Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-17

| took refuge by my side Ill the partial
shelter of the long boat which was Sc
cured on the top of the house. Now,
among sailors, for some reason whose
origin / have never been able to discover.
a Russian, or Russian Finn, Is looked
upon MS possessed Of certain powers close
ly verging upon the supernatural all
comprehendcd under the generic title of
wizard Forecastle Jack asserts that
some of them can at will bring good or
bad luck to a ship ; that they have the
gift of second sight, and can also see
phantoms of their. drowned shipmatcs.
when Peter, who had hardly spoken since
we took our seat on the house, suddenly
asked
"See, Harry, believes you of the SUI
pernatural, what you peoples call the
ghost?'
GAS never saw anything of the kind,
I can't say do. Seeing is believing, you
know" answered carelessy.
"Um"-retorted Peter, who not only
spoke English quite fuently, but two
other languages besides-"well, look you.
You may at me laugh" he continued with
an earnestness which impressed me
strangely, "but last night wheel from
eight to ten, did see one strange things.
You knows how it was dark q
| nodded without speaking.
| "For all the dark" Peter went on, 81
see palmer than you now, strange dress
man who belongs not to the ship, stand
for one. two hour in the weather gangway
here, hold of the topmas' backstay"
"a stowaway, perhaps" l suggested,
more for the sake of an answer than be-
cause | really believed anything of the
kind.
"The stowaway shall not be man
| thirty-tlrcc or four year old, dress in old
| fashion soldier-coat and top-boot with
tight breeches," returned Peter with n
quiet-shake of the head. HE had to
him Il face that was some thin," continued
the speaker slowly, MS though recalling
the features of the mysterious stranger,
"bnt you would see him as one of n char
acter determined. His hair was long, of
color black, and tied at the back of his
head with black ribbon. rs in the times
old. How L see him so piain," Peter
went on after little. CAL round him
was kind OF light, like when you rub the
match on You finger in the dark"
OF course, | affected to laugh at the
whole thing as an idle fancy, though Sc
cretly, Peters singular communication,
told i'll quiet matter-of-fact-way, had
| really made quite an impression upon me-
As may be imagined from his quaint, yet
| correct use of language, which l have
given almost word for word, Peter was a
! man of more than ordinary education.
| He seemed less reserved with myself than
with the others, and had gathered from
fragmentary bits of his half condolences,
that at some time in his life lie had been
an officer in the Russian navy. This
much, together with the fact that he had
twin sister in New York, who was the
wife OF a wealthy fur dealer on Broad
way, was all did know of him. Such
anomalies as this singular shipmatc of
mine-men with past histories only known
to themselves-are not unfreQuently met
at sea. There are few safer places for n
man who wishes to lose sight of his past
life and present identity, than ships
forecastle.
Peter said but little in reply to my
rather iiippant comments upon his nara
ton, until the striking of four bells call
cd him to relieve the wheel
mo one shall know what may to him
happen, he quietly observed, rs he pre-
pared to obey the summons, "and should
1T come to me any time, tell my sister that
i will come aboard in New York, there is
the letter for her in my chest" And be-
fore could answer this singular request
he had left my side.
Two hours later. while We were slowing
the mizzen topsail in one of the fiercest
norwest squalls of slcet and hail that l
ever experienced, Peter lost his hold on
the wheel, striking his head on the rail
and going over into the waves. The ship
herself could not have been brought
about III such n sea, and it would have
been worse than foolhardv to have lower
ed the clumsy old tub that we used for
long Loaf.
So the waves and storm sounded their
requiem over the drowned sailor, and the
old ship went wallowing on. Next day
the gale abated the wind came round to
the south ard and eastward and blew lis
fairly into port in rather less than q week. |
AS usual, the crew all left, bag and bag
gage directly the ship was made fast
Disliking the surroundings OF n sailors
boarding house, had obtained permits
sion to remain on board until next day,
when was intending to start for home. |
After supper Captain Thurber went ashore
and n little later both officers, leaving
only thu. colored steward and myself in
charge. As stood leaning idly over the
rail, private carriage drawn by two styl- |
lsh black horses drove rapidly down on
the pier, from which n groom assisted
tall, slender lady in deep mourning. AS
she approached the vessels side and
threw back a heavy Grape veil, could
not repress slight exclamation of as
constituent, for though far more delicate,
her features were almost perfect coun-
terpart of those of my drowned ship
mate and L at once knew that this must
be the twin sister Hid, of whom ne had
once spoken.
you had a sailor-Peter Androvitch-
on board, she remarked i'll tones singu-
larry like those of her brother, but speak
ing in quick, agitated tones.
eve had,"I began hesitatingly, but
the lady interrupted me.
Eyes, / know ; he was drowned the
night OF this day week he told me him
self, she answered in tone of repressed
emotion, and rs l stared at her in open
mouthed amazement she stepped on
board and entered the dingy forecastle.
She remained there n moment or two,
and when she came out saw that she
held letter in her hand
His chest and the things in it you may
have, sailor" she said, and saw that her
eyes were full of tears. But before
could stammer my thanks she had enter
ed her carriage and was driven away.
The entire affair seemed so curious that
when Captain Thurber came aboard told
the whole story, and even his usually
phlegmatic nature seemed TO be some
what stirred, particularly when nara
ted that part OF it relating to the singular
appearance which Peter had described to