News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-07-16

''Nonsense, mani There's some one
singing somewhere below forward, tell
you. Put your head into the scuttle and
listen"
There was pause, and presently came
back the reply, "All's still in the fore
castle, sir. There's no singing in this
part of the ship"
The second mate walked up to the
fellow at the wheel. ''Did you hear a
mans voice singing just now, before the
bell was struck 2'
eyes, sir"
''Didn't the sound come from for
ward2"
'It seemed like It," answered the
helmsman.
"Hush there it is again." cried the
second mate, raising his hand and
stretching his head forward, with his
ear bent toward the forecastle.
The sound was distinct enough-it
was that of husky voice singing-but
at distance that made the notes as thin
and vibratory as the twangling of a jews
harp heard affair." 1t ceased, and was fol-
lowed by faint, unearthly laugh, that
died out at the moment when sudden
shivering flap of canvas up in the dark
ness seemed like q shudder passing
through the ship.
'There's some one singing and laugh
ing away out ahead here, STRIP shouted
the man on the forecastle, in voice
that made one suspect he felt his loneli-
ness at that moment.
"What the dickens can it be, and
where does it come froma" exclaimed
the second mate, stepping to the rail
and looking over. He peered and
peered, but the night lay dark upon the
water spite of the starlight, and no
deeper shadow stood anywhere upon the
glooming surface to indicate the pres
ence of vessel in the neighborhood
Forward therel" he shouted. "Do
you see anything3"
| Nothing, sir"
| The watch on deck, aroused by this
hailing, and gathering its import, clam
bored on the bulwarks to look around,
and the captain, hearing the second
mates voice, came up from the cabin.
''What's the matter2" he asked
''There's been a sound of singing, and
a kind of laughing following, coming
from somewhere ahead, sir" responded
the second mate
The captain went to the side and took
a long look. ''Pooh, pooh!" he ex-
claimed; ''it must have been your fancy,
sir. Singing and laughing! Why, were
any vessel near enough for us to hear
such noises we should be bound to see
her."
He was walking over to the compass.
''There, sir! you have it now!' cried
the second mate.
Once again the same thin, wailing
singing, borrowing supernatural char
acter from the darkness, came faint but
clear to the ship, followed, as before,
by the same reedy croaking laugh.
'By Heaven, Mr.. Burton, it's no
fancyw exclaimed the captain, wheeling
swiftly round. ''But is it human voice,
think you2 If so, where in mercy's
name can it come from9 say, my lads?'
calling to the men staring over the bull
war]1s, ''d'e see anything2"
Nothing at all, sir, though the
delivered IN tone fun of awe.
Suddenly dim, luminous gray haze
foated up into the eastern sky; it
frightened into yellow, and then into
kind of sullen, faded red; and in few
moments the upper limb of the moon
iutted up, a pale crimson, with a light
that mado an indigo line of the horizon
under her, and as she scared one saw the
wake she left trembling in dull gold
along the weltering ebony of the swell,
TILL shooting clear of the deep, with a
broadening of delicate lustre around her
that quenched the stars there, she shot
] l. Of tho cl, yhNc
sails took the tinge of feverish radiance,
and stood out in phantasmal spaces OF
mystical light against the darkness and
the stars. But speedily transmitting het
copper into silver the luminary threw
out fairy radiance that, flowing to the
westernmost sea-line, showed the circle
dark and clear all round, and scarcely
was her bland and beautiful illumination
fairly kindled, when half dozen voices
shouted: "There's boat out there on
the starboard bow"
"Hush ~ cried the captain; and amid
the silence there stole down yet again
to the awed and astonished listeners the
wild, myterious singing of mans voice,
followed by peal of laughter.
"Well, whatever it may prove, il
must be overhauled," said the captain
'NIr. Burton, call some hands aft tc
lower away one of the quarter-boats, and
go you and see who it Is thnt's singing
and laughing away out here in the mid
die of the ocean"
In few minutes the boat was pulling
away for the dark object to the left o.
the moons reflection.
The watch below had turned out, anG
crowd of seamen awaited with burn
ing curiosity the issue of this singular
encounter.
'It'll be no mans voice as raised thai
there chantey," said one of the Oldest
and presumably one Of the most ignorant
among them, as they overhung the rail
eff I'd been in the old mans place "
might ha' turned to and boiled me aforC
you'd ha' got me to send boat to it. ,
"Why, what dye think it is, Bill p
inquired another.
"Think / don't think at ALL 'Tain't
my business to think But dye s'pose,
replied the old sailor, ''that any morta
being with hintellect inside him, such a.
you and mes got, 'ud. tarn to and sing
songs-and l dessay comic songs, fol-
what should set him lartin' 2-in hoper
boat at this here hour of the night, two
or three thousand miles away from land
You bet old Bill knows what he's
talkin' about when he says that if what,
come across in that there boat turns ou
mortal he'll swaller the biggest pair o
sea-boots that knocking about the fore
castle"
: Awed by the old sailors prophet,
croaking, to which years of rum an6
hard weather had communicated for
| bidding, sepulchral note the others fel
} into deep silence, straining their ewes II
the direction of the boats. A half -hou
passed before they approached the shin
; during which the seamen had beer
: startled by many hoarse and dreadfu
cries proceeding from the advancinc
boats, intermixed with shrill and savaG1
laughter, and wild shouts delivered !,
accents the mariners could not make heaC
! nor tail of.
, ''Well, cried the captain, when tn,
boats were within hail, "what is it yo,
! have come across, Mr.. Burton 2"
"a raving lunatic, sir" answered tn,
second mate 'Hc'sa Spaniard, think
, There's dead boy in the bottom O
his boat that reckon to be his son
, He's been shipwrecked apparently, ant
, there's nothing to eat or drink alons
with him that we can find"
1t was now seen that two of the crew
were in the madman's boat holding him
As they drew alongside the wretchec
r maniac began to rave fearfully, some
times breaking off to sing some weird
tuneless song, then bursting into accents