The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-01


IN the forepeak. i doubt that, said
the skipper. 4 didn't detect anything
foreign in what he said. To my ear it
sounded more like Whitechapel than
Italiano. Well, for another week we
heard little more OF the ghost It's
true that one middle watch chap | had
sent aloft to loose the mainroyal had
barely steered out of the lower rigging,
after lingering in the crosstrees to over
haul his clewlines, when he comes rush
ing up to me and cries out I've been
hailed from aloft, sir ! voice has lust
sung out Tommy, Jump aloft again
that l may have a good look at YOU =
who's up thereY | asked him, staring
into the gloom where the mast and
yards went towering. There's no one
up there, sir; I'll swear it. | was bound
to see him had anyone been there, ,
he answered, evidently very much
frightened. 1t occurred to me that
some one of the crew might be lying
hid IN the top, and that if could catch
him l might find out who the ghost
was. So | jumped into the rigging and
trotted aloft, keeping my eye on the lee
rigging. to make sure that no one de-
scended by it. l gained the top, but
nobody was there. | mounted to the
crosstrees, but the deuce sign of any
one could | see. | came down, feeling
both foolish and scared; for you see
had heard the voice myself in the hold,
there was no question that there was a
voice, belonging to nobody knew what,
knocking about the ship, and conse-
aiSently it was now impossible to help
=. s'ieyfilS man when he said he
heard it.
"However, it was necessary to keep
the men in heart. and this was not to
be done by Captain and mates appear
ing scared; so | reasoned a bit with the
man, told him that there were no such
things as ghosts, that voice was bound
to come from live person, because a
specter couldn't possibly have lungs,
those organs being of n perishable ma
ture, and then sent him forward, but
no easier in his mind, suspect, than |
was. Anyhow | was glad when eight
bells were struck and it was my turn to
go below. But, as have said, nothing
much came of this, at least nothing that
reached my ears. But not many nights
following the ship lay becalmed-there
WASH t a breath of air, and the sea Law
smooth as polished Jet This time /
had the middle watch again | was
walking quietly up and down the poop,
on the lookout for deeper shadow up
on the sea to indicate the approach of
wind, when man came up the ladder
and said: There's some one a-talking
to the ship under the bows Are YOU
awaken said l. Heaven help me, as
stand here, sir, exclaimed the fellow,
solemnly, If that there voice which
talked in the hold t'other day amt now
over the side, ran forward and found
most of the watch huddled together
near the starboard cathead. | peered
over, and there was a dead silence.
What are you looking over that side
for? I'm heren said thin, faint voice
that seemed more in the air than in the
| sea. 'Theren exclaimed one of the sea-
men, in a hoarse whisper. That's the
third time. Whichever side we look,
he's on thesother.' But there must be
some one in the water said another
man. Anybody see his houtline? Cuss
me if | couldn't swear | see a chap
swimmin' just now NO, no, answered
some one grudy, nothing butphospho-
rus, Joe, and the right sort o. stuff too.
Tor if this amt Old Nick You re
liar, Sam" came the voice clear and,
as one could swear, plain from over the
| side. There was general recoil, and
u sort of groan ran among the men. At
the same moment | collared a figure
standing near me and Slowed him round
to bring his face fair to the starlight,
clear of the staysail. Come you along
with me, Master Dick said |, and |
marched him off the forecastle, along
the main deck, and up on to the poop
so you're the ghost, eh?' said l. why,
to have kept your secret you should
have given my elbow wider berth.
No wonder the voice only makes OBJ
servations in my watch. You're too
lazy, l suppose, to leave your hammock
to try your wonderful power on the
mate. Ell? Now, see here, said |, find
ing him silent, and noticing how white
his face glimmered to the stars, 4 know
you're the man, SO you'd better CON
fess. Own the truth and I'll keep your
secret, providing you Delay all further
tricks Of this same kind; deny that you re
the ghost and I'll speak to the Cap
tain and set the men upon you.
This fairly frightened him. We'll,
sir, it's true; I'm the voice, sir; but
for God sake keep the secret, sir. The
men nd have my life if they found out
that it was me as scared them This
confession was what / needed, for
though when standing pretty close to
him on the forecastle | could have
sworn that it was he who uttered the
words which perpleXed and awed the
sailors, yet so perfect was the deception,
so fine, in short, was his skill as a ven
triloquist, that, had he stoutly denied
and gore on denying that he was the
voice, | should have believed him and
continued sharing in the wonder and
superstition of the crew. kept his Sc
cret as l promised; but, somehow or
other, it leaked out in time that he could
deceive the ear by apparently pitching
his voice among the rigging, or under
the deck, or over the side, though the
discovery was not made until the
ghost had for long time ceased to
trouble the ships company, and until
the mems superstitious awe had faded
away somewhat, and they had recov-
cred their old cheerfulness. We then sent
for Dick to the cabin, where he gave lis