Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-07-19

forecastle were hard at work in them while
they viewed me- They looked a queer COM
pany; two were negroes the others pale
faced, bearded man, wrapped up in clothes to
the aspect of scarecrows The fellow who
steered had face as long as wet hammock,
and it was heightened yet to the eye by a
beard like goats hanging at the extremity
of his chin.
He stood up-a tall, lank figure, with legs
like pair of compassionate hailed mo
afresh; but the high swell, regular as tho
swing of a pendulum, interposed its brow
between him and me, so that at one moment
he was a sharply lined figure against the sky
of the horizon, and the next he and his boat
and crew were sheer gone out of sight, and
this made an exchange of sentences slow and
troublesome.
''Say, MASTER he sung out, "what dye
say the schooner's name is!n
"The Boca del Dragon replied.
Sand who are you, mateylp
"An English sailor, who has been cast
away on an island of ice,n answered, talk
ing very shortly, that the replies might fol-
low the questions before the swell sank him.
SAY, ay," says he, that's very well, but
when was you cast away, bullyq'
gave him the date.
"That's not month ago." cried he
''It's long enough, whatever the time,n
said l.
Here the crew fell attacking, turning from
one another to stare at me, and the negroes
eyes showed as big as saucers in the dismay
of their regard.
'See here, master,n sung out the long
man, ''if you ha'n't been cast away moren a
month, how come you clothed as men went
dressed a century SIM, heyr
The reason of their misgivings flashed
upon me. 1t was not so much the schooner
as my appearance The truth was, my
clothes having been wetted, had ever since
been wearing such thick garments as / met
with in the cabin, keeping my legs warm
with jack boots and had become so used to
the garb that l forgot had it on. You will
judge, then, that l must have presented
figure very nicely calculated to excite the
wonder and apprehension of body of men
whose superstitious instincts were already
sufficiently huttered by the appearance of
the schooner, when tell you that, in addi-
ton to the jack boots and great fur cap.
my costume was formed of a red plush
waistcoat laced with silver, purple brooches,
a coat of frieze with yellow braiding and
huge cuffs, and the cloak that had taken
from the body of Mendoza.
Captain cried l, 'if SO be you are the
captain, in the name of God and humanity
come aboard, sirr' Here I had to wait till
he reappeared. my story is an extraordi-
nary one. You have nothing to fear. am
plain English sailor; my ship was the
Laughing Mary, bound in ballast from CAL
lao to the cape" Here I had to wait again.
nPray sir, come aboard there is nothing to
TO fear. am alone, in grievous distress and
in want of help. Pray come, STRIP
There was so little of the goblin in this APP
peal that it resolved him The crew hung in
the wind but he addressed them perempto-
rily l heard him damn them for a set of
ours, and tell them that if they put him
aboard they might lie Off till he was ready
to return, where they would be safe, as the
devil could not swim; and presently they
buckled to their oars again, and the boat
came alongside. The long man, watching
his chance, sprang with great agility into
the chains and stepped on deck / ran up to
him and seized his hand with both mine.
'Sir," cried /, speaking with difficulty, SO
great was the tumult of my spirits and the
joy and gratitude that swelled my heart, II
thank you a thousand times over for this
visit. l am in the most helpless condition
that can be imagined l am not astonished
that you should have been startled by the
appearance of this vessel and by the figure 1
make in these clothes; but, sir, you will be
much more amazed when you have heard my
story"
He eyed me steadfastly, examining me very
earnestly from my boots to my cap, and then
cast a glance around him before he made any
reply to my address. He had the gauntness,
sallowness of complexion, and deliberateness
of manner peculiar to the people of New Eng
land; and though he was very ugly, lank,
uncouth man, protest he was as fair in my
sight as if he had been the ambrosial angel
described by Milton.
"Well, cook my gizzard,n he exclaimed,
presently, through his nose, and after another
good look at me and along the decks and up
aloft, ''if this Amt miraculous tew! burned
if we didn't take this hooker for some ghost
ship riz from the sea, in charge of a norman
rugged out to fit her age. Y are all alone,
air your
GAN alone,n said l.
"Broach me every barrel aboard if ever
see SIGH vessel, !" he cried, his astonishment
rising with the searching glances he directed
aloft and allow. "How old be sheg"
''She was cast away in 1852 said l.
"Well, I'm durnedl She's froze hard, sir
reel l reckon she'll want hot sun to thaw
her Split me, mister, if she amt worth
sailing home as a show box"
/ interrupted his CALCULATIONS by asking
him to step below, where we could sit warm
while l related my story; and asked him to
invite his boats crew into the cabin that i
might regale them with bowl of such liquor
as, | ventured to say, had never passed their
lips in this life On this he went to the side,
and, hailing the men, ordered all but one to
come aboard and drink to the health Of the
lonesome sailor they had come across. The
word "drink" acted like charm; they in
stantly hauled upon the painter and brought
the boat to the chains and tumbled over the
side, one of the negroes remaining in her.
They fell together in a body, and surveyed
me and tho ship with a hundred marks Of
establishment.
s'My lads" said I, Tiny rig is strange one,
but I'll explain all shortly. The clothes l
was cast away in are below, and I'll show
you them I'm no specter, but as real as
you; though have gone through so much
that, if / am not ghost, it is no fault of old
Ocean, but owing to the mercy of God. My
name is Paul Rodney, and I'm a native of
London. You, sir,n says ], addressing the
long man, "are, presume, the master of the
Susan Tuckerf
"At your sarvice-Josiah Tucker is my
name, and that ship is my wife, Susan
"Capt. Tucker, and you, men, will you
please step belowp' says l. ''The weather
promises fair have much to tell, and there
is that in the cabin which will give you pa
thence to hear me-"
descended the companion stairs, and they
all followed, making the interior that had
been so long silent ring with their heavy
tread, while from time to time gruff, hoarse
whisper broke from one of them. But SUI
perstition lay strong upon their imagination,
and they were awed and quiet. The day
light came down the hatch, but for all that
the cabin was darksome.
waited till the last man had entered, and
then said: Before we settle down to bowl
and yarn, captain, 1 should like to show
you this ship. It'll save me deal of de
scription and explanation if you will be
pleased to take view.n
LEAD on, mister,n said he; "but we shall
have to snap our eyelids and raise fire in that
way-for burned if l, for one, can see in the
dark
fetched three or four lanterns, and light
ing the candles distributed them among the
men, and then in procession, headed by the
captain and me, we made the rounds. had
half cleared the arms room but there were
weapons enough left, and they stared at them
like yokels in a booth l showed them the
cook house and the forecastle, where the deck
was still Uttered with clothes and chests and
hammoclzs, and after carrying them aft to
fba i,iDr erava than sight Of tka hold 7