Wichita eagle., 1888-01-07

$1,000 staring aneaO across the uuLlDllIg
black seas, the door Of the fo'c'sle was
suddenly opened and shaft of light
streamed out on the deck for'ard. The
figures of two men came out darkly
against the bright background for mo-
ment, and then were lost in the night
again. AS far as Mr.. Marks could make
out, there seemed to be some unusua,
commotion in the fo'c'sle. He changed
his position, and went over toward the
spot where Duckworth stood, shifting his
squid and the spokes of the wheel.
Anything wrong for ard, Duckworth?"
shouted Mr.. Marks tentatively. care
they quarrelling, d. you think?''
The man glanced down at the distant
open door of the starboard fo'c'sle where
the seamen were quartered, and put the
wheel over some half dozen spokes before
replying, which he did without looking up
at the mate: II don't know as they are,
sir Maybe it's the bo'sun as is took bad
again and frightenin' of EN-"
1.-The bo'sUn?'' beloved Mr.. Marks.
''Why, what's the matter with the
bo'suns''
81 dunno, SIR" shouted Duckworth,
stolidly minding his business at the wheel.
''He was took bad this afternoon-in his
'ead-and said as how he card voices a.
CALM of him; and some O. the boys fined
in, and said as how they 'eard 'em, too,
a-callin' of the bo'sun; and he turned in
at eight bells and damned his 'ead under
the piller to shet out the voices, and
wouldn't turn out again for no one. u
Only fragments Of DuckWorth' S narrative
reached Mr.. Marks ear, for the din of the
storm was terrific.
"Voices?" shouted Mr.. Marks interrog-
atively. "What d. you mean"
Before Duckworth could shift his quid
TO reply, head and a pair Of shoulders
appeared above the ladder and stopped,
not daring to tIespass on the privacy Of
the bridge The mate went over 70 see
what the man wanted. 1t was the Irish
sailor, and his jolly red round face was
wet with rain and white with fear. He
was dressed only in trousers and shirt,
and the latter was unbuttoned and tapping
in the wind.
What do you want here" shouted Mr..
Marks, savagely, irritated by these irreg-
ularitieS. And what are you men up 10
d. the fo'c'sle? Do you want to get your
selves reported to the cap'n?'
''Av ye phase, sorr," shouted the irish
man huskily. 1.-The boys asked me to come
and tell We there's sperrits aboard, and the
bo'sun's clane gone mad"
The mate caught the word "sperrits, y
and jumped to the conclusion that the men
had smuggled some liquor on board
and were drinking themselves crazy.
"Spirits?" he roared back. Which Of
you has got 'em%'
The man shook his head cts not
them sperrits, sorr, worse luck-it's
voices; and the bo'sun's clane gone mad.
For the love av heaven, Mr.. Marks, come
for'ard and spake word to the boys"
Telling Duckworth to keep a sharp look
out ahead while he was away, the mate
ran quickly down to the deck, with Grady
at his heels 1t needed a good pair OF sea
legs to avoid being wrecked against the
hatchways or capsized into the scuppers.
They had almost reached the f0'c'sle,
when suddenly the mate felt his arm
grabbed by the Irishman, and, turning on
him, saw Grady's face ablaZe with excite
ment. did We hear that, sorr?' cried
the man. ''It's them sperrits again.
There; -sorr, just listen to thatn'
If Mr.. Marks hearing had been as keen
as his sight, he might have been more i'm
pressed by the cry, wild with seeming
agony and faint with distance, which pen
etrated even the roar of the wind and the
ceaSeleSs thunder of the sea. But Mr..
Marks hearing had been damaged by par
tial drowning off the coast of Spain, AND,
though he listened intently, he heard no
voices except those Of the ocean and the
air Naturally concluding that Grady
was drunk, he laid hold of the man by his
beard and shirt collar, and, shaking him
savagely, flung him down, aided by a lee
ward roll of the ship, under the wheels of
the donkey engine, and almost toppled
, after his victim himself In no palaver-
ing mood, he went on to the fo'c'sle and
stepped inside. 1t was very evident that
there was something wrong with the crew.
The men were huddled together by the
stove, some in steaming oilskins, some
only in shirts and trousers, all looking
scared and all silent In the middle OF
the place Dredge, the bo'sun, stood, half
clothed, with a queer, wild expression on
his gnarled face, listening hard for some
thing or other. The eyes of the men were
all fixed on him. AS Mr.. Marks stepped
in out Of the wind and rain, the DO sun
shouted hoarsely: ''lIark, lads. He S
calm of me again! It's limits Billn'
This time the mate heard the cry, or
thought he heard it, for it was very dis
tant, and was carried away again i'll the
thunder of the gale. But he elbOwed the
idea aside roughly: il was so impossible
for any human being adoat on such a sea
to make himself heard above the roar OF
the storm. Whats all this tOmfoolery
about" he demanded Of the men, auCrily.
And what's the matter with you, DO sum
You ought to he ashamed Of yourself
playing the fool in this way. Bo'sunr'
But the bo'sun heard nothing of the
reprimand He was eagerly listening for
the recurrence OF that cry. his fists were
clenched. ami the veins on his throat
stood out like cords And when that
sound Of human agony came Wailing out
of the storm again, his battered face lii
up with a passion of love, and crying
aloud, Its Bill, it's Bill I'm comm.
lad, I'm comin'r' ne made bolt for the
deck; but Mr. Marks stopped MIN and
they came down together. \ couple o.
men pulled Dredge off the mate, and
helped the latter 70 his feet.
The mans drunk or mad - Casped NJ.
Marks. fetching his breath heavily after
the shock-Dredge had retreated up the
fo'c'sle-''mad or drunk. How has he
come by the Hquor' And who's this Bill
he's raving about,H
"Bul's MS on'y son, sill" said one Of
the men in a scared way. And the lad
warn't well when we come ont o port,
and bo'sun he thinks as he hears the lad
calm of him for TO help him or suthin'
Nor it's not all tommyrot neither. Mr..
Marks, for we've heard them voices our
selye. Haven't we. boys;n
LAY, ay." chorused the men. waEginr
their heads; heard EN- ourselves, WI
have, and more nor once.
But as lie had been absent already far
too long from his post, and as it was be
meath his dignity TO handy arguments