The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-12-13

quarrel. They. crowded intoemy little
shop, and frank -aemiiehh empty.
and bought my stock clean out, and
filled me full of peitries. Imade $500
that season, and went off in high spirits
to lose it somewhere else. and then to-
pick st up agin.s AS for the Virginian,
l lost sight Of him, and never learned
how he ended / didn't even inquire
whether he put his butcher-knife in and
turned it. around. 1t seemed to me too
delicate subject.
THE CAPTAINS GHOST STORY
We had lost a man overheard, and of
course every body was thinking ofphim
About two hours later, just at dusk,
there was aPortugee sailor at the helm,
and | was standing near him watching
the ships course. OF a sudden this
Portugee let outthe most fearful veil
that ever heard in my1ife, broke away
from the. helm, few along the deck, and
plunged into the fo'c'sie l caught the
wheel myself and bawled to the mate to
bring thatsman back He rushed for
ward, and was gone devil of. while
When he returned he said the man
wouldn't come
"Won't come!'' says I. ssThat's a
pretty story to tell on board ship. Why
don't you make him Gomez"
"But can't" says the mate. He
held on to the stanchions like wise. He
SAYS he'll die before he'll come"
So, thinking the Portugee had gone
mad, ordered up another man. But
this second steersman had scarcely got
to his post before he too let off a screech
and broke for the fo'c'sle. BY Jove,
didn't knowwhat to make of it; / began
to think there was some disease aboard,
some sort of catching frenzy I took
the helm again. But just as I was Won
dering whether I would have to steer
the ship across the ocean myself,
CHANGED to turn my eye windward, and
| saw something. You must remember
that it was dusk, and in fact pretty dark
ish. Well, through that darkness saw
white object rise over the taffrail,
wave at me in threatening way, and
drop again as If into the sea. Now, I
never did believe in ghosts, never, even
in my childhood. But for one moment
[ was thoroughly startled; thought the
drowned sailor was there. The next
moment the object rose again, and Ids
covered what it was. It was not a
ghost, it was the cabin table-cloth. The
steward had hung it over the side 70
dry, and the wind now and then lifted a
corner of it.
THE OTHER CAPTAINS BRIGAND STORY.
It is a lovely country, the Mediter-
ranean shore, every spot of fit, every mile
of it. Ever been therep Isn't it a bean
tiful countfyP If &eyer I get off dutF. ]
mean to take a trip to those regionsseF
Eery winter on the vessels of our line
Beautiful, views every place you land at,
and plenty of fine fishing and shooting
When I sailed there fused to go ashore
at every port, and stroll off into the
country with either my gun or my fish
ing tackle. In the course of one OF
those ramps, a few miles out of Messina,
had a curious adventure. On coming
back from fishing bout found myself
tired, and stopped at little 'wayside
tavern to take bottle of wine. There
fell into conversation with an Italian,
a nice-looking fellow enough and very
pleasant in his manners. That man
spoke English as well as I did; he had
been in America, he said; learned his
English there. / liked himsso well that
| gave him a cigar, and then another
and shared my wine with him. We wefe
sitting under the porch in front of the
tavern, and every thing around us was
pretty, and I/had an agreeable half
hour. At last l Hooked at my watch,
found it was getting late, and said i
must GO.
"Let me see that watch,n says the
Italian
I handed it to him; it was nice
watch; there is the very one now. He
looked at it, gave it back to me, smiled,
and said, eff you hadn't been SO polite
to me, would have taken that watch
away from you"
Well, you see what my build is; I can
stand pretty good tussle. / smiled at
him, and said |, 81 don't believe that
goa could take that watch.:' y
"Ah," says he, /" wouldn't have
taken it; but n show you who would. .
With that he gave a whistle; and upon
my soul and honor, if i've or six armed
men didn't start up around us! TIVE Of
them, if you'll believe it, from behind a
wall just across the road After he had
let me look at them he gave another
whistle, and they all went to cover.
"Good evening, sir,n said he. 81 wish
you a pleasant journey
"Good evening, sir" said l, and
started for Messina.
THE NEGRO SAILORS STORY.
Wah, wah, wah! See that young un
tryin' to lift that anchorP That reminds
me. My little gal see a rock in the field
bouts big's a long boat. g Oh, pa, +"
says she, I" mayn't / have that rock to