Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-07-26

the faint sound OF the bow wave softly
washing from the cutwater. Then, on
a sudden, 1 heard a dim, hoarse voice
weakened. as it were, by the thick
ness of the deck between. with a note
of rage in it. as though the fellow
could barely articulate for his teeth
being fixed-exclaim: Curse the ship,
1 say! curse all hands in her. says /.
I'm a murdered man. and I'll haunt We
all There, SIR cried the second
mate, backing to the men, whose
breathing was now stormy with emo
ton. Scarce was this said when one
OF he seamen, who had apparently
been forced forward by the pressure of
the others, was run almost up to me ky
the long arm of the chief mate, who,
unperceived by me, had worked his
way into the crowd to learn what was
going on. This mate stood over six
feet high, and was giant in strength,
and the head of the fellow whom his
shoulder-of-mutton fist grasped by the
scruff of the neck was on level with
his chin. Here's the ghost. SIR said
he. The sailors now came bundling
in in a swarm. This is the ghost.
repeated the mate, giving the fellow a
shake which threatened to throw his
head off his neck. IT'S deuced clever,
my lad, but it's joke that wants sea-
room Another shake. Own to it,
own to itr he cried, before I screw
your neck off, Il own 20 it, said the
man. Own to what?' asked. Why,
SIR answered the mate, he has the
trick of throwing his voice. and won
derfully well he does it, too. 1 had
suspected him. I'm sure of it now, for
he didn't know stood close behind
him.
'Some of the men muttered. in
stantly perceived that they looked
upon this as a conspiracy between me
and the mate to allay their fears, and
clearly seeing that it must be as the
mate said, and heartily despising my
self for the alarm had felt through
out the day, Immediately formed a
resolution. Your names Andover,
swered, You confess that it was you
who made old Jack talk on the grating
and down hear?' L do, SIR he an
swered, with a writhe, for the
shoulder of mutton chung to him as a
wise, Prove it to the men, said l.,
and I'll forgive you. You can let go
of him, Mr.. Moore The man coughed;
moment after we heard old Jack
cursing us all in the forepeak. The
f,i4 IN n6ar
my admiration of the skill of the fellow
was altogether too great to suffer me
to punish him, even had / not
promised him forgiveness. A few
further examples of his genius
sufficed to reassure the sailors,
and went aft, leaving them
to deal with him as they chose. How
ever, he managed to make his peace
by entertaining them with his art as a
ventriloquist. Indeed, after the first
Spasln of temper they were 90 well
pleased to believe that old Jack was
really dead and gone, and too much as
tonished by Andover's cleverness to
feel much resentment. l often had
this man in the cabin afterward to
amuse me. He had tho face of born
comedian, and l strongly advised him
to start as a ventriloquist ashore,
where, 1 don't doubt, under proper
training, he might have proved for
tune for himself or an employer. But,
unhappily, he got into a scrape at our
first port of call, and l had to leave
him behind; and when, long afterward,
l inquired for him, gathered that he
had taken to drink and died in hos
pital. Yet 1 recall him with gratitude,
for he quite cured me of my supersti-
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