Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-22
How a Murderer was Haunted
4 TO Death.

middle. 1t was cheerful enough, though,
in our pleasant cabin, and the murmur
of the fall winds from the Sierras, and
the patter of the rain on our roof, made
the glare of our roaring log-fre all the
more comfortable. Luck had been fair
with us of late-with Pierre nugget, my
partner, and myself, and as we sat by
our cozy hearth, each thousaeds of miles
from home and the place that gave him
birth, we certainly must have looked
drowsily comfortable as we smoked our
"night-cap' pipes. Pierre was a fine,
manly young fellow of twenty.eight, who
had left his native Alsace when but a
youth, and had followed the seas for half
ascore Of years, mostly in English vessels,
and had cireumnavigated the globe
twice. He was very fond of the sea, and
never tired Of talking of it and of the
strange countries it had enabled him to
see. Just why he had quit the comforts
of the sea-faring life Che had been the
first mate ola clipper engaged in the
China trade) for the privations of q
miners camp, was something he had
never told me; and, thinking the present
as good time as any to ascertain, re-
moved the pipe from my mouth, spat
into the fire, and abruptly said, "What
made you leave the sea, Pierre"
My question startled him like the crack
ola rifle, and he crossed him-selfdevoutly
as he replied, "Why do you ask
"MereIy from motives of curiosity.
Certainly the pay and comforts of an
officer of fine ship, engaged in a profit
able trade, are superior to the rough life
and slim chance of obtaining a fortune
in these almost God-forsaken hills. Let
me see if / can't guess the motive. You
are han lsome and romantic. TWAS the
perfidy of false sweet heart that drove
you here"
%You are mistaken, my partner an
swered Pierre; II never loved but once,
and my little Marie sleeps in the church
yard of Lavonne. You should have
seen her. She was not too tall, but she
had the form of--not of Venus--there
was nothing of the goddess about Marie
she was just 1.-THE, and supple, and
willowy, and lovely. Her hair was
black as the wing of q raven, and her
eyes were as brown as berries. Oh,
they were lovely eyes. But her mouth,
in shape. perfect cupid's bow, and in
color like rosebud. No rose that ever
grew, had sweeter perfume than her
breath. We loved and were to wed,
but she sickened and died while was
far away"
He stopped . moment as II overcome
by the memory of his dead love, and l
turned to give him chance to brush
away the tears that bedimmed his eyes.
Presently he became composed and re.
sumed his narrative. "Sailors are su-
perstitions," said be, land once used
to laugh at their fears, but have seen
that which proves that there are more
things betwixt heaven aud earth than
are dreamed of in our philosophy, and
now, too, am fearful of the Unknown.
Why will tell you. While at Liver
pool, just previous to the last voyage |
made, I noticed among the crew dark,
moody-appearing spaniard, who had
shipped with us day or two before.
There was a sinister look about his eyes
that arrested attention, but as we were
short of hands, and as able seamen were
in great demand, was not disposed to
quarrel with the man about his lack of
personal beauty, especially as he gave
every evidence of being tip-top sailor.
Among the crew was man who had
sailed with me fornearly two years. One
night, during the dog watch, this man
came to me and said: II beg pardon,
sir, but there's something l think you
ought to know. Have you noticed Leon
lately'"
"Not especially. What is wrong with
him p ..
''His bunk is next to mine, and he has
fearful dreams. Last night he groaned
in agony and talked in his sleep. Mr..
Mate, that man is murderer, and his
victim is haunting him."
"If he is a murderer" / answered, CHS
conscience is all that is haunting him.
Dead men tell no tales, let alone, follow
men across the trackEess ocean," knew
that the sailors had a superstition that
the body of a murdered man would pur-
sue its slayer to death, and l spoke thus
to disabuse his mad of any such feeling.
The man touched his hat and went about
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