, and before midnight all hands
were called to take in the top-gallantsails.
At twelve o'clock the mid watch was set,
and all hands were, for few moments,
brought in contact with each other. No
further symptoms of the dreaded pestilence
had appeared, and they began to take
hope.
1t was half-past twelve o'clock An old
seaman, named Bill Shippen, had the helm,
while the remainder of the watch were
either in the gangway or else forward
The wind continued fresh, but yet steady,
and the old ship was close hauled upon it,
laying some two points off from her true
course. The ships bell was suspended
over the pinnacle, and old Shipper reached
over and struck the first half hour after
midnight. He had just resumed his posi-
tion, and was gazing intently at the COM
pass, when he felt hand laid upon his
shoulder, and on turning around, he beheld,
by the struggling beams of the pinnacle
lamp, the pale, deathly features of Walter
ADDISON!
For an instant the old sailor remained
rooted to the spot, and then, uttering a
sharp cry of fear, he let go the wheel and
darted forward. In moment the ship be-
gan to fall of, and as she brought the fiat
surface of canvass to the wind, she heeled
over alarmingly but soon the pale spectre
that had frightened She helmsman from
his post, caught the wheel, and laid the
helm hard down, and ere long the ship was
once more to the wind. 7tf li
shippen's cry had started all hands from
their listlessness, for they thought the chol-
era-hend had assailed him, but from his
broken calculations they soon learned what
was the matter, and in a body they crowd
ed aft, and, by the dim light from the bin
nacle, they saw the spectre helmsnsdn =
Every knee trefhbled, and every tongue
Glove to the roof Of its mouth. None dared
to approach him, nor did any move back.
At this juncture the captain came on deck.
His eye caught the corpse-like form that
still held the wheel, and he, too, was rivet-
cd to the spot where he stood.
"shipmates, relieve me from here or l
shall faint. / am cold and weak p at
length came from the lips Of the seeming
spectre, in faint, agonized tones.
Capt johnson hesitated an instant and
then he rushed forward, and laid his hand
upon the trembling form before him. II