Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-10
A BEWITCHED SHIP.
BIZ W. CLARK RUSSELL.

"About ten years ago." began NV
friend, Captain Green. sT went as
second mate OF ship named the Ocean
King. She'd been an old Indiarnan "a
her time, and had poop and topgallant
torecastle, though alterations had
Knocked some Of the dignity out Of her.
Her channels had been changed into
plates with dead-eyes above the rail, and
the eye missed the spread Of the lower
rigging that II naturally sought In look
ing ct craft with square stern and
windows in it, and checkered sides
rounding out into curves, that made q
complete tub Of the old hooker. Yet
spite Of changes the old fashioned grace
would break through. She looked
like lady who has seen better DAYS. who
has got to do work which servants did
for her in the times when she was well
OF, but who, let herset her hand TO what
she viii, makes you see that the breed
ing and the instincts are still there. and
that she's as little to be vulgarized by
poverty and its course struggles as she
could be made truer lady than she Is
by money. Ships, like human beings.
have their careers, and the close Of
some Of them is strange, and sometimes
hard, ] think.
''The Ocean King had been turned
into collier, and went second mate
Of her when she was filed up with coal
Tor South African port. Yet this shin
that was now carrying one Of the dirtiest
carg0es you could name, barring phos-
phate manure, had been reckoned in her
day fine passenger vessel, noble
Indiaman indeed-her tonnage was
something over eleven hundred-with 3
cuddy fitted up royalty. Many freight
Of soldiers had she carried round the
Cape, many an old nabob had she con.
veyed--ay, and Indian potentates. who
smoked out OF jeweled hookahs, and
who were waited upon by crowds Of
black servants IN turbane and slippers.
] used TO moralize over her Just as I
would over q tomb, when had the
watch and was alone and could let NV
thoughts run loose. The sumptuous cabin
trappings were all gone, and I seemed
TO smell coal in the wind, even
when my head was over the weather
side. and when the breeze that
blew along came fresh across 3
thousand miles of sea: but there was 4
good deal Of Che fittings left-attinga
which, don't doubt, made the newspa-
pers give o long account Of this fine,
great ship when she was launched
quite enough OF them to enable Q man
% reconstruct picture Of the cuddy Of
the Ocean King as it was IN the days Of
her glory, when the soft oil lamps shone
bright on the draped tables and sparkled
On silver and glass; when the old skip
per, sitting with the mizzenmast behind
him, would look, with his red lace and
white hair, down the row Of ladies and
gentlemen eating and drinking, stewards
running about, trays hanging from the
deck above, and globes foil Of goldfish
swinging to the roll Of the vessel as she
swung stately, with her skunsails hang
ing out over the long blue swell.
wrinkled BY the wind. The ship IS still
nfloak Where are the people she car
RED The crews who have worked herr
The captains who have commanded
hera There Is nothing that should lie
fuller of ghosts than "a old ship; and
very well remember chat when 4 FIRST
visited the Victory, 81 Portsmouth, and
descended into her cockpit, what Aew
wss not Well.pteseEved and cIeanly
length of massive deck, but groups ol
wounded and bIeeded and dying men
iktexinR the dark floor. and ths hatch
way ahadoWed BIZ grooming figures
handed below. while tie smell cE En-
giiah. French and Spanish gunpowdeE.
even down there. Was 60 strong pheN
Z could hnVe pAl lie favor on
Wei. the ola 0ueAu KfnG had once
upon s'we heen H 0 bc haunted
Eh2 HAD nes4nfa11 an xar3 ennneH