The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-13
A SAILORS STORY.

dkO Wno w AAAO3 NoAhuWtCu Lolunubf anu
back to Puget Sound, whence we sailed.
The captain, officers and crew were,
when joined, Americans and West In
dlamen but, las another hand was want
ed besides myself, persuaded Jack
Chester, an Englishman with whom l
had become friendly, to fill up the va
cancy. Jack was o fine looking fellow,
jovial companion, and had lots of In
formation which he knew how TO use
but, although he dressed and talked like
sailor, he had not been long on board
the ship before 1t became plain that he
had not been brought up salt.
Our captain was Tartar and no mis-
take, and he had the eye of q hawk, no
fault committed by man or boy escaped
him. This was especially unfortunate
for my shipmate. He shipped on
able seaman's wages, but his deficiencies
were so many and glaring that our cap
tain, who seemed to watch his move
ments more carefully than those of the
rest of the crew, often infllcting upon
him punishments painful to witness. /
had strong attachment to Chester, and
stood his friend whenever 1 could, by
taking some of his duties along with
mine; but was not always at hand to
help him, so he fell oftener than others
beneath the captains displeasure.
One night when was at the wheel
the wind rose into gale. The captain
Iool- Il al1 10 30
the topsails. The men were manning
the halyards to hoist away, when poor
Chester, instead of letting go the reef
tackle, let go the weather fore-topsail
brace and away went the yard fore and
aft. By lufiing up smartly however, we
managed to get it checked without car
rying anything away. But Captain
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 %
piece of ratline, which he brought down
upon his neck and shoulders, giving
them fearful cut. He was in the act
of raising it again, when a voice from
aloft roared out, Hold your hand -
The voice was wonderfully loud and
clear, seemingly coming from the main
top. The captain fell back and looking
up, cried in great rage, "Aloft there"
Halloa ~ was answered back.
Come down on deck,' was the cap
tain's imperious order.
"Come up here, and see how you will
like it," was the contemptuous re-
sponse.
Come down, say, on deck - foam
ed the captain.
'Come up and fetch me-, returned
the voice from aloft.
q" Who is up there, Mr.. Rassom !"
cried the captain, appealing to the first
officer.
No one, sir" was the reply, 4" SO far
as can see. All seem present here on
deck.'
The captains rage was now terrible to
witness.
"All seein present, Mr.. Rassom
What do you mean by that, sir?"
ask you again, who is up there :"
"No one known to me-" returned the
man. "All are present. All are on
deck, in sight"
Such was the case. But the second
mate without awaiting order, sprang up
the rigging and looked over the top-rim,
then made circuit of it, looking all
around the masthead, then reported him
self alone.
"Then the ship must be haunted !"
cried the chief mate.
The captain thereupon dropped the
ropes end which he had held in his
hand, and went below. 1t was evident
that he was strangely affected by what
had occurred. And so my fellow coun-
tryman escaped further punishment
that night
But in few days our skipper had for
gotten his fears, and looking out for an
other object on which to vent his spleen.
1 had the ill-fortune to feel his wrath
He ordered me to make knot in the
end of an old tagged rope to be used for
q lashing. In little while / returned,
saying that had made the best job 1
could of rope that was quite tagged
out.
Well" said he, "if that's your
best,you are as much of lubber as your
friend Chester. But I'll dock you both
to ordinary seaman's wages"
l tried to show him that the rope was
too much worn to make neat job of
IL