The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-08-30
WEsTON,sW. VA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1879

you Dotn 10 oluillal! SSc""i'h >
wages
l tried to show him that the rope
was too much worn to make Il neat
piece of work OF it. "Inhccl,'
said, its sadly tagged"
Tagged, is it," cried be, scorn'
fully; then I'll finish it OYER your
lubbarly back"
"No you WON'T" roarcd out a
voice form behind the long bont.
The captain rushed in the direction
of the sound, but he failed to dis
cover the speaker.
"Who was that?" he cried, in u
storm of wrath, adding, "Lct me
know who it is, and I'll thrash
him within m inch of his life"
"Will you? hahl hah! hah J."
was the mocking reply, dropping
seemingly from the maintop.
1t was daylight when this took
place, SO every one could see that
there was no one up there. I was
as much startled and mystiticd by
tho occurrence as was tho captain !;
but neither he nor I, nor any of the
crew to whom he applied, could
throw light thereon, But whoever
or whatever uttered tho words, my
purpose was served, rs was Chcs-
ter's, on Il previous occasion. The
irato captain went below filed
more with fear than rage, throwing
behind him, us he stepped upon
the cabbin ladder, the ropes end
which had 10 vexod him.
Sailors in general are supcrsti-
tious beings. Whatever cannot be
made out or accounted for on nat
ural principles, is laid to tho ac-
count of the supernatural. Our
captain was no bettor in this res
pect than his crew, for he was as
illiterate as they, except in the
matter OF navigation, and as rough
and untutorod. He evidently be-
lievcd that his ship was haunted,
and that a spirit from the vast deep
had Il mind to torment him by its
interferenccs. His fears were in
creased not many days after. On
retiring TO rest, at the end of his
evenings watch, his slumbcrs were
disturbed by a loud and fearful
cry, which seemed TO enter the cab
in by the siCe-light, which was left
open for ventilation. The cry was
heard by the second officer, who
was on the quarter dock, and by
Chester, who was at tho wheel;
neither of whom could throw any
light upon the incident to the cap
tain, who had rushed on to the
deck in state Of terror, and de-
mandcd in vain for the production
Of the offender.
From that day it was clear TO all
that Captain Phillips was tormcn-
ted by approhcnsions Of coming
disaster. An idea was fixed in his
mind that his ship was visited by
n spirit from the invisible world,
which preferred to mako itself
heard rather than seen. And this
idea was strengthened by the fact
that when he was on dock, and be.
came angry at the conduct Of any
Of his men, especially when his an
ger was made manifest in oaths
and blows-thc unseen but ever
vigilant visitor, from afar, would
pcrchcd apparently on the top Of
the mninmaSt-uttcr the insolent
laugh or the dolorous warning. On
these occasions the poor man would
rush off to his cabin with blanched
check and tottering limb, and there
abide until the gale in his moral
scnsibilitics should subsiic.
That it was angry with no one
but the captain WAS clear, from the
fact that il never took notice ofthc
conduct Of any other person. The
mate or the boatswain might net as
they liked, or the men might jibe
and call each other; no matter
the voice was not hcard-ncithcr
laugh nor moan fell upon our ears.
But most of those who lived in tho
forccastlc were far from being hap
py; many Of them shared the fears
Of the skipper; and l saw that
they would much rather have brav-
ed his wrath than to be torncntcd
~ they were by the "voiccs Of the