The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-07-27

round, satisfied me that the men would
be easier in their minds for being quit
of the body, and so, telling the mate
to send the hands forward, l went to
my cabin; but more mystified under a
| livelier CONSERVATION of mind, in
short, than it would suit me to admit
to every body. 1t was idle to talk of
tricks. / might have recOnciled my
self to some notion of that kind had l
made one of two or three spectators;
but there had been forty or fifty of US
all Jumped together, and the reality of
| the thing came out in the sincerity of
the fright, for the morning panic was
much greater than l have put it, while
| the terror in the afternoon might have
/ shown as wild had the fellows at the
| grating let fall the body again among
the men.
well, at ten o'clock that night 1
| left the deck to lie down. All was
| quiet. The influence of that days
work was expressed in the manner of
the men, who had moved and talked
very soberly, with subdued gestures
and tones, and in dog-watches 1 had
noticed them hanging together in
| knots, like people fresh from an eXecu-
| ton. 1 was aroused from my sleep by
/ the second mate, who had charge of
| the deck. There's the whole watch
below, sir, come aft to complain that
| they can't get any rest What's the
matterP' said /, starting up. Why,
they say they can hear old Jacks voice
calling to them down in the forepeak.
! gfAZ I
that / followed him on deck, where,
sure enough, found all hands massed
together on the quarterback. What's
the matter, men?' l called out, leaping
over the rail at the break of the poop
to speak to them. The carpenter spoke
up: There's old Jack hailing US in
the forepeak, sir Nonsense, man.
'Smite me, sir, if it amt the blooming
truth; not only hailing. but a cussing
US for having drowned him But you
must know that that can't be- said /;
| he's leagues astern and fathoms deep
A voice answered: He's cussin' us all
the same. He swears he'll haunt us
all overheard told the second mate
to go forward and report if he could
hear any thing of this strange voice.
A shadowy group of men went with
him; indeed, l doubt if he would have
had heart to drop into the forecastle
alone. Presently he returned, coming
aft with run and speaking with a
broken breath. It's true, sir he
gasped, If it amt old Jack it's the
devil. l heard him say: "Ill punish
all of We for drowning me. Head as
you will tits old Jack as is at the he'll
lum now, and so stand by!'' But,
good thunderr cried 1, How is a mans
voice going TO sound in the fOrecastle
out of the forepeak? Answer me that,
you fool Well, come fOrrard and
hear it yourself, SIR he exclaimed,
sullenly.
II instantly assented, and walked
forward, followed by all hands; and not
without beating heart, l admit, but
with good air of carelessness upon
me, stepped into the forecastle. 1t
was a tOp-gallant forecastIe, entered
by two doors abreast of the windlass
ends. A slush lamp hung under the
beam and the light was very weak. I
entered with the second mate and
stood listening. For some minutes
| nObllnB 6OuLuCu Ulb bll0 UdIu DE6dbll-
ing of the seamen who filled the door
ways, squeezing the foremost in,
though these pressed back like wall,
making sich "a jam as might account
for louder snOrings. Queer creakings
and grOanings arose out of the slightly
swaying hull into the silence, with the
the faint sound of the bow wave softly
washing from the cutwater. Then, on
a sudden, / heard 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,
| say! curse all hands in her, says |.
I'm 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
tion. Scarce was this said when one
of the seamen, who had apparently
been forced forward by the pressure of
the others, was run almost up to me by
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 a giant in strength,
, and the head of the fellow whom his
shOulder-of-mutton fist grasped by the
. scruff of the neck was on a 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 ants sea-
: room Another shake Own to it,
own to itr he cried, before l screw
; your neck off, I own to it, said the
man. Own to whatP' asked. Why,
sir answered the mate, he has the
trick of throwing his voice, and won
| derfully well he does it, too. l had
my eye on him this afternoon, and
, suspected him. I'm sure of it now, for
he didn't know I stood close behind
him.
Some of the men muttered. I in
, stantly perceived that they looked
upon this as 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,
said to the man. Yes, sir he an
, swered, You confess that it was you
] who made old Jack talk on the grating
and down hear? I do, sir he an
swered, with a writhe, for the