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

had called to them, ana that they
rather reckoned it was bit of sky
larking on the part of the boys to get
out of slowing the sail. However, l
noticed that the two men were wonder
fully quick, over the job and that after
ward the watch on deck stock talking
in low voices in the waist Jim was
fool of youth, but Dick was a smart
lad, aged about nineteen, and good
looking, with a lively tongue, and
heard afterward that he could spin a
yarn to perfection all out of his imagin-
alton. l called him to me and asked
if he had really heard a voice, and he
swore he had. Did it say said |,
Jimmy, your mother wants your
'Ay, sir, he answered, with bit of a
shudder, 'as plain as you yourself say
it. 1t seemed to come off the foretop-
gallant-yard, where | fancied / see
something dark moving; but was too
frightened to take particular notice
well, it was not long after this,
about eleven o'clock in the morning,
that, the Captain being on deck, the
cook steps oUt of the galley, comes
walking along the poop, and, going up
to the skipper, touches his cap and
stands looking at him. What dye
want?' said the Captain, eyeing him as
if he took him to be mad. Didn't you
call, sir?' says the cook. CALI cries
the skipper. Certainly not The
man looked stupid with surprise, and
muttcring something to himself went
forward. Ten minutes after he
came up again to the skipper and
says Yes, SIR as man might who
ANSWERS to call. The skipper began
to swear at him and called him luna
tic, and so on, but the man, finding that
he was wrong again, grew white, and
swore that if he was on his deathbed
he'd maintain that the Captain had
called him twice. The skipper, who
was arather nervous man, turned to me
and said: What do you make of this,
Mr. GreenP can't doubt the cooks
word. Who's calling him in my voice?'
%, it's some illusion, SIR said |, feel
ing rather puzzled for all that. But the
cook, with the tears actually standing
in his eyes, declared it was no illusion;
he'd know the Captains voice if it was
nine miles off, and then he walked in a
dazed way to the forecastle, singing out
that whether the voice he had heard be-
longed to a ghost or q Christian man,
it might 90 on calling Cook for the
next twenty years without his taking
further notice Oft. This thing coming
SO soon after the call to Jimmy that had
SO alarmed the two ordinary seamen,
made a great impression on the crew,
and | never regret anything more than
that my position should have prevented
me from getting into their confidence,
and learning their thoughts, for there is
no doubt l should have slowed away
memories enough to serve me for many
hearty laugh in after years. A few
days rolled by without anything par
ticular happening. One night it came
to my turn to have the first watch. 1t
was q quiet night, with wind enough to
keep the sails still whilst the old ship
went drowsily rolling along her course
to the African port. Suddenly | heard
a cOmmOtion forward, and, fearing that
some accident had happened, l called
out to know what the matter was. A
voice answered: Ghost or no ghost,
there's somebody talking in the fore
hold; come and listen, sir. The 81
lence that followed suggested good
deal of alarm. / sang out as / APP
preached the men. Perhaps there's a
stowaway below Its no living voice,
was the reply; it sounds as if it comes
from skelington.' / found a crowd of
men standing in aWed pastures near
the hatch, and the most frightened of
all looked to me to be the ordinary sea-
man Dick, who had backed away on
the other side of the hatch, and stood
looking on, leaning with his hands on
his knees, and staring as if he was fas-
cinated. 1 waited q couple or three
minutes, which in business of this
kind seems long time, and, hearing
nothing, was going to ridicule the men
for their nervousness, when n hollow
voice under the hatch said, distinctly:
It's terrible thing to be ghost, and
not be able to get out | was greatly
startled, and ran off to tell theICaptain,
who agreed with me that there must be
stowaway in the hold, and that he had
gone mad. We both went forward, and
the hatch was lifted, and we looked on
top of the coal; and | was then about
" d9h SOule VI INC men 10 JON me
in search in the forepeak, for upon
my word L had no taste single-handed
for job of that kind at such moment.
when the voice said: There's no use
looking; you'll never find me. I'm
not to be seem 'COnfound met cried
the skipper, polishing his forehead with
q pocket handkerchief, if ever / heard
of such thing. I'll tell you what it
is, he shouted, looking into the hatch,
dead men can't talk, and so, as you're
bound to be alive, you'd better come up
out of that, and smartly, too, dye hear,
or you'll find this the worst attempt at
that was ever made. There
was a short silence, and you'd see all
hands straining their ears, for there was
light enough for that given out by the
lantern one of the men held. You
catch me because you couldn't
see me, said the voice, in u die-away
tone, and this time it came from the
direction OF the main hatch, rs though
it had fitted aft. well, said the Cap
tain, may | be iiggered!' and without
another word he walked away on to the
poop. told the men to clap on the
Latches again, and they did this in
double quick time, evidently afraid that
the ghost might pop up out of the hold
if they didn't mind their eye.
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