Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-10-25

about seven bells drizzling elect sci
in that made the deck anything but
inviting. Still I stuck TO the quarter
deck and paced back and forth.
II noticed that Mr.. Rankin (that
was the mates nams) continually
watehed me as though i'll pleased with
my presence on deck. AT length he
stepped up and said grufiiy, with a
voice that fancied was not steady:
Beg pardon. sir. but hadn't you better
turn in and get wink of sleep2 It's
liable TO blow some before morning,
and ycu viii be nseded here.
81 answered that I did not feel
drowsy, and preferred the deck, 30
Rankin sheered off and resumed his
pacing on his own side.
"Ths men, as the midnight hour
approached. huddled together about
the captain and cast furtive glances
over the port bow as though expect.
ing the strange sail to heavs in sight
any moment.
"The minutes dragged out, and !
will confess that as the moment for
the bell to sound approached / was q
trifle nervous myself.
But pulled my slouch over my
eyes and plunged my hands deep into
the pockets of my pea-jacket and kept
sharp eye a-port.
"Ons-sounded the bell-two, three,
Nothing out Of the usual occurred, aud
/ breathed easier, for no man wants
to have his pet theories destroyed.
"Four-fve-six. The men were
only dreaming, or had been led away
by some artful story.teller.
II glanced toward Mr.. Rankin.
He was standing by the port rail,
gripping the guard with both hands,
and staring out into the blackness.
"Seven-eight, with a flash. A
lurid blaze appeared upon the water,
and | made out the form of a full
rigged ship with all sails set exactly
even with US and standing on the
same tack.
She appeared just as the boatswain
had described ner, obeying her helm
to nicely. and yet with every sail
set aud the breeze blowing a gale.
The very instant that the ship ap.
feared the mate uttered sharp cry
and fell to the deck in a f.. The
men ran off, as though seeking pro-
; lection.
Il feared that they would become
demoralized aud jumped forward.
Back to your stationsI roared.
The first man that steps on the poop
will be a dead man. This threat,
sccom pauied with the drawing of a
revolver. produced its effect, and the
men went back. And none too soon,
for a gust struck us and heeled US
over upon our beam, and it was all
hat We could do to get in the remain
ing sail. With the gust the phantom
disappeared.
Two Of the men carried the mate
down and put him in his berth, where
he soon revived.
i went to see him later, and found
bin weak and nervous. tried to
/ get at the reason for his exceeding
agitation, but he refused to speak
about the occurrence.
We'll, the phantom ship followed
us all along the coast of South Amer
lea to the Horn, and the men were 90
! demoralized that they were in a state
of mutiny.
/ They sent the boatswain aft to see
me again, and insisted that there was
Jonah aboard, and that the mate,
who was now almost a lunatic, was
the man. Itried to reason with them,
but they would not listen to me, and
they declared that if The phantom did
not leave rs by the time We turned
the Horn they would insist upon
( throwing Mr.. Rankin overheard.
1t was the worst fix ever was in,
and l did not know what to do. We
rounded the Horn, and that night all
hands were looking forward to the
deuouement.
Would the spectre ship follow us
! into the Pacific?
Il had not communicated to Mr..
Rankin the threats of the crew, but
saw that he was more than ordinarily
gloomy and thoug ght best to warm him
that there might be trouble, but he
did not appear to heed me.
! About six bells Mr.. Rankin went
into his room for 10 minutes, and re-
turned looking wild and haggard.
The crew was uneasy, and the men
cougregated about the captain as eight
/ halls annroanhad