The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-30

on again. l see the bell. They've rugged
it up at the masthead, so that it swings
back ards and for'ards every time the
thing gives lurch to rewards"
Can you see anything aboards'
"Not creetur, living or dead"
"keep away couple Of points" cried
the captain to the man at the wheel.
cay, ny, sirl"
And the ships course was altered, 80 as
to bring her rapidly to the mysterious
craft toward which all eyes were di-
rected.
Several of the company now openly re-
marked that there was something super
natural in the appearance Of this boat,
with its tolling bell TO all of these
Florence Harris and her lover replied
lightly, neither of them having the least
faith in their credulty.
The captain listened impatiently, and
then said
"You are all set of towards. No
doubt you imagine Old Nick is aboard,
with a crew of little imps, bound for the
Galapagos Isis with load of brim-
stone. If you'll content yourself for half
an hour longer, I'll tell you mething
about ii, for intend to board that old
lumb ring hulk, even if turns out to be
the Flying Dutchman, or D,vy Jones
aagship, aud shall explore it from stem
| to stern"
! To show that he meant what he said
orders were given to heave to, and to get
one of the boats in readiness. BY this
time the nondescript was plainly visible
| to all.
1t appeared to be an old hulk, with a
single mast in the center The bell was
suspended from the masthead, and ever
and anon sent forth its sol mn tolling as
the hulk rose and sank with the heavings
of the sea.
Before the ship was brought to we
had passed the hulk some distance, so
that when we ha ted there were several
hundred yards intervening, and it was
only dmlv discernible.
A boat was lowered, and the captain
having selected crew pulled away to-
ward the hulk. asked permission to ac-
company it, but on account of a recent
illness was refused. Fortunate, indeed.
for me.was atlrefusal
There was something 40 extraorli-
nary regarding the appearance and action
of the hulk that the curiosity of us all
was 50 intense as to be painful. We
strained our gazH, as the captain and his
crew drew rapidly near it.
We SAW the distance swiftly decrease
between the two boats until the shadowv
forms merged into one. And then fol
lowed by an impressive silence-,udden-
ly broken by howl, a pistol-shot and
scream; and as our hearts almost stopped
bearinr, we saw moment tier, the
boat put off from the hulk, and the men
rowing with all their m ght back TO the
ship. As they came nearer we discerned
that the capt in was missing.
BackStay Bob dashed toward the boat,
and, shakin. his fist at the men, de-
manded furiously:
"You are cowardly dogsl Where is
Captin LlisterH
"The demon has got himw
Absurd as the reply might have seemed
at any other time, IL was uttered in sol
emn earnest as the ghastly faces of the
crew attested.
In reply to our eager questions, shey
said the moment they came alongside the
craft they heard low, hollow. unearth-
ly sound, whicn caused them to hest ate.
The captain climbed up the side of the
vessel, descended the hatchway and dis
appeared from view. He was hardly out
of sight when the noise they had heard
at first was repeated, far louder and
fiercer. The next moment the report of
the captains pistol was heard, followed
by terrific shrek, and then all was
still
Horror-struck, they called loudly and
repeatedly to their commander, but re-
ceivirg no answer, pulled away from the
ship.
"You're purity set of cowardly sneaks,
ain't YOU, to go and desert YOUR captain
that way, when, iiks enough, he nee led
you to save his life," exclaimed Backstay
Bob, forgetting in his fury that the first
mate was among those whom he de-
nounced. "I'm going back to that old
hulk; and if / can't get at the demon
in any o:her way, I'll put a keg of pow
der in it and bow it tn blazesW
"Bob is right, if his excitement does
make him forget his mann rs" said the
mate. at was not my intention to de-
sert the Captain in trouble. The men were
30 frightened that thought it best to
come back and get new set."
There was some difficulty in procuring
the requisite number; and accordingly
Prescott and myself We're accepted. As
the former went over the ships side,
Florence Harris said:
''Don't you come back, Edmund, un-
til you have heard what has become of
poor Captain Luster."
He gave her his promise end few
minutes later the boat showed otf, ard we
rapidly neared the hulk, which acquired
such strange interest to Us all.
Prescott, in addition 10 his revolver,
had a small Italian dagger, which / OBJ
served him handle, as if to assure himself
that it was reliable. Then, as he replaced
it, he remarked to me:
"There's no telling what's inside that