The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-11-16

IlVFS ouL upon the black shadows
oi The ocean. There was some.
'hlng soul->ubduiug in a night Of
such Carkness and Stiffness as this.
It made one walk lightly, as
though there was Il listening spirit
III the ar TO be YcXed by The rude
creali OF a boot. 1t was a lIme TO
speak only in whispers, as vou1d
poIIce when at long intervals the
mate addressed the fellow who
was at the wheel, sounding his in
qulry but Little above bs breath.
ilhs went on fill about II o'clock
ship, ocean and sky blended vet
INTO one impenctrabie shadow,
charged with the mighty, yulseless
pause, as though tie night. with
sucked in breath, hung moiionIess
IN expectation. clark did Won
hear that# n cried the mate with
he amazemeut that was IN him.
"Ay. SIR" answered the man at
The helm, III a broad-awake voice;
There II Is again. 1t was a sound
OF laughter out0n ;he water off the
5iarboard bow, whether human or
not was scarcely to he guessed.
The bIacknefS, and then. the great
pcean solitude ont Of which it rang,
would have put a wild unearthli-
ness into II, even had it been as
melodiOns as a girls langh: but
there was an edge in it that owed
nothing to the mystery OF the night
an indescribabIe ANIMAL like
harshness, a semblance of human
merriment shocking by reason of
lis mlrlhfulness and note of run
ning through it. it as of the mixed
crying Of The jackal and the hye-
ma. "Smlte me If it didn't sound
ike some swimming baboon a-hail
ing Of u.s." cried the helmSman
"SWinlming babOon III your eye,7
answered the maze; "some drown
ed mans ghost, more like, fooling
round maybe in hope Of beng laid
by drink
Tie laugh again sounded, sort
Of unearthly, carcusing, haIIoolpg
like The meaning less bawling Of
some dlunken rasa}l Staggering
home IN the small hours. "What
the duce is III" said the mate
"Aihtthata a winking of fire out
there where The NOISE is, sirl" said
The helmsman. The mate peered.
"Aye, sure enough" said he;
"what is it now? 1t looks like the
sheen Of PHOSPHORUS TO The dip
ping of an oar. Llsten!' They
both bent their ears. The long,
demoniacal, bIood-chilIing laugh
came floating off The water to the
ship, and then a man cried cut sud
denly, in the blackneSs forward,
Here lis some one haillng of
us.n
The mate put his head in the
skyl;ght and sang out to the skip
per, who rolled off the locker and
came ON deck. BY this time the
watch, disturbed in their nap, had
uncolled themselves and were at
The rail. Every man was invisible |
to his fellow, close together as the |
sailors hung, but he darkness did |
not hinder them from speaking, |
and their voices soon rose in a sort |
Of grumble, hoaTsc with wonder,
not nnmiXed with apprehension.
"What is it Mr. Jones?' asked |
the captain. There's some one
out on The water yonder laugh
ing" answered the mate; "listen,
sir; now you have IT," 1t could
scarcely I've any longer dubled that
the sounds were uttered by a hu-
man being. II was a mans luna
nc laughter, a senseless, bowling
of nirth, and this time
il was followed by an arliculale
cry, though the fellow was too far
of 10 be ineligible. -"Whv, yes;
sure enough" cried the captain,
Ihere'S some one out there; but
what the deuce is he finding to
au.h at, and what's his craitg' He |
'aised hIs voice. "AnybOdy make
,ut what that chap yonder's atloat
nr Hes heading for u.s. ex-
.laimed one of the men, "his voice
las srowed as clear ag'in since first
leardi" It'll be a boat, | allow"
another man; eXclalm-
mother man; "fancy | heard the
.rind OF an arin thOle pins .iusl
low, aud there's a flash OF water al
lines.
For some minutes there was a
lead stiffness, while the mate tax
nc a lamp out of The pinacle, held
{ steadily over the rail. Indeed I
{ looked as though the light of The
amp had silenced the fellow.
There was nothing to be seen; stare
IS they might. they could witness
loihlug distinguishable i'm the ink :
ike void into which their
-aze sank blindly. saving the occa-
ional sparkle Of fiery water to
chat was unqueslionably the
iealthy plying of an oar. Pres
mily the old skipper roared out:
Boat ahoy What boats thatF'
lis voice was echoed in the mo-
ionless canvas ON high, but no an
wer was returned from the sea.
Twas another interval Of dead still
less, with faint sound now and
gain which suggested that the
Doat was being very softly and /
neakingly sculled. Certainly, the
ciniillaiion Of The oar had vanish ]
"a, and there was nothing TO init
nate the existence Of the boat say
nc the scuiling sound. -'Confound-
.dly wonderful all thIsl" gasped /