New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20

ntermlnaDI: hocH ~ nertorious method of COM
pelling sleep had, no doubt been rgwarded Dut
/ have no means Of knowing now long 1
slept, and cannot ol 1e strange nc cirs
cumstances occurred-for occur thev certainly did
and | am as perfectly convlnceu ,naV Z was inc
Iia am Writing these lines / have little doubt L
shall DO laughed at, as Jones a. N
told that was dreaming that was oaerfited ana
nervous In fact so accustomed nall Decoui p,
to this sort of thing, that now hardly ever tell
my tale or if do. put IL IN tne oitiIu person,
and then find people believe u. or az ies'sC Jake
much more interest in IT. s 70 thjni
is that people cannot bring themseaFSSs 70 ulih
so strange thing could have happeiT anS u H.. q
prosy everyday sort of man as nhseii ,b Gnu 'ney
cannot divest their minds OF tne ,~' on nv ina .
ination for facts Perhaps, If the tle appears
in print, it will be believed as iaeeo,ou , iFieho
of mine once said to newy mar9e tbe;r marria ge
had lust seen the announcement 81 teir n
in The Times" All. didn't KNOW Nou Were
married till you saw it in print -, - =,
Well. be the time what t. may cam ean remember
after getting my ive-hundreth sheep through Ihe
cate is that heard two most hoif'pie VEINS rug
through the darkness sat ooit-inpttb cre I d;d
not bring my head this time AGAINST tile oerth
overhead. remembering TO bend 1t outward 30 Us
to clear IL. u1,o eiIonoo ,,.os
os absolute as the darkness. " must nave Deen
dreaming" / thought; but the SOUNDS were rlng-
1 nnccitement There must have been some reason
for This / meyer was taken this way before
| could not make IL out. and 1eit NcLs un .,
Portable. sat there listening Ior s StT ulne
No other sound breaking the deadly Stiffness ana
becoming tired of sitting, Law down agdilh a Oncc
more / set myself to get NV hai,, 10y .
through that gate, but coulo hoO "''' D-' '0''
listening. .o,jrr In tho
There seemed to me sound growing IN inc inc
darkness a something gathering IN tne parClcles
of the air as IL molecules OF the atmOspheIe Mere
rnstIing together and with Silly movement were
whispering something The wlnd hau uiLI Wv ~
and l wouli have gone on deck IL oo"iu n,1 t ~
but H. was hazardous enough moving aDouI III
the light it would have been madness TO at1 ,
TO move in that blackness. And so hlV s'iil anu
But now there was a sound. indistinct but
no mere fancy: q mufied sound. as oil some move
ment in the forepart OF the ship. A.. aou,.,o..
listened inten;lv and gazcd into te darN ,,Ss
What was the sound IL did not seem IKE
rats. Il was duh. shutting kind Of NOISE very
indstnct. end conveying no clew M" 49, AZ -
jts cause II lasted only for q short tlIhe D uI
now the cold damn ar seemed 10 hSe eccnnd
70 strike into the very marrow oil my Dohes' anu
my teeth Chartered. AT the same Ollne u i;aw
sense seemed 10 be assaulted me lou, wacr in
tbe bilgc appeared TO rise into more oplcctohaoie
prominence. as If il had been stirred -,
al cannot stand this muttereu'
sbiverins in horrible aversion at the dis
gushing odor; will 80 on deck at al hazru Us
Rising TO put this resolve int execution. WIS
arrested by the noise beginning again. Isucneu,
This time | distinctly distinguished Two, sePttatc
sonnds. ono like a heavy soft weight being
dragged along with difficulty the othsf' ike tne
hard sound of boots on boards CoGld thefe DC
others on board after ALL? III so, why ha1 ,hcy
made no sound when / clnmbercd on deck, or
afterward. when shouted and hred my gum
Clearly IL there we're people, they wlshed 10
remain concealed, and my presence was neon,
venicnt 70 them. But how absolutely still and
queb they had kept! 1t appeared lncredlDic tlin'
there should be any one. listened intently.
