Smyrna times., 1888-02-01

were DARKEST. 1t was as plain as any h.
man figure could be, though we could not
make out the face and other details. We
stared at it for half a minute. and then
the captain pulled his revolver and banged
away. There was sort of groan follow
ing his shot, and when the smoke cleared
we took light and searched in vain for
traces of our mysterious visitor. He had
departed. 1t was confessed to the owners
and to the press that the officers and crew
OF that brig slept on deck every night after
that until the end of the voyage Indeed.
there We're only two sailors among the
crew who would venture into the fore
CASTLE in the daytime, and the steward
could rot have been kept in his place ex-
cept by threats. We were ridiculed and
laughed at as a crew, but it is a matter of
history that the Charles never made an
other voyage. She could not get a char
ter, nor could she have got q crew il she
had, and after rotting in ordinary for a
couple of years she was knocked to pieces.
Ny second experience was on the ship
Homeward l shipped on her at Liver
pool for voyage to the Cape of Good
Hope and return. had not set eyes on
her, and knew her only by name when I
went aboard with my traps. I had a first
mates berth, and understood that the
officer filling that place had been taken
suddenly i'll two days before. The ship
was ready to sail, and had to hustle
aboard without making inquiries. AS
approached her l encountered a man
skulking away, and believing him to be a
deserter, 1 reached out for him. 1 got
his collar, but he broke my hold, and as
he ran away heard him say:
aye, but I'd sooner sail the sea in a
coffin"
gave this remark little attention. even
when l found out aboard that he was
actually a deserter. He was one of six
men who had come off to the ship in the
morning, and nobody could tell why he
had cut sticks. We had pretty good idea
three or four days later.
There were only five men aboard when I
climbed over the rail-Only five sailors.
The cook and steward were there, as also.
a cabin boy, but the captain was ashore.
and no one could tell me whether a second
mate had been shipped or not About
midnight the shipping agents sent me
eleven or twelve men, every one of them
helplessly drunk, and a little later on
came the captain. He had been drinking
heavily and after trying to tell me his
name and failing to understand mine. he
went to his cabin with the order that
should call him at o'clock. We were
all ready to warp out, the work of only
half an hour from our berth, and the tide
would not serve until midforenoon. an
pointed ship keeper and turned in my
self, but the drunken fellows were bound
to have their farewell carouse, and l got
no sleep through the night Less than
half of them were of any use next morn
ing in warping the ship out. The captain
came on deck perfectly sober, and when
| NJ ho 1e
the crew he replied:
eyes, it's beastly, Mr. Temple, but we
couldn't have got 'em aboard sober, you
know. Let whisper get out about a
craft and sailors act like fools"
had my mouth open to ask what
stories were in circulation regarding the
HOmeward when the captain. whose
name was Robinson. gave me an order
and walked away. The second mate.
who seemed to have been on spree with
the men, came up and introduced himself.
His name was Anderson, and he apOlO-
gized for his presence by saying:
u hung out to the very last, hoping to
get another ship, but had to take the
berth. Do you think they are very bad?''
'What?'
''The ghosts"
as this a haunted shipY'
Dlun'J you know 1t was? They say
she has been deserted in every port and
that she changes captains every trip; but
perhaps it is only sailor talk. l hope we
shah have no trouble, sir"
He sidled away in half ashamed man
ner, and all hands, or all who were of any
use, at once began warping the ship out,
and before noon we We're on our way out.
After we were fairly off the men began tc
knock themselves together, the captain
and second mate acted like different men.
and when the watches were set had for
gotten the words dropped by Mr. Ander-
son. Hewas a thorough sailor and full of
discipline, and one would have judged by
his face that he had great force of
character.
Nothing occurred to create an alarm for
three days. Then, one night during my
watch, a man in the captains watch, who
was below, came on deck and said to me:
''NIr. Temple, it must be that we have a
stOwaway aboard. We have heard groans
and sighs and sobs for the last two nights,
and some of the men declare the ship is
haunted. There comes the watch, sir,
driven out by the noises. Won't YOU
! please make u searchg'