The Red Cloud chief., 1880-02-19
THE GHOST OF THE NIGER.

the Niger, Capt. Phillips. Our voyage
was to Hilo, Sandwich Islands, and
back to Puget Sound, whence we sailed.
The Captain. officers and crew were,
when i joined, Americans and West In
diamen; but, as another hand was
wanted beside myself, l persuaded Jack
Chester, an Englishman, with whon l
had become friendly, to fill the vacancy.
Jack was q fine-looking fellow, q jovial
companion, and had lots of information,
which he knew how to use; but, though
he dressed and talked like a sailor, he
had not been long on board ship before
it became plain that BE had not been
brought up q salt,
Our Captain was a Tartar, and nc
mistake; ind as he had the eye ef q
hawk, no fault committed by man or
boy escaped him. This was especially
unfortunate for my English shipmate.
He had shippedon able seaman's wages ;
but his Deficiencies were SO many and
glaring that our Captain, who seemed 10
watch his movements nor carefully
than the rest of the crew, often inflicting
upon him punishments painful to wit
ness. l had a strong attachment for
Chester, and stood his friend whenever
i could, by taking some of his duties
along with my own; but l was not al
ways on hand to help him, so he fell
oftenert than others beneath the Captains
displeasure.
One night when I was at the wheel
the wind rose into a gale. The Captain
came on deck and set all hands rs reef
the topsails. The men we're manning
the halyards to hoist away, when poor
Chester. instead of letting go the reef.
tackle, let go the weather foretopsail
brace, and away went the yard, fore
and aft. BY lufing up smartly, how
ever, We managed to get Checked with
ont carrying any ching away.
But Capt. Philips, frothing at the
mouth, swore he would tan the foolish
lubber's hide who had done so clumsy a
thing. Saying which, he rushed at
Chester with a piece of ~ratiine, which
he brought down upon his head and
shoulders, giving them a fearful cut.
He was in tho act of raising it
again, when q voice from aloft roared
out:
"Stay your hand!"
The voice was wonderfully loud and
clear, seemingly coming from the main.
top. The Captain fell back, and, look
ing ur, cried in great rage:
"Aloft therei"
"Halloa! Z" was the answer back.
"Come down IN deck" was the Cap
tain's imperious order.
"COme up here, and see how YOU
will like it," was the contemptuous re-
Spouse.
"Come down, 1 say, on deck!"
foamed the Captain.
"Come up and fetch me-" returned
the voice from aloft.
"Who is up there, Mr.. Rassomp n
cried the Captain, appealing to the first
officer.
"No one, sir" was the reply, $50
far as 1 Ear see. All seem present on
deck.n
The Captains rage was terrible to
witness.
"An seem present, Mr.. RassomP |
What do you meaE by that. sirs / ask
you again, who is up there?n
N one known to me-" returned the |
Mate. "An are present; all are on
deck"
Such was the case. But the Second
Mate, without awaiting orders, sprang
up the rigging and looked over the top
rim, then made the circuit of it, looking
all around the masthead, and then re-
ported himself alone.
"Then the ship must be haunted!;
cried the Chief Mate.
The Captain thereupon dropped the
ropes end which he held in his hand
and went below. 1t was evident that
he was strangely affected by what had
occurred. And so my fellow-country-
man escaped further punishment that
night.
But in a few days our skipper had for
gotten his fears, and looked about for
another object upon which he could vent
his spleen; l had the i'll fortune to feel
his wrath. He ordered me to make a
Knot In the end of an old tagged o D to
oe used In making a lashing. In a little
while l returned, saying thatI had made
the best job l could out of a rope which
was quite tagged out.
"Well," said he, eli that's your best.
you are as much of a lubbcr as your
friend, Chester. But I'll dock you both
to ordinary seaman's wages"
tried to show him that the rope was
too much worn to make a neat piece OF
work of it.
"Indeed, 81 said, sit is sadly fagged.n
Tagged, is ftp" cried he, scornfully.
Then I'll finish it over your lubberly
back"
"No you won'tin roared out a voice
from behind the longboat.
The Captain rushed in the direction of
the sound, but failed to discover the
speaker.
"Who was that?" he cried, in a storm
of wrath, adding. "Let me know who it
is, and III thrash him within an inch
of his life!n
xviii you? Ha! ha! hal" was the
mecking reply, droppi gseemingly from
the mAintop.
It was broad daylight when this took
place, so we could see that there was no
one ND there. I was as much startled
and mystiied by the occurrence as the
Captain; but neither he nor I. nor any
Of the crew to whom he applied, could
throw light thereon. But whoever or
Whatever uttered the words, m ypurpose
was served, IS was Chester's on . pre-
vious occasion. The irate Captain went
below, filed more with fear than rage,
throwing behind him. as he stepped up
on the cabin ladder, the ropes end
which had SO vexed him. +.
Sailors IN general + superstltlous
beings. Whatever can not easily be
made ont or accounted for on natural
principles Is laid to the account OF the
aupernatural. Our Captain was no bet
ter In this respect than his crew, for he
was as illiterate as they, except In the
matter Of navigation. and As rough and
untutored, He evidently believed his
ship wss haunted, and that . spirit from
fke yast deep h6d Q mind. 70 torment !
I'm By IT. iutttlesspcee' Hssseeas rs'e