The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-17
"A Secret of the Sea-"

The following story was told me q
short time ago by Il friend, who had it
only at second hand from An wit
ness of the whole affair. My friend
began thus:
1.-THE strange thing 1 am going to
tell you is true; 1 know it because l
have it from a friend, or, rather a re-
lation, Of one of the officers on board
the ship.
Some years ago, before the exist
ence Of the Suez Camel, a large East
1ndianan 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, to say
nothing Of the crew, were looking for
ward to the end Of what had been a
pleasant, though quite unevertful,
voyage.
"They had had nothing more serious
than a'half-gale O wind, had met only
three or four ships. homeward bound;
and in spite Of a score or more agreea-
bic 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-
n%otonous, 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.
Il take it for granted that you know
that the service of the East India
C~ompany's ships was like the Naval in
its organization; there we're captain,
lieutenants, midshipmen and petty Of
hcers; 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 1ndiamen 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 from
the tall masts that slowly swayed back
and forth with monotonous, cracking
sound one knows so well who has been
much at 70 1t was shutdown and
the short twilight of the tropics was
fast deepening into night; everybody
had come upon deck to enjoy such
whiffs OF air as might be stirring, the
passengers and officers on the quarter
deck, while the crew were hanging
over the side or lazily lounging on the
neat coils of rope about the deck.
Suddenly a faint, very faint sound
so faint, n knew not what it was
whence 1t came-or scarcely If there
had been a sound at all. People asked
each other. about it.: some had heard it
and others had not; and after some
discussion it was decided there really
was nothing at all. And just as they
reached that conclusion the sound
came again. and little clearer, more
positive than before. so that every one
heard something. 1t was the moan of
the breeze through the rigging!! No.
1t was the bell for'ard 7 It was fifty
most ordinary sounds in the world,
and quite a matter Of course that it
should have been heard; and then
: again it came-as If it dropped from
the air, and were the sob of some sad
hearted spirit floating by. And then
the thing was talked over and
over, and everybody had.a theory, and
nobody was satisfied with any Of them.
Meantime 1t grew darker, and the
great stars of the Southern World
started out, making the night lumi-
nous with their wonderful glory. A
silence fell upon the busy tongues, and
all eyes were gazing upwards, when
suddenly through the hush broke the
tone Of q bell. Full. clear. musical It
rang out, then died slowly, seeming to
go further and further away, until the
last faint sound came from . long dis
lance off; then again silence. and peo-
pie looked strangely ct, each other, and
lmost as IL thoy were fearful Of break
ing that stiffness b. speaking the
,oriS that huns.s on every lin. AZ