Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-11
TIE OLD HULK.

this account, that he might be near his
men, we lived on the waters edge, near
the barracks, and when | had been very
good lie would give me in charge Of Bres-
lin, the old pensioner, who would row me
about the harbor and tell me strange
stories Of the sea- Then we would row
over TO the old black hulk Of the Bellona,
which was chained there in the harbor
many years before l was born. The masts
were gone long since; the tall sides were
oented with the marks Of battle and the
neglect Of years, which Is still more de-
structive, and Braslin would tell me how
this vessel had been with Nelson and the
Victory at Trafalgar. He would hobble
no and down the deck, talking loudly and
pointing OFT to me the beauties of the old
man-o mar. Here, on this spot, the cap
tain had stood; over there was the place
where the shot came through that Killed
him-and | would fall on my knees and
begin looking 30 see if shere yet remained
any Of the hero 5 blood that the rain and
time h&d not washed away.
BresIin would take me forward and
hold ne over the bows SO that | could adj
miro the fruT11aad-a beautiful lady,
with gold eye .aI blue lair. The nose
had gone We. 20 but there seemed q
certain male the look even then.
What = pie. art it wasl Breslin
agreed with IL .ly that there had been
nothing ike it since But, indeed, with
BFeslin the good Old days were long passed.
and he would have placed the decadence
OF the English navy with great exactness
at 1S40-the year he left it and got his
pension.
Yes. it vas pleasant 20 row about the
oil n "a al OF org
stories Of her-srories of the times when
she sped through the waters like swan,
with i merry crew and her white sails set
in the breeze, q terror TO the enemies of
England wherever ulet-poor thing! she
was SO helpless now
But even now there was some mystery
connected with the BelloHa, as she lay
broken and useless Old hulk, chained in
the Larbor. Dreslin limited strange things.
It was known throughout the town that
ny IA nor had given strict orders that no
one should 60 Oh board except Breslin and
myself. Vague conjectUres were iuGCIged
IL by more than one village gossip. There
was some mystery, no doubt IN awful
one.
Each time I had visited the ship had
noticed the hold fun OF long black bones,
all stamped with the government seal.
What the cargo was l would have given
ny ears 10 find ont.
At length l could contain myself no
longer and SO made known my suspicious
10 Breslin as we sat together on tie quay
one sunny afteraood.
Why don't people go on board the
Deliona?" I asked. is it haunted? Please
tell ne" But the old sailor pulled at his
pipe very sagely for 4 moment or two and
ventured his opinion that he had no doubt
that there were ghosts there, no doubt
whatever, such things were natural, most
natural. Had l never heard the story Of
the Flying DUtchmanI' And thereupOn
he began 10 relate tale OF such = horri-
bic and bloodthirsty nature that | was
frightened near 10 death Of the phantom
ship and the ghosts who had to appear by
night and as misty forms set the airy
sails and clear the deck for action and act
over the fight again until some kind NOR
tai would release them from their dread
full task.
1t seemed to me an awful story, but
Breslin said it was true, for he had sailed
once with q man who had seen the Flying
Dutchman and the phantom crew. What
more proof could l ask!
That evening ! went home IL q strange
state Of micd. At dinner ny father
noticed my silence and asked me where /
had been. | told him, and he inquired if
Breslin had left his pipe on shore, ques-
ton which seemed TO me at the time 10 be
most singular, and only strengthened ny
belief IN the old sailors tale of the
ghosts. BY father knew the facts, too,
then; but what relation could there be
between ghosts and pipes? Did be wish
=,
subject? Truly, | must learn more about
ghosts. To-norrow l would ask the
cock. who was an authority on the sub
;ect.
That night I went to bed early, but not
TO sleep; visions Of cloudy spirits
haunted ne continually. All the terrible
stories Of Breslin came unbidden to my
mind. began to count c hundred in hopes
Of bringing on sleep; it was useless. The
village clock began striking the hours as
I lay there awake. Eleven-twelvel l
arose tilnidly and approached the window.
There IL the moonlight stood the old
ship; . slight mist seemed lowering
around it. My breathing on the window
pane had hid it a moment. I looked
again. No; | could make ont nothing.
Perhaps the clock was not right; perhaps
the spirits were invisible except from the
deck Of the ship, Truly, it was a hard.
hard task TO sec them-so | went TO bed
full OF great ideas for the morrow.
NeXt morning arose rather early and
Immediately sought the cave Of the sibyl
or, IN palmer words, the kitchen. The
cook seemed rather aStonished az ny
question.
Did she know OF ghosts? Faith. why
shouldn't she? She was lcwly Chris
tian woman, and her own sisters hus-
band. Mike Doogan. Lad seen ghosts
often. till Father Tom McGouigle whit
out and laid them" ! had sought the
right shrine.
How did he lay them I asked.
Faith. l dunno; but he tux two blissid
candles an some howly wather and spake
il Latin, and they Just were laid and
Iivi- throUaled the f--ly from TIA.
day"
What did he say il Latina"
"BegoTr4A, In 10 schollard. Shure,
isn't latin Latin. and isn't it all the
same. the Only thing the diviI can't IN
GsrSta1d? And Il he can't understand
one Latin. how viii he know anotbe-?"
The logic WIS irrefutGble Auv Latin.
then, would 90. IwoUld get nv Cesar /
which proposed TO take up soon. AID
read that. The great question was st
Last solved
Now had some idea, don't know from 1
what source il rose, that Sunday. being a /
DAY OF holiness, would be better fitted 10. /
NY undertaking, 50 made ny preparations (
accordingly, but with great secrecy and /
care. Two wa, candIes stole nom nv
adviser. the cook by Latin Caesar" /