The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-02-21
TIE HAUNTED SHIP.

bulDptu III llt NOIWdN lDI Int pas
sage from Cronstadt TO Hull, and an
other English gentleman, who went by
the name of Jack Hastings, Joined her
at the same time. He and [ lodged to-
gether on the shore, and became some
what acquainted before we became ship
mates. He was man of considerable
information, and, from his talk, had seen
his share of the world, but was not much
of a sailor, as l had already surmised
from the cut of his jib.
We found Capt. Phelps of the Norway
Tartar in the worst sense of the word /;
and the voyage was any thing but a
pleasant one, especially to II stings.
He had shipped for able seaman s
wages, and his deficiencies were soon
apparent, especially to a captain who
had hawks eye for the weak points in
a man, that he might come down on
him. As had strong feeling of res
pect for the young man, | stood his
friend whenever | could, by trying to
do more than my own share of duty,
and covering up his shortcomings;
but | could not always be at hand, of
course.
One night when it was blowing quite
fresh, and | was at the wheel, the Cap
tain was up, and had all hands putting
reefs in the topsails. The men had lain
down on deck, and were manning the
halyards TO hoist away, when poor Has
tings, instead of the reef-tackle, let 90
the weather foretopsail brace, and away
went the yard fore and aft. However,
by lufling up smartly, we managed to get
1t checked in again, without carrying
away any thing. But Capt. Phelps,
frothing at the mouth, vowed he would
tan the clumsy lubber's hide that did it,
and would "ride HIM down like a main
tack He rushed at Hastings with a
piece of ratline stuff, and brought it
down once, with terrific cut, over his
neck and shoulders.
AS he raised it again to repeat the
blow, while all hands stood looking on,
hushed into silence, voice from aloft
roared out:
Hold your hand!"
The sound, which was wonderfully
loud and clear, seemed to come down
out of the maintop. The Captain fell
back aft, so as to look up, but could see
nothing.
"Aloft, there!" he yelled, in a rage
No answer.
"MaintOp, there,n
4" Halloai" was answered, spitefully.
"Come down on deck, -
"Come up here and see how you like
itl"
The Captains rage was now fearful
to behold.
"Who's aloft there? Who is it, Mr..
Raynor?" he demanded of the Mate
Nobody that l know of, sir" an
swered the officer. They're all here
in sight.
The men looked from one to another,
but the number was correct. The Sec
0nd Mate, without waiting for orders,
sprang up aloft and looked over the
top-rim, then made the circuit of it,
looking all round the masthead, and
reported himself alone. The Captain
dropped his ropes end and went below,
his mind in a strange chaos of rage and
fear, and Hastings escaped further beat
for that night.
But few days were sufficient for the
Captain to forget his fears, and myself
was the next victim of his wrath. He
had ordered me to make lanyard
knot in the end of an old, tagged rope,
to be used for lashing somewhere. |
did so, and returned it to him, telling
him had made the best job of it l
could.
"Well, if that's your best" said he,
S'you're as much of a lubber as your
partner, Hastings. III dock you both
TO Urinary seaman's pay"
In vain | demonstrated, saying that
the rope was too much worn and tagged
TO make neat piece of work.
"Fagged, is it? Well, III finish it
up over your lubberly back"
"No you WON'T" sang out a voice
from behind the long boat.
lie rushed round in the direction of
the sound, but there was no one there.
"Who was that that spoke?" he
cried. elf l knew who be was I'd cut
his heart out"
"Ha, ha! would ye?'' was answered
derisively-from the maintOp, now.
II was broad daylight, and all could
see there was no one up there. was
quite as much startled and mystifed as
my tyrant could possibly be, but the d.
version served as good a purpose as on
the previous occasion, for he did not at
tack me- again. Had he done so, l
meant to resist, and grapple with him,
if it cost me my life.
That night the Captains slumbers
were disturbed by a fierce cry, which
appeared TO come in at the side-light in
his State-room, left open for fresh air
The cry had been heard by the Mate, on
the quarterback, and by Hastings, ut
the wheel, who could give no explana-
ton of it, and seemed to share his as
constituent and fear, when he rushed on
deck and looked vainly over the quarter
in search of the cause.
From that day he was harassed and
prosecuted at every turn by an % invisi-
bic presence, which gave him nopeace
of his life. Whether on deck or below
he found no escape from it, and es-
peeially when he began to abuse or
swear at any of the ships company the
voice of the hidden champion invariably
took their part, the insolent laugh rang
in his ears on every such occasion, SEEM
ing 10 come from overhead.
But no such manifestations ever trou-
bled us in the forecastle, nor did the un-
earthly voice ever address any one on
board except Capt. Phelps. The more
superstitious part OF our crew would
rather have borne his tyrannical treat
ment than have lived in haunted ship,
while some of us welcomed a friend in
this unaccountable spiritual presence, or
whatever it might be.
The Captains angry passions were to
some degree checked by it, though now
and then they broke forth so suddenly
that the object of his fury received a
blow before it could interfere. We had
arrived within a couple of days sail of
the English coast, when, bee, ming ex-
asperated by some blnder OF Hastings,
be hurled a Delaying pin, which struck