The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-10-13


disappeared in it as if they had been
sawn short off at the point where
they vanished. The heimsman was a
mere looming shadow /; although there
was brilliant sun shining oyer-head,it
produced no other effect upon the ex-
traordinaTy thick mist than to wlIiten
it the swell was fast subsiding and
the lines of fog, like trailing smoke,
were barely driven by the languid
draught of air that was moving from
the north.
CLARK what was that?" Iexclaim-
ed.
"What did you hear?" whispered
Corney, looking into the fog Oh the
right and left.
ttHushw 1 muttered, "thcre is
vessel near us" 1 went to ShelvOcke.
did you hear a noise like the creak
of block just this minute, sir ?"
Like the creak of a block Where
away ?" he exclaimed, jumping up.
II cannot say where the sound came
from, sir, but we may hear something
more by listening"
/ got onto a gun TO give my ear a
good hoist above the bullWarks, and
breastwOrks with rapt attention,
whilst Shelvocke, with his head in
| clined, stood like a warhOrse with
| cooked ears, waiting. The men, OBJ
serving our posture, watched us TO
| know what the matter was. There
was a perfect silence throughout the
| whole length of the vessel that was
not a little impressive when one
| thought of the crowd of living beings
! that filled her. Now and again the
water gurgles alongside, or the rudder
/ family Jared. or a timber grOaned /;
| but these last sounds were barely au-
| dible, whilst alOft the canvas was
| as quiet as a chUrchyard.
On q sudden q cOc6 crOl0ed out IN
the Jog.
The noise, as 1 fancied, came from
the starboard quarter, but ShelvOcke
| bent his ears toward the starbOard
| bow. Every man on deck had heard
the crow, and half-suppressed litter
ran along. 1t was funny enough to
| hear the birds voice sounding from
sea, amid the dense fog, but the ru-
NOR was made sOmwhat grim by
the possibility Of an enemy being close
| to us.
The moment ShelvOcke heard the
cock he whispered to me to see all
clear and to have the men stationed ;
| but they were strickly ordered not to
! speak above their breath, and they
went to quarters in their bare feet.
! This was one of the strangest and
most exciting experiences l had en-
cOuntered since l had been to sea.
! Here we were at quarters, and lying
all breathless, so to speak, in an i'm
pervious fog that hung in dense, va
! porous masses all around us, in close
| company with ship that was not
only utterly invisible, but whose very
neighborhood could not be guessed
nor her nationality and character inn
agined.
Shelvocke stood cropping along the
! fog with his eyes. / went softly from
one side of the deck to the other, fire.
| quently imagining l saw dark outline
looming amid the vapOroUs folds
! Presently we heard a sound like that
of coil of rope flung upon deck, and
! the rattle of shot or chain.
"Where does it come from, Mr.. Mad
ison, think you Z" whispered Shell
woke. 81 never knew anything more
deceptive"
L think see a sort of darkness out
yOnder, sir" said I, pointing to the
quarter IN which all along 1 believed
the vessel lying. ''Look a little away
to the west of the stern of the cutter
But as 1 said this the fog closed al
around again and ShelYocke SHOOK
his head.
Il see nothing" he answered, an6
went to the side and looked over
then returned to me.
"She has not an inch of way OF
her p he exclaimed, and mOtioned
with his hand to the leadman. The
fellow dropped the lead softly; the
soundings made twenty-five fathoms
/ Four bells were struck in the fog
The tone was marvelously clear, and
so close as to make me start, and a
moment after we heard a mans voice
hailing some one aloft or forward Oh
the vessel.
"What lingo was that ?" exclaimed
ShelvOcke, eagerly.
81 only caught two words, TaiSSez.
I0jSSezP which l take to be French
for drop it 2" 1 answered.
'IIush !" cried Shelvocke and at that
instant another voice called out loud
ly. This evidently came from aloit
it seemed to be up in the air, over oul
heads.
Shelvocke made no remark, but
walked aft and stood looking over the
taffrail. For some minutes he stood
staring and listening, and we were be,
! ginning to think that it would end in
the vessel drifting apart, and in Oui
getting no sight of our neighbOr if the
tog did not lift before the night came
when all at once the fog Trimmed
right abeam, as though a lane was
opened i'll it by passage of wind, and
! disclosed about quarter of mile Of
white water, with just a faint spangle
of sunlight touching the further ex-
tremity of it. The folds of the foo
rolling to the southwark, this lane
went with them, and when it reached
the quarter, there, standing in the
clear space of it, and about a pistO
shot away from the Tigress, was g
large black ship of not less than Cox
tons, lying broadside onto us, witt
great channels which gave her rigging
a tremendously wide spread and i'm.
mensely square lower yards. The fog
went down as low as her tops, so thai
all her upper spars were hidden. She
showed five guns from her broadside
1 sprung aft to take her bearings by
the compass, and when looked agaiT
she was gone. But gone only to the
eye, for now that they had seen us the
ear could determine their whereabouts
with laughable precision. 1t was evil
dent that our sudden apparitiOn haC
greatly alarmed heI people. We heard
a whole volley of orders thundered
out in French; ropes were let 90
blocks squealed, yards were sharply
braced around.
"A merchantmen. and a fine one =