The sound had ceased again, and once more lne
most absolute stiffness reigncd around. a gentle
swishing, webbing tapping noise seemed 20 form
itself in the darkness. IL increased, until
recognized the chattering and bubbing OF water
" Ii must be the tide which IS rising i Thought
" il has reached the ruddcr, and is eddying round
the sternpost" This also accounted, IN my mind-
for the other noSc, because, rs the tide surroundc
the vessel, and she thus became water-borne, an
kinds OF sounds might be produced IN the old hulk
as she resumed her upright position.
However, | could not get rid or the emily
horrid feeling those two screams had produced,
combined with the disgusting smell, which WAS get
iing more and moro obtrusive II was foul horrible
revolving like some carrion, putrld aud noNlons
| prepared 10 take my chance OF damage ana
rose up 10 gropc my way 20 the companion-iadder.
IL was a more difficult job than had any idea
Of / had my gun, ~ was true and with ~ /
could feel for the joists but whom once | let
20 OF the edge Of the bunk had nothing 90
steady me- and nearly went hcadlong at the first
step. Fortunately / reached back in time 20
prevent my fall but this attempt convinced me
that / had better endure the strange horrors
OF the unknown than the certain miscres OF @
broken leg or neck.
/ sat down. therefore. on the bunk.
Now that my own movements had ceased, j
became aware that the shutting noise WAS going
on all the time. Well thought !, they may
TO sleep again. So rejecting, hy down, hold
ing my gun ready 90 use as u club II necessary.
Now IL is all very well 10 hugh nj snpcrstiiious
tcrForS. Nothing IS easier than 20 obtain cheap
If
and courage by dcriding the fear OF the super
natural when comfortably seated in n drawing
room well lighted, and with company. But put
those ScofIcrs i'm like situation with NINE and
don't believe they would have been any more
free from n cling the reverse OF bold, hooking
and comfortable than | was.
I had read that most powerful ghost-story,
The Haunted and the llaunters,' by the late
Lord Lytton, and the vividness OF that weird tale
had always impressed me greatly. Was
actually now 20 experience in my
own person, with no possibility OF
escape, the trying ordeal that bold ghost
| able circumstances? lie at least had his ser
! want with him. lie had fuel and a light and
above ALL he could get away when he wanted 10.
! felt could face any number OF spiritual mani
| fcstations, il only had warmth and light. But
! the icy GOODNESS Of the air was eating into my
bones, and / shivered until my teeth Chartered
myself listening, and at last gave up the con-
| test, and let myscf listen But there seemed
| now nothing 10 listen 90. All the time / had
been refusing To let my ears do their Office by
putting my handkerchief over one ear, and lying
on my arm with the other, confused noise
| appeared 20 reach me, but the moment l turned
round and lay on my back, everything seemed
quiet. It's only my fancy after all; the result
OF cold and want OF a good dinner. l VIII 90 10
sleer.' But in spite of this lay still, listening
little longer There was the sound Of trick
| ling water against the broad bigc of the old hulk,
and l knew the tide was rising fast nv thoughts
turned to the lost canoe, and TO reproaching
myself with my stupidity in not allowing enough
rope, or looking az il more carefully Suddenly
/ became all attention again. An entirely diaer-
| ent sound now arrested me. IL was distinctly
a low groan, and followed almost Immediately
| by heavy blOws-blows which fell on soft sub
stance. and then more groans, and again those
sickening blows.
There must be men here Where are they
and what is il ?" / sat up, and strained my eyes
| toward where the sound came from. The sounds
| had ceased again. Should l call out and LEI
| the man or men know that was hereP what
puzzled me was the absolute darkness, How
! could any one see 10 hit an object, or do any,
thing else in this dense obscurity? IL appalled,
| A,,.t .t,l,t ut ia distance