Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-05-06
A SINISTER CAT.
An Animal That Struck Terror TO
the Hearts of the Schooner
Gordnnsa

Gordon's Crew.
"What am l going to tell you," said
Capt. Rockwell of the schooner Fame,
occurred about ten years ago on Lake
Michigan. was then in command of
the schooner Gordon, and in the grain
trade. One afternoon, just before we
were ready to tow out OF Chicago, a
stranger came aboard with big black
cat in rude cage and offered her for
sale. l was born with constitutional
hatred of cats. On board Of grainer
there are plenty of rats and mice, but
I'd rather have the vermin running
over me in my sleep than to keep cat
aboard, as many vessels do. Outside
of my hatred for cats l didn't like the
looks of the man. He was q rough
looking fellow, with cock eye and
two or three front teeth hanging out to
windward, and if I'd have wanted some
one to do bit of dirty work I'd have
picked this chap from among thou
sand l sent him off in a hurry, as you
may guess, but as he reached the wharf
he turned the cat loose and cried out:
my curses on the ship and crew
forever'
"The feline might have run into the
elevator, but she didn't. She just
scrambled right aboard of us, and in a
whisk was out of sight down the main
hatch. Some of the men looked bit
serious and some treated the matter as
a joke, and just before night we were
towed out and had fair wind to lay
our course. The matches were all bat
tened down, of course, and nobody
seemed to have given thought to the
cat while getting out of the harbor. 1t
was as fine June night as you ever
saw, with q moon so bright that you
could see vessel mile away, and a
breeze to send US along at about five
miles an hour.
"Well, we had made everything ship
shape, and had supper. when the black
cat was suddenly seen on the end of the
jibboom. She was looking inboard at
us, her hair on end and her eyes blaz-
ing. brought up my revolver to have
shot at her, but just as l was about to
pull trigger, the cat yeowled out in a
dismal manner, and down came the
peak of the mansail, the halyards show
ing as if they had been cut clean across
with sharp knife. They were new,
stout ropes, and nobody could say they
had been broken by any sudden strain.
We had to reeve new ones, and when
this job was finished l went forward to
put bullet through that cats head.
She set up dismal yeowling, and as
pulled trigger down came the whole
oresail, both throat and peak halyards
having parted. hoped l had killed
the black witch, but when the smoke
lifted we saw her in the same place,
safe and sound. Every man aboard
agreed that the halyards had been cut
with knife. and as the men passed
them from hand to hand they began to
mutter against me for trying TO bring
about calamity by seeking the cat &
life.
''By the time we had the foresail ur
again the cat had disappeared, going nc
one knew whittier, and the weather had
suddenly changed until the moon was
overcast and the breeze was n third
stronger / never saw that craft steer
as she did that night. She'd yaw and
swing, and go wild, in spite of all the
best sailor aboard could do. By the
time we were off Waukegan there was
smart sea on and a nasty look al
around. The wind gradually hauled
into the northeast, and we had to go III
stays and make long boards dead to the
east, and then make our gain on the
other leg as we ran to the northwest
Every time we went in stays the schoon
er acted like balky colt, just barely
keeping us out of irons, and the ugly
cross sea banged her about until every
thing groaned. We were about to &C
in stays for our board to the northwest
and the men were aloft TO care for thu
topsails, when the Gordon slipped int
a hollow and rolled port and starboart
like stuck whale trying to get rid o
a harpoon. There was loud squal
from the cat, which creature, it appears
was in the mainmast crosstrees, terri
BILE scream from the sailor, and as tn,
Gordon rolled to starboard he was fun.
clear of her side by thirty feet and wen
down like stone.
.'By this time the crew were s.
worked up that nobody would turn in
and every man seemed to be momen
tarily expecting some new disaster. /
came before midnight. The win,
hauled dead to the north and grey
stronger, and as we came about from
run to the northwest the Gordon misse
her stays, was taken flat aback, an
several calamities followed. Three o
four seas boarded us and swept tn
decks, the foreboom jibed and crushe
a sailors skull, and jib and outer j
whipped loose, and went sailing ava
with the wind. We came within an &C
of being dismasted, for the men COW
cred down in abject terror, and tn
mate and myself had the whole. wor
on our hands. We finally got her hea
of, and ratched away for the Michiga
shore, but before daylight we sprang
leak, and we made Grand Haven onl
by the skin of our teeth, with our carg
damaged more than $4,000. From a
hour past midnight to broad dayligl
that Internal cat kept up steady wal
between the two masts on the triant
stay, and now and then she would ute
q yell which brought all our hair @
end.
Taken altogether we suffered 10:
of over "a. 200 and lost life, and it w:
all on account of that cockeyed ma
and his black cat. No sooner had "
got into port than everybody except Il
mate ran away, and the cat leaped
the dock with farewell yeowl ar
t took refuge in a pile of lumber. III
story of our mishaps got noised aroun
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