The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-09-18
A CLEVER RUsE.

deck. Even the ropes and sails were
partially stiffened with it.
Her whole appearance showed the
rough usage she had sustained among
the foes and storms of the Antarctic.
The paint on her sides was worn away
long. streaks of rust extended above and
below her fore main and mizzen chains,
and her hull was bruised and battered
from bow to stern.
All these things gave to her an appear
ance that was almost unearthly, and
which harmonized well with her name,
the Flying Dutchinan, painted on her
stern. She was, however, not the Flying
Dutchman about which everyone has
read, and her Captain was the good
Simon Pearl, a stern, matter-of-fsct per-
sonage from the town of Salem.
The old water-dogs shook their heads
solemnly when they read the name upon
Pearls vessel as she lay off the dock
waiting for men. The Portuguese sailor
and the Spaniards crossed themselves
when they saw it; and, in fact, all agreed
that no good luck would ever attend q
craft bearing the awful name of the Fly
ing Dutchman.
But Captain Pearl refused to change
the name.
At last he succeeded in shipping a
crew-many of whom were green hands
and the vessel sailed, the Captain car
rosy, bright-eyed damsel of twenty,
who was an orphan, and who had ac-
companied her uncle on previous voy-
age.
Pearl had doctor on board-a good
looking young man of twenty-five,
named George Lossing-who, the mo-
ment he saw Mabel and conversed with
her, decided that she would make an ex-
cellent wife.
In fact, she was intelligent, so modest,
and with all her charming vivacity, SO
plainly showed the "house wifery' fac
ulty in her neat management of the
cabin, and in certain occurrences of
manner, that she charmed the doctor.
In spite of her ominous name, the
ship, although meeting with many mar
row escapes in the Antarctic Ocean, and
although frozen in the ice for months,
had excellent luck in the whaling line.
On this afternoon, in 1853, she was
bound for home, full of whale and seal
oil, which would bring rich harvest to
Pearl (who was her owner as well as her
captain provided she reached her port
in safety. Would she reach it?
This was the question often PROFOUND
ed by her crew.
Some of them were of the opinion TINT
she never would, on account Of her
name, and all felt little uneasy on the
subject.
On dark nights, when the wind was
bowling around the craft, driving the
ice before it, the watch would shrug
their shoulders, and peer through the
thick gloom, as if every moment expect
ing to behold some spectral vessel flying
past them, or ranging alongside.
But the ship had now shaken off the
last grinding mass from her side, and
an llimitable extent of clear water,
glistening in the rays of the sinking sun,
stretched before her.
Down in the cabin sat Mabel and the
doctor watching the red light coming
through the window.
The girl had just promised to be
Georges wife; and he held both of her
hands in his.
/ ''The sky is without cloud" she
said softly. "I feel as if this is emblem
atical of our future"
We will look upon it as a happy au-
gury," he replied. ''Of course there
will be clouds-there always is in mar
ried life-but trust they will be light
ones-as thin as the mist, and as easily
| dissipated."
"Oh, George" said Mabel, her eyes
shining, what cloud is there in this
world that love cannot dispel ?"
Her smooth. round face looked 80
pretty when she said this that the young
man could not help putting an arm about
her waist and kissing her glowing cheek,
"That is woman's theory" he said,
smiling.
"It is true one," she answered.
Love can dispel every trouble, every
pain"
"Wait till the baby has the cramp,
and see if it will dispel that r came at
| this moment, the bluff voice of Captain
| Pearl, as he suddenly descended the
companions steps,
"Now, uncle, for shame You have
been listeningy" cried Mabel, starting NJ
| in some confusion.
In due time the vessel arrived in the
vicinity of the Cape Of Good Hope. The
face of some of the sailors then wore {
solemn look.
It was in this locality that the fable
phantom craft, the Flying Dutchman
was said to have been seen.
Captain Pearls crew predicted tina
| now the ships "bad luck" would com
mence, on account of that unfortunat,
name on her stern.
AS if to verify this prediction one o
the men fell from the foreyard and wa
| badly hurt. Another, soon after, wa
taken SO i'll that it was feared he wouls
die. True the young doctor cured HIN
| in few hours, but his shipmates insisted
that there ives bad look in his eyes
that he was not at all the same person o
before.
On that very day, at night, boat, il
which the carpenter had been at worl
repairing the cabin window shutter, wa
left towing astern.
The captains pipe, as he leaned fron
the window smoking, dropped into tn
boat. He got into the latter to pick j
up, when the pin to which the warp wa
fastened, and which was somewhat worn
gave way and he drifted off in the dark
ness.
His absence was not discovered til
hours later, when fruitless search wa
made for him in the darkness.
Just before daylight, however, a boat
with man in it, was dimly seen ap
preaching from the direction of tn
land, which was not league distant, o.
the weather-beam.
But the crew were mistaken in thei
suppositions. 1t proved to be the cap
tain. As he sculled the boat under tn
stern of the ship, when she hove to, in
J stead of alongside, it was noticed that b
had q roll of canvas, which had been i
the light craft, spread out so as to cove
, nearly all the boards.
II After he had sent forward the meI
who we're staring over the rail at hin
some OF them apparently surprised,
; not disappointed, that their superstition
. prediction Of his loss was not fulfilled
he stated that his boat had drifte
ashore, where he had remained for b
ship to wear round, ere attempting
{ reach her.
i A fortnight later, when fifteen milk
south Of Table Bay, and not far frol
: land, the ship was struck by terrif
! gale.
: A thin, sulphurous sort of haze pa
0 tally obscured the full moon, the di
. rays of which, together with the pho
phorus of the sea and the vessels La
terms, threw strange, ghastly lig
9 over her sails and deck.
!. Almost upon her beam ends, wi