The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-09-18
their impending doom was owing to the

their impending doom was owing to the
unlucky name of their vessel.
Aft stood George LOSING, the young
doctor, with one arm supporting. the
trem bling, affrighted Mabel. who clung
close to him.
"Oh, George, we are lostp she said.
The men rushed for the boats.
HBacki" roared Captain Pearl. 'No
boat can live in this seaf'
Ere the crew, rendered desperate by
their situation, could dash him to one
side, weird, unearthly voice suddenly
them, keep off, sayF'
Turning, the seamen were amazed,
Mortified to behold strange being whom
they had never seen before, on the ship q
quarterback.
This apparition, coming in so unex-
pected manner, was dressed in sim
gular, antique fashion, well calculated to
arouse their superstitious fears.
He wore high brown sugar-loaf hat;
jerkin, around which WAS leather
belt; broad breeches, with two rows of
buttons on each side, and which were
gathered at the knees; pair of blue
stockings, fitted tightly to the calves;
and long pointed shoes with enormous
buckles.
His face was in keep with his ancient
Dutch dress.
It was thin and aged, with two wild,
cleaning eyes, a large, hooked nose, and
was partially obscured by his streaming,
masses of white hair.
Standing in the ghostly glare from the
dim moonlight, the lantern and phos-
phorous of the sea, this apparition
caught the unnatural radiance, and
really seemed being from the other
world.
ga pull on the weather brace I" he
continued, in voice that cut the gale
like the shrek of steam whistle.
at is the Flying Dutchman' him
self r. cried one of the men.
A pull on the weather bracesl" shouted
the apparition. Jump for you lives r
There was q magnetism in the voice,
and the men now obeyed In spite of
their fears.
The course of the ship was thus
slightly changed.
The weird pilot, after few more or
ders, took the helm himself, and, to the
surprise of all, guided the vessel into q
sheltered bay amongst the towering
rocks where she was safely anchored.
He then disappeared over the stern, and
was never again seen by the awe-stricken
crew.
On the next day. the gale having
abated, the Captain reached Cape Town,
which was not far diatant.
The appearance of the spectral visitor
had not seemed to alarm either him or
his officers; neither had it troubled Ma
BILE or the doctor.
The truth of the matter was this.
When the Captain went ashore on the
night he drifted from the ship, he found
one of the Dutch inhabitants of the Cape
on the beach. This person informed him
that he was fugitive; that he had been
landdrost-a sort of sherin-of dis
triet some miles away, but that for lib
Grating a negro slave from cruel mas
ter, his house had been attacked by q
mob, and he had been obliged to fly for
his life.
Besides his money, which was in notes.
he had brought away with him in q bag
the only things he could carry-the only
valuable, in fact, that he possessed worth
caring for. These were some old-fash-
ioned Dutch clothes, which had belonged
to one Of his ancestors, and some arti-
cles of modern attire.
He begged Captain Pearl to take him
aboard his ship and conceal him. He
would rather the crew should not know
he was aboard, as there might be those
among them to inform against him when
the vessel reached Cape Town, where he
hoped to find German craft, in which
he hoped to take passage for his native
land.
The captain complied with his request,
hiding him in the boat by throwing the
canvas there over him.
Subsequently the fugitives was got
through the cabin window into the cabin,
though not without being seen by
Mabel, the doctor and the officers,
who, however, promised to keep the
secret.
On the night of the storm, the landrost
hearing of the vessels danger, he de.
clared he would save her, as he was sc-
quainted with every nook and corner OF
| the coast, having been pilot there, and
| knew OF q safe bay where the craft could
| anchor.
In order that the crew might not
guess the truth when he should appear
| before them, he hit upon the ruse of
| donning his ancestors ancient Dutch
garments, for having heard of their
superstitious fears about the name of the
ship, he doubted not the crew would, on
seeing him thus attired, mistake him for
the veritable Flying Dutchman" in
\ person.
After saving the vessel, the passenger,
by means of dangling rope. descended
| from the stern rail to the cabin window
through which he was helped by the
! captain into the cabin.
On arriving at Cape Town, Pearl con
trived at night to convey him secretly il
a boat to the shore, and on the next day
he took passage aboard homebounG
| German craft in the harbor.