Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-10-03

You couldn't catch me because you
couldn't see me, said the voice in a
die-away tone, and this time it came
from the direction of the main hatch,
as though it had fitted aft Well
said the captain, may be jiggeredl'
and without another word he walked
away on to the poop. ! told the men
TO clap on the matches again. and they
did this in double quick time.
evidently afraid that the CHEST might
pop up out of tie hole if they didn't
mind their sye.
"All this made made us very supsr-
stitious. from the captain down to the
boys. We talked it over in the cabin,
and the mate was incredulous and dis
posed to ridicule ME. Any way
said he, it's strange that this voice is
only heard in your watch. It's never
favored me with any remarks. The
creaking and groaning of an old
wooden ship is often like spoken
words, and what you've been hearing
may be nothing but a deception of the
ear A deception In your ear cried
the skipper. The timbers of an old
wooden ship may strain and creak in
the Dutch language, but hang nae if
they ever talked good sensible Eag
lish. However | am not going to
worry. For nay part, said he, with
nervous glance around him, L don't
believe in ghosts. Whatever it is
that's talking in the hold may g, on
jawiag, so long as he sticks to that
and don't frighten the men with an
ugly mug nor come upon us for
mans allowance If it's auybody's
ghost. said |, 1t must be the Italians,
the chap that was starved IN the fore.
peak 1 doubt that, said the skipper
Il don't detect anything foreign in
what he said. To my ear it sounded
mork 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 main royal had
hardly steered ont of the lower rig
gIYg, after lingering in the crosstrees
TO overhaul his clewlines, when he
comes rushing up to mo and cried
out, I've been hailed from aloft, sir
a voice has just sung out, Tommy,
jump aloft again that l may have a
good look at your" Who's up
therel l asked him, starting into the
gloom where the mast and yards went
towering. There's no one up there,
sir; I'll sweer it. was bound to see
him had anyone been there, he an
swered, evidently very much frighten-
ed. 1t occurred to me that some one
of the crew might be lying hid IN the
top, and that If | could catch him |
might find out who the ghost was. So
| jumped into the rigging and trotted
aloft, keeping my eye on the lee rig
cling, to make sure that no one
descended by it. | gained the top,
but nobody was there. mounted 10
the crosstrees, but the deuce a sign of
anyone 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 tn
nobody knew what, knocking about
the ship, and consequently it was
now impossible to help believing a
man when he said he heard it,
However, it was necessary to keep
the men in healt. and this was not to
be done by captain and mates appear
ing scared; so we reasoned a bit with
the man, told him there were no such
Things as ghosts, that voice was
bound to come from a live person,
because a specter couldn't posi- oily
have lungs, those organs being of a
perishable nature, and sent HIM for
al hut his
suspect than | was. Anyhow l was
glad when eight bells were struck and
1t was my turn to go below. But, as
| have said. nothing much came OF
this, at least, nothing that reached my
ears. But pot many nights following
the ship lay observation-disclosures wasn't a
breath of air, and the sea lay 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 upon the
sea to indicate the approach of wind,
when a man came up the ladder and
said: There's someone a-talkIng to
the ship under the bows Are you
awaken said /. 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 tho watch huddled to
geIher near the starboard cathead !
peeped over, and there was a dead
silence. What are you looking over
that side for? I'm herer said thin,
faint voice that seemed more in the
air than in the sea. 'Therer exclaim
ed one of the seameu, in q hoarse
whisper. That's the third timo
Whichever side we look, he's on the
other But there must be someone
in the water said another man
Anybody see his hnutline? Cuss me
if couldn't swear see a chap swim
min just now No, no. answered
someone grutHy, nothing but phos
phorus, Joe, and the right sort O stuff
too, for if this amt Old Nick--t
You're liar, Samr came the voice
clear and. as one could swear, plain
from over the side. There was gen
eral recoii, and sort of groan ran
among the men. At the same moment
[ collared figure standing near me,
aud slowed hun round to bring his
face fair to the starlight, clear to the
staysail. Come you along with me,
Master Dick, said /, and l marched
him off the forecastle, along the
main deck, and up on the
poop. So you're the ghost, eh' said
l. why, to have kept your secret
you should have given my elbow a
wider berth. No wonder the voice
only makes observations IN my watch.
You're too lazy, suppose to leave
your hammock to try your wonderful
power on the mate, eh2 Now see
here, said |, finding him silent. and
noticing how while his face glimmer-
ed to the stars. L know you're the
man, SO you'd better confess, Own
the truth and I'll keep your secret,
providing you b., liy all further tricks
of this same kidd; deny tt at you're
the ghost and I'll speak to the captain
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
I'D have my life if they found out
that it was me as scared them This
confession was w.at I 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 decep