The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-05
It was true that every man in the cap

IT was true that every man In the cap
tain's watch had tumbled mp. and knew
that they must be badly frightened TO
thus EXHIBIT themselves. took a long
look at the weather. saw that everything
was fair, aud then descended TO the fore
castle alone. Not a man dared TO follow
me down there. ] wasn't even nervous
II there were groans end cries they must
come from some poor devil who had Sc
crcied himself in the hold, and who was
now i'll and starving. | had only reached
the foot OF the ladder when | felt the
touch Of an icy hand on my face, and the
next instant my hair was on end. some
one was signing, groaning and weeping
The sound did not come from any one di-
rection AT one moment they seemed to
come from the very eyes Of the ship, and
the next they were heard at the ~bulkhead,
which divided the place from the hold. l
felt. too. all the time rs if somebody was
moving about me, and ! put up my hand
10 prevent my throat being clutched.
frankly admit to you that ] was scared,
but | was determined not tOshow my teel-
ings to the men, and as ! went on deck
again | carelessly said TO them:
1.-THE noises come from the hold. Some
one has slowed himself away, and well
have him out tomorrow
/ left it with them to 90 back or remain
on deck, and not one Of them, nor yet a
man in my own watch, would go below
until daylight came, when, strange to say,
the noises died entirely away. The cap
tain and Mr.. Anderson both saw that
something was wrong as soon as they
came on deck. The captain received the
news very quietly, asking a question now
and then, and when | had finished lie re-
piled:
VERY well, sir. After the men have
had their breakfast we will search the
hold
We had one, but it was fruitless Of re
suit. 1t was thorough enough to con-
vince us that no person was hidden away.
The captain had very little to say, seem
ing, as / thought, greatly distressed in
mind, but / finally brought Mr.. Anderson
over to agree with me that the noises
were produced by the rubbing Of the
cargo, though why we should not hear
them in the daytime as well | could not
explain.
The noises began about 0 O'Clock the
next night. Both Mr.. Anderson and
myself went down and listened to them,
but we could not prevail upon the captain
to accompany us. Before 10 O'Clock the
men were in such a state Of trepidation
that it was hardly possible to separate
them to do duty, and an hour later, when
| went into the cabin TO consult with the
captain, lie looked at me in the queerest
manner and said:
"Mr. Temple, we must 90 back to
Liverpool This ship is haunted, and If
we pursue the voyage we are lost"
With that he burst into tears and went
of to his stateroom and locked himself
in. 1t wa a hard position 10 find myself
in, for | now believed that the captain had
gone daft, and the second mate was so
ratified that his advice was no good. |
determined to hold the ship on her course
however. and she was pursuing it when,
at 2 O'Clock in the morning, the captain
suddenly rushed on deck and sprang over
board with a yell, and, though we laid
the ship to and lowered a boat, We found
no trace of him. ! then put the ship
about and carried her into Liverpool, and
it was the last voyage she ever made
New York sun.