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

shall never forget that night as long as nve'
IL was during the Christmas vacation lof,-.
/ was staying with an old college friend VINO
had lately been appointed the curate OF COUNTY, ;
parish, and had asked me TO come ana cneer MN
IN since he could not get away at tnao ume'
AS we drove along the straight country Iane
from the little waysde station III iorcipY sIruvN
me that life in such place mus U bv
local color: above all tnlngs, am uepIossG;ut "
a dead level. and here was monotont w Inttod q
Vengeance An occasional black spoe o9o,e Gu
seainst the gray distance. marked o hayrlck OF
lahorcrs cottage, while some two miles aheau oi
us the stunted spire of my friends churc9 Soood
ont AGAINST the wintry sky, amid the wltnerSu
Branches of a few ragged trees. On our rleht
,snd stretched dreary wastes OF mud. inter.
spersed here and there WITH nfm t IN from all
communication with the mainland by acres Oh
mud and thin streaks Of brown water.
A few sea-birds were piping over the Waste
and This was the only sound, except the grlt OIL
onr own wheels and the steady step Oh the horSe'
which broke the silence. .o,,dn,+
saw it was. AS we drove up street. as the
Inhabitants fondly called the small array OF low
bonses which bordered the hlghroad, nouceu
the Iack-lustre expression oil the lew cnnut ta
end mnt;dv women who were lettering about the
A. the end of the village was the church, stand
ing in an untidy churchyard, anu opPOS of that
neat little house, quite new, ana 1i Una, u,,'o
utilitarian order OF architecture When VIZ s;p
the Victorian age as one OF the leasV ina
eras Two windows hanked tne ir oS besd from
tnlse Lac roof: variety and distinction being
given to the facade by the brilliant ppenuiH 1
81 tho yellow bricks with REQ, so DrlgnI as "
snooest the idea of their having Deen pal1.eu'
A scrnpulously clean stone at the lrOhO ILL., ILL.,
to0efher with the bright green Oh tne I'' ~
plings and woodwork. ton me w iav sS,
ihan5lsdv 10 expect and was not disappointed,
a Kindly featured woman, thin, CHEEKY, anu
active received us, speaking IN tnaI
tone of half-compas slonate halI-prOp ,onoe1
ostronage which have observed so many women
adopt towards lone beings OF the opPosIo1 so;d
You will find it precious dnI' o Lu man ;nner
ZONES as we were eating our lrusdi uiA NJ
9TSera,s nothing for you to do, unless you care
70 try shot at the duck over the muu-n nss
shall be busy on and OIL nearly all Iom1rrow No
A. we talked | could not help auhlrlnS .ho
cheerful pluck with which Jones endured inc
terrible monotony of his life in this dreary pace
There is no squire in the place; no gentieloiR,
as the rustcs called them, hved NEARER ,nau Nv, i
own class with whom poor Jones could assoclate.
And vet he made no complaint Inc heares.
apuroach TO one being the remark that me worst
OF il was, il was so difficult If not Impossible,
TO be really understood. Inc poor peIn3
suspicious and ignorant. they look at everything
from such low standpoint, ENTHUSIASM ana lI i
ness sink so easily into Journalism and nstlesS-
ness -, ,a 10
The next day. finding that ] really could De
of no use. and feeling awkward ana DoIee "S %
man always rs when another is actively dong his
duty. went off to the marshes TO see il couiu
get any sport. ~, ,,h r,o
NOT Intending to return until dinner. Alter
wandering about for some time croSSns Nke
after DIXIE by treacherods rails more OF iess roSVei
found myself on the edge OF wide mere.
could see some duck out In the mldaie. anu s s",l.
ing far out in the shallow water was neron,
They were all out of shot. ana 1 Sd" couiu "o
no good without n duck-punt. - - a.
car down on an old pile left on the TOD OF the
sca-wal. which had been lately repa.fpe tad e X
ducl, looked very tempting; but doubted IL i
should do much good in broad daynght even II
j had duck-punt. without duck,suh Aa.e e5
sitting disconsolatelv TOR some time soo up anu
The dreacincss of the scene was most depressing
everything was brown and gray Nothng proke
tle m.motony of the widc-stretcnlng mere tne
trh,le scene gave me the impression OF "a straight
line of nterminabie length. with a spcck IN inc
centre of it, That speck was mvSe ell soa.val1
saw something living above high-water marx winch
looked like boat Ill,
ened NV pace 1t was boat and. better still. a
duck punt. As | came nearer could see that
She was old and very likely leaky Dut mere was
q readiiy dauntcd On examination, the old craft
seemed more water-ught than | expected Al a,
least She held water yerv well. ana II sne keP''
il in She must equally well Keep u out
turned her over to run the water OUT ana thet
dragging the crazy old boat over the line OF sea
weed, launched her But now real dlincultS
met me The paddles were nowhere TO re seen
They had doubtless been taken away ny th'
owner and it would be little use searching 10
them But stout stick would 90 10 punt IT, n ti
over the shallow water; and after some HUN
search. I found an old stake which would answer
we'll.
This was real luck. l had now some hope Q
bagging a few duck at any rate was ahoa.
and could explore the little islets which oareh
rose above the brown water. l might at leas
find some rabbits them. / cautiously polc'
myself toward the black dots; but before ! CAM
within range IN rose first one then another an'
another, like string OF beals, ana INC wnoL
firht went, with outstrctched necks and rapidll
beating wings away 70 my is hgmI so T" baIfm
away. Tho heron had long ago taler himself OIL
SO there was nothing TO be done but pole acros
the mud in pursuit OF the duck nad not gon
n,env wards when found that was going mucl
taste than / expected, and soon saw the cause
The tide was falling, and l was being carrie'
along with it, This, would bring me nearer te ~ =
my ducks, and iaziiy guioeu tue 0unO WIN u"
stake
On rounding the island found new source o
interest. The mere opened out to much large
axtent and away toward my right / could see
brcsk in the low land, as il a wide ditct
had l,een cut through; while in this opening evel
and anon dark objects rose up ana disappeared
again in way could not account IOr a. ~
water seemed to be running of the mud,tats
and saw that if did not wish to be lett high
but not dry, the long Shiny wastes, 1 mus
I've careful TO keep in the little channels OF
lakes which acted as natural drains TO The
conspicuous object attracted my attention
come mile or more toward the opening In ths
land IL was vessel lying high up on the mud
and looking as if she was abandoned.
The ducks had pitched hundred yards or So
beyond the Island, ana approacneu as Cautiously
ne I could: but Just as ] was putting down thu
stake 10 take up my gun, there was swift
sound of beatings and splashing water and ava,
my birds flew, low over the mud, toward thu
old hulk
Here was q chance, thought. II could &c
ON board and remain hidden, might, by PATENT,
wajting get shot / looked at my watch
there was still plenty of daylight left, and tn,
tide was only Just beginning 10 leave the mud
/ punted away, therefore, with renewed hope
and was not long in getting up TO the old ship
r1.n inc emf
70 allow me to approach within ten or twclv
feet, but further 1 coald not push the punt
This was disappointing however | noticed {
deem lake ran round the other side, and deter
mined to try my luck there So with slosl
and a heave got the fiat afioat again, and mad
for the deeper water - turned out quit
successfuL and I was enabled 10 get right undo
the square overhangng counter. while littl
lane OF water led alongside her starboard quarter
pushed the nC5e of the punt into this, ana wa
NOT long in cfmbering on board by the rust.
IRONS an her for Ichains