The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-01-13
Selfrf Story.
THE SPECTRE HEEL MSMAN.
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.

In the summer of 1889 the ship 'Vul
can, under the command O. Capt Isaac
Johnson, was on her homeward- bound
passage from the Indies, with half a
cargo of tea, and she stopped at Cape
Negro, on the coast of Benguela, after
lot of ivory, to make up her load
Having gone on shore, ut the Cape, the
captain learned from the native con
tractor that he would have to 60 some
fifteen miles up the CannibaPs river, as
the elephant hunters bad all tue bSass
further up in the country, so that con.
sequeutly they had not been enabled to
bring the ivory down.
Capt. johnson was somewhat disap
pointed at this cause of delay, but with.
out waiting to find useless fault he de-
termined 20 man his own boats. and
proceed at once up the river. 1t re
quired four trips to bring al: the ivory
down, but as they had opportunity to
take advantage Of the slight tides, the
task was accomplished in four days
On the last trip the captain went him
self, leaving the first mate in charge OF
the ship. and on arriving at the small
village where the ivory was stored, be
was not little surprised to fad that
nearly all the miserable huts were de
serted Several times Capt. johnson
inquired the meaning OF this, but the
natives were either unable, or unwill-
ing, to give any plain answer, and it
was not until the last lot of tusks had
been conveyed to the boats, and the ma
tives had been remunerated for their la
Dor, that the least clew could be obtain.
ed to the cause of this strange deser-
ton; and then, for the first time, the
captain received the startling intelli
gence that the cholera was sweeping
down the river! "a
AS soon as this fact became known
to the seamen, they wildly huddled into
their boats, as though the fearful death
angel was at their heels, and silent, vet
with powerful strokes, they pulled down
the fatal stream. At length they reach
ed their ship, and though they breathed
somewhat more freely as they trod their
own deck, yet each countenance bore
the stamp of deep fear The ivory was
soon got on board, and with all haste
the old Vulcan was got under way. Il
was nearly nj eht when the ship got off
and with good breeze from the north.
ward and eastward. she stood well on
her course. On the next morning, short
ly after breakfast. and while the crew
had begun TO think that they had no oc-
casion for further fear, young man,
named Waller Addison, was taken sud.
denly sick.
Young Addison was the faYorite both
ne TIA dIdfaraz GRO frnaad-as
was reported that he was thus i'll, a gen
eral CONSERVATION seized upon all hands
The young man felt at first a giddiness
and sickly chill, and in the course Of
two hours he sank into an alarming de
bili,y,the countenance assuming dad
" paleness, and his skin bearing all the
appearance of corpse. Poor Addison
suffered till noon, and then the startling
announcement went through the shiI
that he was dead!
This was the first, but who should b.
the next! A panic had seized upon the
men-the cholera was with them, ant
none dared remove the form of thei
dead shipmate from his berth Nigh
approached, and with it came an almos
dead calm, but the corpse still remained
in the forcaslle, nor did the men dar,
go thither The captain urged that thu
longer presence of the body woult
breed more dangerous contagion, bu
the only answer he received was {
mournful shake of the heads about him
At length, finding that all argument
were useless, he turned to his mate ant
asked him if he would assist himself ii
throwing the body of the dead mai
overheard The mate, at first, hesiia
ted, but in a moment he signified hi
consent, and together himself and th
captain went down into the forecastle
They dared not remain long enough
with the corpse to sew it up, nor ever
to attach to it a sinking weight, bu
throwing over it a single blanket, the,
managed to get it upon deck and lay i
across the bulwarks of the stal boar,
bow A moment Capt. johnson hesi
tated-he opened his lips, breathed
prayer for the soul of the departed, ant
then, while a shudder ran over hi
frame, he let the cold form Of youn'
Walter Addison slide into the blue WI
ter! Instinclively he cast his eyes owe
the side as the deed was done, and b.
the pale phosphorescent light he coul'
Just see the corpse sink, then rise ant
sink again, and then with heavy ste
AMI still heavier heart, he walked aft
The first watch had been set, but tn
other watch dared not 60 below, ant
huddling themselves beneath the long
boat, they sought the repose which the.
feared to seek where their companion
had died; but each seemed to fear hi
neighbor, for none knew where the con
tagion might be- AT eleven O'Clock tn
slight breathings Of the air, which seem
ed for the last few hours to have ha,
no settled.point, began to gather NOR
force from the northwest and westward
and ere long a good fresh breeze file
the ships canvas, and started throug
the water The wind continued to in
crease, and before milnight all hand
were called to take in the top-ga,lant
sails. At twelve o'clock the mid watc
was set, and all hands were, for fey
moments, brought in contact with eac
other No further symptoms of th
dreaded pestilence had appeared, an
they hegan to take hope.
1t was halfpast twelve o'clock. A
old seaman, named Bill Sbippen, had th
helm, while the remainder of the watc
were either in the ganeway or else fo
ward The wind continued fresh, bl
yet steady, and the old ship was clos
hauled upon it, laying some two poin'
off from her true course The ship
bell was suspended over the binnacle, an
old Shippen reached over and struck tn
first half hour after midnight. He ha
just resumed his position, apd was gai
I ing intently at the compass, when he fe
hand laid upon his shoulder, and q
turning around, he beheld by the stru'
Cling beams of the binnacle lamp, tt
pale, deathly features Of Walter Add