Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-11-04
"A Secret of the Sea. I"

The following story was told me
short time ago by friend, who had it
only at second hand from an eye-wit-
ness of the whole affair. My friend
began thus:
"The strange thing am going to
tell you is true; know it because l
have it from friend, or, rather re-
lation, of one of the officers on board
the ship.
"Some years ago, before the exist
ence of the Suez Camel, large East
Indiaman was making her way easily,
with light Summer winds, along
through the Indian Ocean to Calcutta.
The Cape had been passed several days
before, and now, with charming
weather, officers and passengers, tosay
nothing Of the crew, were looking for
ward to the end of what had been a
pleasant, though quite uneventful,
voyage
"They had had nothing more serious
chan a 'half-gale O wind, had met only
three or four ships. homeward bound;
and in spite of score or more agreea-
BILE passengers, in spite of the last SEN
sation novels, of musical entertain
ments, of flirtations by moonlight on
deck, and even IN spite of unlimited
gossip, the days had grown very mo-
notonous, and the weeks unaccountably
long; even light-hearted middies had
begun to chafe and fret over the long
confinement on shipboard, and the
young ladies to sigh for an excitement.
II take it for granted that you know
that the service of the East India
Company's ships was like the Naval in
its organization; there were captain,
lieutenants, midshipmen and petty Of
ficers; the ships were mounted with
heavy guns, and were well armed, and
manned with men trained for fighting.
The voyage was long, and in time OF
war the Indiamen were regarded as
very desirable booty The ships were
large, strongly built and very commo
dious, and often luxuriously fitted up
"The day had been hot, and the light
wind had died almost entirely away
the great ship rose and fell on the
waves, and her sails hung loosely frou
the tall masts that slowly swayed bach
and forth with monotonous, cracking
sound one knows so well who has beer
much at sea. 1t was 'sundown,' ant
the short twilight of the tropics wa'
fast deepening into night; everybody
had come upon deck to enjoy sucf
whiffs of air as might be stirring, th'
passengers and officers on the quarter
deck, while the crew were hanging
over the side Or lazily lounging on tn
neat coils of rope about the deck.
"Suddenly faint, very faint sount
: so faint, one knew not what it wa
whence it came-or scarcely if ther
had been sound at all. People aske'
each other about it; some had heard i
and others had not; and after som
discussion it was decided there reall
\ was nothing at all. And just as the.
\ reached that conclusion the SCUM
came again, and allttle clearer, NOR
positive than before, so that every on
heard something. 1T was the moan O
the breeze through the rigging" Nc
it was the bell for'ard ! 1t was fft
most ordinary sounds in the worlc
and quite matter of course that
il should have been heard; and then
s. again it came-as if it dropped fror
D, the air, and were tho sob of some sac
hearted spirit floating by. And the
the thing was talked over an
= over, and everybody had theory, all
> nobody was satisfied with any of then
Meantime it grew darker, and tn
!, great stars of the Southern Worl
i started out, making tho night lum
Il nous with their wonderful glory.
g silence fell upon the busy tongues, an
n all eyes were gazing upwards, whe
y suddenly through the hush broke tn
tone of bell. Full, clear, musical
rang out, then died slowly, seeming
90 further and further away, until tn
! last faint sound came from long di
} tance off; then again silence, and PEE
ID pie looked strangely at each other, an
4 almost as if they were fearful Of breal
81 ing that stiffness by speaking IL
words that hung on every lip.
= last Captain Stanley hailed the mas
j. head.
".No, sir, nothing in sight It's
fittle misty up to windward.'
"'Keep sharp lookout-d'ye hear
\ "'Ay, ay, sir +
y "a slight puff of wind blew past Il
! ship-just enough to bear the distin
Z. tone of the mysterious bell, and also
a tell from which direction it came;
n