The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-07-09

bright but transient flash which had
first attracted our noticc;and through
the roar of the waves and the shrek
of the wind we at times imagined we
could hear human voices shouting no
doubt for help, and all eyes We're
strained to the uttermost through the
blaCkness so try and discern the first
glimpse of the boat itself. The last
flash had told us that we were steer
ing directly for it, and on we sped, our
blue lights kissing and faring i'll oul
rigging, our guns ceaselessly roaring
out our sympathy and our desire to
save.
Keep a sharp lookout forward
there"' "Life-boat s crew, fall in aft"
and we prepared to lower the port
quarter-boat which was told off as q
"life- boat"--that is, for any purposes
OF rescue, although the state ofthes sea
was anything but favorable for boat
duty; but when we thought Of that
poor boat tossing about on the storm
Vexed sea with It's freight OF shiverinQ
and halfdrowned men, aye, and may.
be woman or two among them, and
then remembered the frowning ice
bergs and the fearful dangers which
they represented, no man hesltated,
and had volunteers been called for to
man the life boat, the whole ships
company would have come forward.
Well can remember the almost choE
ing feeling of thankfulness in my own
heart wnen | thought of the wild Joy
OF these poor outcasts at the prospect
OF go speedy rescue. and anticipated
the delight Of welcoming them on the
quarterback OF so stanch and safe a
ship. But all in moment my antic-
ipations and my sentiments OF graft
tude were scattered to the winds.
keep her away, sir! keep her away"
came roar from the forecastle.
You'll be right down upon her! A
large full.rigged ship right ahead OF
us
Up went our helm, and the ships
head paid off, and as we strained our
eyes in the direction indicated we
could dimly make out, to our intense
surprise and unspeakable wonder, the
huge, shadowy, Ghostly outline OF an
unusually large vessel. No signs OF
life appeared about her. The light
which had first attracted our notice
was now no longer to be seen. Her
masts, yards and sails were only Just
visible-not as black, hard shadow
against the sky, but pale, spectral, as
If mere vapor-barely to be discerned,
yet leaving no room tor doubt. There
she sailed, g. veritable phantom ship.
All hands gazed at her in silence. The
blue lights were allowed to burn out,
and no fresh ones were lighted. The
great guns ceased to thunder on the
maindeck The lifeboat's crew NUT
tered unealsly among themselves, as
if dreading the possibility of being or
dered to board so uncanny craft;
while the older hands once more shook
their heads, and said "they knowed
we 'adn't seen the last of that poor
fel Ter as fell overheard"
But there was nothing more for us
to do Whosand what the mysterious
| stranger hanging on our port quarter
was we could not possibly ascertain
on such.a night, in such gale, and at
length the order was given to wear
ship, and we once more turned our
back on the vessel which we had been so
eagely pursuing for more than an hour.
As we did so We could see that he too
altered his course; his spectral yards
with their shadowy sails swung round,
and he disappeared without a sign in
| the darkness of the night.
| Don't tell me- said the boatsw ain,
Gas that there were a real ship.
Didn't that poor feller disappear sud
denly just before we sighted her? An
swer me thatl Well, then--did we
ever know what became of him, eh?-
| No Very well, then! That there phan-
tom ship was to tell us as how he was
drowned, that's what that were, and
nobody shan't persuade me no other
than that. How do / explain then,
bright lights? Answer me this: We're
then lights ornery lights, such as ships
show at night? No; of course they
weren't. Corpse lights.-that's my
answer; and when says corpse-lights
mean it.
1t may have been an honest fmer-
chantnfan, outward bound and too
intent upon making speedy voyage
to speak" us, but nevertheless the
boatswain's opinion was pretty gen
orally accepted as the correct solution
of what WAS considered to bean ocean
mystery y.-ChamDers's Journal.
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