Evening journal., 1891-11-16

SiSh u WAHdoiis juuSth5 Aioih thc ilhts o.
you"
Presently we got the order to lower away
the captains gig, which hung from the
port davits just as we had hoisted her up
after leaving poor Olsen ashore at Helena.
Accordingly we lowered her into the water
and she was duly manned by her regular
crew Of four. |, who am now spinning this
yarn, pulled bow.
We rowed right around her, looking for a
convenient place TO climb on her deck, but
finding none we just made fast to the main
channels by the painter, and /, being the
youngest, scaled her side and jumped over
her rail to her deck, just abaft the main
rigging. Everything was as neat as nine
pence. The ropes were all coiled snugly
around the Delaying pins and there was no
sign Of disorder about the decks. threw
over the end Of one of the running gear
into the boat SO that the skipper might
hang on to it and chamber up The old
man caught hold of it, and having a lot OF
low cunning just tried its strength. 1t
was so rotten that it parted at once. The
skipper muttered an oath and looked dag
gers at me. Finally he climbed up with
the help Of the painter, and after passing
the boat astern, with one hand to take care
az ber we proceeded to investigate
Tie vessel rad evidently been clipper.
Her skylights were ssaautifully carved and
the companionway leading to her cabin
was as elegant as that of a yacht. The
door however, was locked. A thick, blue
mold incrnsted the glass Of the skylight on
the inside, and the frames would not lift
up. The hatchway leading TO the fore
castle was closely barred and bolted, while
the fore and main matches were tightly
battened down.
| Captain Gulliver, while cruising around
the decks, stumbled across an old rusty
iron erowbar, and with this he pried open
the doors of the after companionway. He
peered down below, and it was dusky and
murky as a Tomb
He sang out, Below there Is there any
| body belows" and then he hesitated as il
| in q quandary.
This was the first time ever saw the old
man show the white feather
After a little while he braced up and
seizing the crowbar broke open the cabin
skylights, using, as it seemed to me, un
/ necessary force in so doing. A mysterious
| pestilent odor ascended from the aperture
go down below, Bill, . said the skipper
/ TO one Of his boats crew, ''and see what
/ there is.
4
never come up again than go down tha
there companionway alone" was the repl,
of the scared sailor, whose timbers actually
| shivered with fear
You wretched coward, you've dranl
| your last tot of grog aboard my ship,
| roared the skipper as he plunged down thl
cabin steps
/ followed him at a cautious distance
being far more frightened than he was
The stairs led down into a handsome an,
lofty saloon, beautifully hung with orienta
tapestry. In a mahogany swinging ira
above the cabin table were decanters an,
| tumblers of cut glass. Although every
thing was covered with blue mold an incl
thick, it was evident that a careful stewar,
had been accustomed to rule over the des
tinies of the saloon.
On either side of the main cabin were
number Of doors leading into staterooms
The skipper tried the one nearest the steri
on the starboard side 1t was locked
Pass down that crowbar, Bill, said TIA
captain in quiet tones He no longer pu
on the air Of staggering blusterer, bu
acted as though he was in church listenin
to a sky pilot.
The crowbar was handed him, and wit
, 1t he pried open his stateroom door.
{ strange and startling spectacle was revea
4 ed. With her head buried in the cushion
Of a low couch on her knees before til
image of the blessed virgin, and with ht
} jet black hair hiding her cheeks and d,
j scending in raven torrents down her bacl
was beautifully dressed woman. Besid
her were a breviary and a rosary.
:, The skipper started back as though l
q had been shot. The woman actually SCENE
! to hear the Excuse me, madam, for intru,
I ing he began, but at that moment, reali
6 ing that she could not be alive, he toe
i hold Of her gently. At his first touch Il
u form collapsed and fell to the floor, q
u head being separated from the body, al
!, revealing the grinning, CHASTITY skull Of
i skeleton.
We all rushed on deck and found Il
E | Hurkaru within hailing distance Twen
u sailors were sent on board the strange shi
z and it was curious to see how brave we
y came when reinforced by such lot
l. sturdy jack tars. To make a long sto
a. short, we ransacked the vessel from ste
le to stern. In her lower hold we found t
N skeletons Of $50 persons all in iron mar
ee cles. There were just $50 Of them, becau
er and a fellow 'midshipman" counted the
IN by order Of the skipper.
This accounted clearly for the vessel. S
had been SLAYER and had been abandon,
as though for what reason nobody could u
OF derstand. She had probably drifted
ed years off the African coast far out of t
ne track Of ships, and this accounted for h
at not having been reported before. 81
er den shift Of wind must have waited her
m the land and driven her into the highw
Of the ocean frequented by homewa
stt bound East Indiamen.
20 The mystery Of the woman was deel
and darker. A brown sheet Of paper, w
oft big spots on it, telling clearly Of tears, a
Of some faded characters, which looked Ii
*. Spanish, was found beside her Nobo
DO could interpret it,
en The mate wanted the captain to tow
me schooner to St. Helena and sell her
ose what she would fetch. The skipper, bel
ex one Of the old school and superstitous
te, that, wouldn't listen to him. He said
q q was going to burn her, and burn her he d
a barrel Of coal tar and a bundle Of oak
re judiciously arranged worked admirab
ith and the poor Africans had splendid fu
raj pyre.-A. j. X. ia New York RecorC
1t Was Postponed.
~ A prominent gentleman of this C
led | speaking Of dueling in the course Of