Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-04-02
The Enchanted Ship.

MY father Kept little snop III
Balsora. He was neither rich mol
poor, but was one of those people who
dare not venture from fear Of losing
the little they have. He reared me
plainly and we'll, and l soon became
able to assist him in business. When
/ was eighteen years old, and he had
just made his first speculation, he
died, apparently from worry over hav-
ing risked a thousand gold pieces in
commerce. | considered his death
fortunate, when few weeks later news
came that the ship in which my father
was interested had been wrecked.
But this disaster did not discourage
me. | turned all my father had left
into ready money, and set out to seek
my fortune among strangers, accom-
panied only by servant ofmy father,
Ibrahim, who from old attachment
would not leave me.
We sailed from Balsora with favor
able winds. The ship was bound for
India. We had followed the usual
track for fifteen days, when the
weather began to threaten a storm.
The captain looked very grave, for he
knew very little of the sea-coast and
its rocks and reefs. Our sails were
all furled, and we sped on the increas-
ing gale as night came on. As we
moved through the waves, all at orce
ship, unseen before, appeared with
in hailing distance. Wild shouts and
cries came from its deck, at which, in
this anxious hour, | wondered. But
the captain beside me turned white as
death.
ave are lost !" he exclaimed.
"Yonder sails Death :"
Before / could question him, the
sailors set up a terrible bowling and
shriekipg.
"Have you seen itr'they cried.
at is all over with us now :"
The captain had passages read from
the Koran, and went himself to the
helm. All in vain The gale be.
came more furious. We were at the
mercy of a herricane. On we whirled
toward a coast of rocky cliffs. power.
less to control our frail vessel.
Suddenly the ship stopped with hor-
rid grating, and the waves crashed in
between breaking timbers. We all
took to the small boats. Scarcely
had the last man left, when the ship
went down. The waves lowered fear
fully above us, and the tiny boats were
flung hither and thither in the trough
of the sea. Just at day.break the
wind rose with renewed wildness, and
the boat containing my servant and
myself capsized. The sailors were
drowned, but my servant clutched the
upturned keel of the boat aud pushed
me above him. Finally, We both
crawled up, and hung on for our lives
As the sun rose the gale subsidized.
After drifting several hours we dis
covered IN the distance sail, and
soon after there came into view a
large vessel. Toward this we grad.
ually hoated.
As we approached, ! recognized
the same craft which had sailed near
us in the night and SO terrified the
captain. AS we came up alongside,
we shouted aloud, but no one answer
ed. A singular dread of this ship
came over me. The captains utter
ance so awfully confirmed, and the
deserted appearance Of the vessel,
frightened me. Yet it was our sole
means Of deiverance.
From the anchor chains long rope
hung down. With hands and feet
we padded toward it, and finally
succeeded in grasping the end. We
clambered up the side over the bul.
warks. But horrors! what spectacle
met my eyes as ] stepped upon the
deck. 1t was red with blood. Thirty
corpses in Turkish costume lay there.
At the main mast stood man richly
dressed, sabre in hand, but with pale
and distorted face. A great spike
through his forehead nailed him to the
mast. We stood transfxed with fear.
| scarcely dared to breathe. With
an involuntary prayer, we vcntured
forward, looking about us at each step
for new terrors. Far and wide, moth
ing living but ourselves upon the
waste of waters. We dared not speak
aloud, lest the dead captain impaled
on the mast might turn his staring
eyes after us, or one of the slain men
might raise his head.
At last we reached the main hatch
way leading down into the hold. In.
voluntarily we stopped and looked at.
each other, neither daring to express
his thoughts.
Master" said my servant, "some
dreadful crime has occurred here, but
if the ship is full of murderers down
below, / had rather give myself up to
them for oond mr. had than IN stav