Connecticut western news., 1885-11-11
"A Secret of the Sea-" "

LA OOO4O VI UA4O OSCuB
 The following story was told me a short time ago by a friend, who had it only at second hand from an eye wit ness of the whole affair. My friend began thus:
 "The strange thing I am going to tell you is true; 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, large East lndiarnan 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 uneventful voyage.
 "They had had nothing more serious than 'half-gale O wind, had met only three or four ships, homeward bound; and in spite of a score or more agreea- ble passengers, in spite of the last sen sation novels, of musical entertain ments, of flirtations by moonlight on deck, and even Tn 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.
 ''I take it for granted that you know that the service of the East India Company's ships was like the Naval in it's 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 from the tall masts that slowly swayed back and forth with monotonous, cracking sound one knows so we'll who has been much at sea. It was sundown,' 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 faint, very faint sound 80 faint, one knew not what it Wa: whence it eame-or scarcely if there had been sound at all. People asked each other about it; some had heard il 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 sounC came again, and little clearer, nor, positive than before, so that every on, heard something. It was the moan O the breeze through the riggingP Nc it was the bell or'ard r It was lift, most ordinary sounds in the world and quite a matter of course that i should have been heard; and then again it came-as if it dropped iron the air, and were the sob of some sad hearted spirit floating by. And thel the thing was talked over an, over, and everybody had theory, an nobody was satisfied with any of then
 "Meantime it grew darker, and tn great stars of the Southern Worl started out, making the night lumi nous with their wonderful glcry. { silence fell upon the busy tongues, an all eyes were gazing upwards, whe suddenly through the hush broke tn tone of bell. Full, clear, musical rang out, then died slowly, seeming go further and further away, until tn last faint sound came from long dis tance of; then again silence, and peC pie looked strangely at each other, an almost as if they were fearful Of break ing that stiffness by speaking tn words that hung on every lip. A last Captain Stanley hailed the mas head.
 "'No, sir, nothing in sight. It's little misty up to windward.'
 "'Keep sharp lookout-dye hear
 "'Ay, ay, sir '
 "A slight puff of wind blew past u ship-just enough to bear the distin tone of the mysterious bell, and also
 tell from which direction it came; Mas deeper. clearer, fuller than befor