Frostburg mining journal., 1882-12-23

and fying-iib, with the wind abeam, our
ship sailed over this "Summer sea" al
most MS noiselessly and gracefully as an
albatross skimming the oceans crest.
1t was the custom on board, owing to
the excessive heat during the daytime, to
grant the ships company the privilege
of singing and smoking until nine o'clock,
which is an hour later than the time
usually allowed on board ships Of war
when at sea. This hour having arrived,
orders were given to pipe down and for
the watch to lie aft on the quarter deck,
and stow themselves on the weather side,
between the guns; the logs were hove
and the lights reported out five knots
was the speed of the ship. Everything
then became quiet about the decks, and
there was at this time no appearance, in
any quarter, of any change either in
wind or weather. The night was so
very beautiful and the stars so very
bright that could not refrain from re-
peating to myself:
'If yon bright stars which gem the night
Be each a blissful dwelling place.
Where kindred spirits reunite
And live to meet the loved of this"
Thus far only had I spoken, when o
voice whispered gently in my ear:
"You had better shorten sail.
The words were spoken very distinct
ly, and I turned around expecting to see
the speaker; but l was alone at the break
of the poop, and there was no one near
me.
As I was certain that | had heard the
words, it was some time before / could
satisfy myself that l might have been
mistaken, for if was not, from whence
could the voice have proceeded? Re
suming my walk and cogitating over the
matter, the time passed quickly, and
four bells were reported and struck,
then 1 gave the usual orders to-
"Relieve the loolSouts. Heave the
log Muster the watch Report the
10 o'clock lights out r
The log again gave five knots as the
speed, and there was still no change of
wind or of weather.
After this / took stroll around the
deck, felt of the weather-head braces,
and looked at the yards, finding every
thing taut and trim. went upon the
poop, and stood at the starboard quarter
scanning the horizon, and while in this
position looking to windward, the same
gentle voice again whispered in my ear
"You had better shorten sail"
This time there was no mistake, and |
looked around, us | had upon the previ-
GUS occasion, expecting to see the speaker,
but there was no one in sight who could
possibly have spoken; indeed, the only
person on the poop besides myself was
the lookout, stationed at the life-buoy on
the port quarter, and he was standing
facing to leeward, watching the phos-
phoresenca of the sea, utterly oblivious of
everything save of his own thoughts.
He certainly was not the mysterious
speaker. Who was? 1 am not easily
startled, nor am superstitious, but is it
to be wondered at that I felt, to say the
least, queerly, knowing mysterious beings
were around who could make themselves
heard, yet could neither be seen or felt :?
Then argued to myself, this whisperer
is evidently friendly, as accidents do not
result from being under short sail, while
many terrible ones have resulted from
carrying too much; reasoning thus, al
though the stars were still as brilliantly
shining, the wind as gently blowing, and
the ship as quietly sailing as when my
watch commenced, and although there
was not cloud to be seen, / gave orders
"Furl the royals and stow the flying
jib;' then ordered the watch to remain
on their feet, not to lie down any more,
but to see and keep everything clear for
shortening sail after this went forward
on the topgallant forecastle, looking at
the horizon from all points of view there,
but nothing could be seen indicating a
change.
AS I passed down the forecastle ladder
on my way aft, each one of the idlers
seated forward greeted me with
"Halloo, Bluegrass, what's the matter?"
"Why are you taking in sail %
"Are there any squalls brewing
AS could give these questioners no
good reason for my action, I preserved
dignified silence and continued on my
way, resuming my walk upon the poop,
where in less than five minutes time and
while | was in the act of walking the
deck, that same mysterious voice whis-
pered once more
Ou nau DSUtef shorten SAL
This was the third time of the warning,
and as at the previous time, as now, there
was no one in sight or near who could
have spoken. was alone!
Hesitating no longer, 1 made every
preparation for stripping the snip of her
canyass, but before giving the final or
ders to do SO examined again the horizon
to windward, and there in the far dis
tance perceived u misty appearance, as
of an Indian Summer haze, and also
thought I could hear sound like unto
that made by wind as it soughs through
forest in winter time Ordering the
quartermaster to make iudicious huff
and lift the weather teaches of the top
gallapt-sails, L took them in, and was
about ordering them furled, when there