The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-01-22
A SECRET SEC RET OF THE SEA"


short time ago by a friend. who had It
only second hand from an eyewitness Of 4
the ~nole affair Ny friend began thus:
ssThe strange thing am going to tell |
you is true; know it because ] have II
from a friend, or rather, a relation, OF one
of the officers on board the ship
Some years ago, before the existence of .
the Suez Canal large East Indiaman I
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 passen-
gers, to saw nothing OF the crew, were look
ing forward 10 the end OF what had been
a pleasant though quite uneventful voy-
age. -
.'Thev 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 of more agreeable
passengers, in spite of last sensation
novels Of musical entertainments, of hir-
eations by moonlig ght on deck, and
even IN spite Of unlimited gossip, the days
had grown very monotonous, and the
weeks unaccountably long; even light
hearted middies had begun 10 chate and
fret over the long confinement ON ship
board, and the young ladies TO sigh Tor an
excitement.
81 take it for granted that you know
that the service of the East India Com
pany's ships was like the Naval in its or
ganization; there were captain, heuten-
ants, midshipnlen and petty officers; 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 lndiamen
were regarded as very desirable booty
These ships were large, strongly built and
very commodious and often luxuriously
fitted up.
:, rr,,s do,- bad lae,, hot and the light
wind had died almost entirely away; the
great ship rose and fell on the long waves
and her sails hung loosely from the tail
masts that slowly swayed back and forth
with a monotonous, creaking sound one
knows so well who has been much at sea
It was esundown,' 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 stir
ring, the passengers and officers on the
quarterback. while the crew were hanging
over the side OF lazily lOunging on the
neat coils Of rope about the deck
/ suddenly faint, very faint sound
/ so faint, one knew not what il was nor
whence il came-Or scarcely if there had
been a sound at all. People asked each
other about it; some had heard II and
} others had not and after some discussion
] it was decided there really was nothing
! at all And Just as they reached that con-
( cIusion 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 y
I NO il was the he'll fOr'ard" II was fifty
most ordinary sounds in the word. and
ollite Il uliitcr Of course that il >hori.l have
been heard: and theH-aEain If came-as
If II dropped from the air, and were the
sob OF some ssICl-hearted spirit floating by.
And then the thing was talked over and
over, and everybody had theory, and no
Aody was satisfied with any Of them.
meantime it grew darker, and the great
stars of the Southern World started out,
making the night luminous with their won
derful glory A silence fell upon the busy
tongues. and all eyes were gazing upward
when suddenly through the hush broke the
tone of a bell. Full clear, musical IT rang
out then died slowly, seeming to 90 further
and further away until the last faint
sound came from q long distance of; then
again silence, and people looked strangely
at each other. and almost as If they were
fearful of breaking that stiffness by speak
ing the words that hung on every lip At
last Captain Stanley hailed the masthead.
"No, sir, nothing in sight It's little
misty up to windward.
"tKeep a sharp lookout-dye hear
g.. "sAy, ay, sir p
"a slight puff of wind blew past the
shfp-just slight enough to bear the dis
tinct tone Of the mysterious bell and also tC
tell from which direction it came: 1t wa
deeper clearer, fuller than before Th'
mystery deePened, but Captain Stanle!
said. Quietly: That mist undoubtedly
holds the solution Of the affair; it is SOM
ship's bell. as we shall see as soon as !
lifts a little But hour after bour wen
on, and still the mist hung low on IN
water and still the mournful sound OF tina
bell was borne TO the ears ihat hstene'
all through the night on board the Dare
IxF4 -, arl- nd all nj % [
sad. weird tolling kept them company
now seemingly closer to them, and agar
so faint and far away. 1t was uncanul
and to the sensitive ones sounded Ike tn
strokes Of doom.
. aJust before early dawn, while it wa
vet only clear starlight, the mist httet
and at once came the cry from the mast
head: Something to windward
What is she likeY
: We'll, it's a queer sort of craft alt
i gether.'
4 "a MIR. Craths win You go up and s'
what you make OF hery' said Captal
o Stanley; and Mr.. CrabDs. hghtioote
Q young MILDLY, sprang up the rigging, an
: in few moments returned, saying
= She, or it, is a very queer-lookir
- thing, sir: it IS pretty dark Yet, but,
well as ] can see it looks like biS III
boat with a sort of house on tit hoa
low in the water. And that bell, slr
hesitatingly. -
q "a tYes-yes-yve can all hear the b
d plainly enough Mr.. Crabbs eod tuTnl
D. 10 the frst-heutenant, Capaiu
IF went on: .AIr. Fraser, SEE "a boat H
IF away at once: send Mr.. CIabhs .u
III mand Of her to board this stIau-'l. .-
re find out what this means
le "a few minutes later one of tic shi.
~ hoaIs, manned With a crew OF slN iaf,ii, %
-. -, rfr
:. yvarls the fathoat, which had bcCu
~ ~ visible from the ships deck. There v
% no steady wind, but a slight puff or I
IL had been made the most Of TO draw ~ III
ID closer tothe. strange thing, and the ID
"a now lay almost OF quite becalmed ab'
an two miles distant from il: the house,
ne cabin-the top OF II at least-could he =
st and a sort OF crossbcain arrangement
u which hung tllo bell whose solemn voice :
an heard as The boat rose and fen with
am waves but no living soul was Nlsl
Al Every glass was directed upon the II
he boat as il came lJp alongside. Mr. Cra
- was seen to climb up the side and inst'
i, lv disappear, while in the same mori
no the I,tai pushed of and made for the 5
pulling ia "A disou'iered. hcsitatinE m
~ ner. stopping for a few minutes DIS
no sion seemingly, then rcSuming their
ies with Iour regular stroke
las aArriVtd ut the ships side they g
on board iU n dazed SORT Of WAY
white. scared faces: and upon Cap
Stalfcl'S stern demand for an eAlii
nr tioh they managed TO tell their stoi!
,ed ..Thev saw no humsn being they h'
no so,ind of huInan voice en- that hau'
ife. thing; but as Mr. CTabbs steppeI ]
betop of the high bulwurk, HrEe hl
figure reached up aud seized him VIII
nv long arms. and dragged nm Gown
there was a souuil OF Tattling Chains