The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-06-19
RAvENNA. O., THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1879.

L,was teo much worn to make Dea
piece of work. -
Indeed said, It 10 sadly tagged
Tagged, is it p cried be scornfully
then I'll finish It over your lubberl,
| back -
No you won'ti' roared out . voic.
from behind the long g-boat.
The captain rushed in the direction
Of the sound, but he failed to discover
the speaker. Is
who Was that 2 he cried, in . storm
of wrath, adding. Let me know who
it is and I'll thrash him within an inch
Of his life.' 81
win your Hal 6al hal' was the
mocking reply. dropped seemingly )
from the maintop. @
1t was IN broad daylight when this
took place. 60 everyone could see that
there was no one up there. I was ~
much startled and mystified by The
occurrence as was the captain /; bat
neither he nor I, nor any OF the crew
to whom he appealed, ,conid throw any
light thereon. But whoever or what
eyer uttered tho words, my purpose
was served, as was Chester's on pre-
vious occasion. Tho irate captain
went below, filled more with fear than
rage, throwing behind him, ~ he
stepped upon the cabin ladder, the
ropes end which had 20 vexed him.
Sailors in general are superstisious
beings. Whatever cannot be easily
made ont or accounted for on natural
principles, 10 laid to the account Of the
supernatural. Our captain WAS no
better in this respect than his crew,
for he was as iliiterate - they, Except
In the matter Of navigation, and -
rough and untutored. He evidently
believed that his ship was haunted,
and that spirit from tho vssty deep
had mind to torment him BY its ip.
His fears were increased
rot many days after. On retiring 70
rest at the end of his evenings watch.
his sIumbers were disturbed by . loud
lnd fearful cry which seemed to enter
The cabiu by the side light, which Wa
left open for ventilation. The cry
was heard by the second o1icer, who
was on the quarter. deck, and by Ches.
.er, who was 1t tho wheel, neither Of
whom could throw light upon the In
:ident to the captain, who had rushed
IN the deck in state of terror, and dc.
in vain the production Of the
,ffender.
From that day It was clear to all that
Captain PHILIPPE WAS tormented by |
OF coming disastsr. An
dea was fixed in his mind that his
hip was visited by spirit from the
nvisible world. which preferred to
make itself heard rather than seen.
And this idea was strengthened by
he fact that when he was on deck and
'eeame angry at the conduct Of any
4 the men, especially when his anger
vas made manifest in oaths and blows,
he unseen but ever yigilant visitor
rom afar, would-perched apparently
n the top of the msinmast-utter tho
nsolent laugh or the dolorous warn.
ng. On these occasions the poor
lan would rush of to his cabin with
launched cheek and tottering limb.
nd there abide until the gale in his
loral sensibilities should subside.
That 1t was angry with no one but
aptsin was clear, from the fact that 1t
ever took notice of the conduct of
ny other person. The mate or
might act as they liked, or
he men might jibo aud call each other
ard names /; no matter-the voice was
OF heard-neither laugh nor moan
III upon our ears. But most of those
tho lived in the forecastle were far
.om being happy; many Of them
hared the fears Of the skipper; and
w that they would much rather have
raved his wrath than to be tormented
. they were by the voices Of the
ight,' or the day Myself aud Ches-
sr were exceptions. What his opin-
IN was he would not say: he met al
~ questions by sdroit evasions. A
,r myself had no explanation to
i've. fe9e ~
Thus matters went on until We were
,ithin two days sail of the islands.
III the while our poor captain had
cen kept from tyranny by his fears Of
,e voice; but now, exasperated by
ome fault in seamsnship on the part
Chester, and being tho worse for
quor. he hurled . belaying-pin 1t
i'm, which struck him on. the head.
tapping both hands thereon, with .
ell he rushed into the forecastle. 1t
- evident the skipper expected to
ear the voice. fer he looked nervous-
7 sloft; but when all Was silent in
lst direction, HE courage rstsrnsd,
I'd he desired the second olacsr 70
III Chester back to the deck. Getting
D answer to his call, the mate went
slow, when he fosnd the poor fellow
Returning to the deck, be
ported him to be in . dangerous con-
tion. ESQ ~ '''t s' Il. /.
This filed the captain with fear. He
'dered that every attention should be
lid him, which was done. That night
became necessary to have all hands
/ deck to reef, and while We were on
. yards an awful cry, like that Of .
spiac, arose from the bows Of the
us saw . human form on the rail
'ar the fore-swifter, and then loud
lash was heard In the water under q