The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-06-14
A rlepLlNo FELINE THIEF.
fate OF a Cat That Stole Liquor from
Clippers Lazarcttc.

Fate or Cat That Stole Liquor from q
Clippers Lazarettc.
Capt. James Pride, of the famous
old Baltimore clipper Orinoco, relates
that on his voyage from the Philip
pine Islands he shipped ut Manila
cook named Caleb Saunders, who pos
sessed wonderful cat. This cat was
coal black and was called jerry. HIS
master was almost as black as the cat,
and this, it seems, was q source OF dis
content among the ships crew. Even
the first mate objected strongly, on
the ground that it was the time of year
when the monsoons are blowing
from Madagascar to the Cape-and
that q black cat aboard ship was an
unheard of violation of the mandates
of Providence.
But Capt. Pride is u man OF strong
character, and Caleb Saunders was
known to be an excellent mixer OF
fishballs. 1t was like throwing copy
of the Scriptures overheard to Tighten
ship in q storm; but Capt. Pride was
firm, and the ship sailed out of Manila
with the weird pair. From the second
day out the prophecies Of the crew
seemed to be fulfilled. The Orinoco
was driven out OF its course by fierce
storms, and went scudding toward the
coast of Borneo. For days alta time
the captain remained on deck without
"a wink of sleep, so perilous was the
ships position, and to add to the hor-
ror of the situation strange and awful
thing happened. Every night the
black cook INDUCED in lIideous,
drunken orgies. lie would prance
around the deck, his white eyeballs
flashing at each flare of lightning
Frequently he would be seen at the
foretop, shrieking and disappearing at
the hurricane, his black cat leading
the way in devilish emulation.
Where Caleb Saunders procured the
liquor was mystery that none could
solve. The third mate held the key
OF tho lazarette, and he was q man of
irreproachable character The galley
and the forecastle We're searched, and
even the chicken coop was under sus-
picion, and still no trace OF fernented
drink was discovered.
Day after day the storms continued
and night after night tho cooks UNI
holy revelry was repeated. Hcwas
thing OF awe and abhorTence to ell on
board.
At last there came q sudden break
in the carnival OF debauchery. The
black cot Jerry disappeared one morn
inc and was supposed to have fallen
overheard Caleb Saunders sCbered
up with amazing suddenness. lie was
inconsolablo from grief and despair,
pacing the deck and beating his breast
IN agony.
Then tho gradual approach of dc
liyium tromcns was noted, and as the
second sun went down after tho loss OF
the cat, the black cook, mounting the
nizzenmast, with wild bowls cast him
self yelling into the dark way, ;. Tho
! horror stricken crew saw i body
dance upon the crest OF hugo billow
and sink like plummet into black
abyss.
And then the heavens seemed to let
loose Il tempest moro terrible than any
that had como before. Wave after
wave swept the deck, carrying all be-
fore it. Every moment seemed the
ships last. Amid the height of the
din the wild shrieks Of the lost black
cat were heard. They proceeded from
tho laZarette, where tho stores were
kept. The crew were paralyZed with
dismay, and even tho face of Capt
Pride blanched with siclening dis
trust.
At last the morning dawned upon a
sea white with foam. Then the first
mate summoned up courage to unlock
| the door of the lazarette, whence the
cries of tho black cat still proceeded.
| He peered cautiously in. The lazarette
had one window, which possessed no
| glass, but simply small bars of iron,
about four inches apart The bottles
Of jamaica rum, which had stood
along the ample shelves were all gone.
A few of them lay smashed upon the
floor, while dancing in fendish glee
among their debris was the black cat
Jerry. wildly intoxicated.
With set look upon his counte-
nance the mate reached in and, Selling
the animal by the tail, cast him into
the boiling deep.
From that day on the weather mod
Grated until the Orinoco sailed the
rest of her voyage in summer seas.
| Savannah News.