The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-03


that had 90 greatly alarmed the two ordi-
nary Eeamen, made q great impression on
| the Grew, and / never regret anything
more than that my position should have
prevented my getting into their confidence
| aud learning their thoughts, for there ia no
| doubt I should have slowed away memories
enough 30 serve me for many a hearty
laugh IN after years.
A few days rolled by without anything
particular happening. One night it came
70 my turn 70 have the first watch. It was
q quiet night, with wind enough TO keep the
ssili still while the old ship went drowsil y
rolling along her course to the African port
Suddenly l heard connection forward,
and, fearing that some &C ,idsnt had hap
peped, l called out u know what the mat
ter was. A voice answered: "Ghost or no
ghost, there's somebody a-talking in the
forehold; come and listen, sir" Tue silence
that folio wed suggested good deal Of alarm.
l sang out as | approached the men, Per
haps there is a sLowaway below"
dts no living voice. was the reply; "It
sounds as if It comes from a skelington.n
found crowd OF men standing in q wed
pastures near the hatch, and the most
frightened of all looked to me to re the or
binary seaman Dick, who had backed away
on the other side Of the hatch and stood
looking on, leaning with his hands on his
knees and staring as IL he were fascinated. l
waited two or three minutes, which in busl-
ness like this seems long time, and hearing
nothing, 1 was going to ridicule the men for
their nervousness, when hollow voice under
the hatch said distinctly, Its a terrible thing
to be a ghost and not able TO get out"
was greatly startled and ran aft TO tell the
captain, who agreed with me that there
must be a stoway in the hold, and that no
had gone mad. We both went forward and
tue hatch was lifted and we looked on top
. . uhf.UVF 70 ask ~
the men to join me in search in the fore
peak, for upon my word, had no taste,
singlehanded, for JOB OF that kind at such
a moment, when the voice said: There's
no use looking, you'll never find me; I'm
not to be seem"
"Confound mep cried Capt. Rothery,
polishing his forehead with pockethaud-
kerchief 'ff ever heard of such thing
I'll tell you what 1t is" he shouted, looking
into the hatch. "dead men can't talk, and 50
as you're bound to be alive you'd better
come up out of that, and smartly, too, dye
heart or you'll find this the worst attempt
skylarking that was ever made"
There was a short silence. and one saw all
hands straining their ears, for there was
light enough for that given out by lantern
one OF the men held.
you couldn't oatoh me because you
couldn't see me, said the voios in a die
away tone, and this time il came from the
direction Of the mainhatch, as though IL had
fitted aft.
"wsll," said the captain, may / be
DIP And without another word he
walked away on to the poop.
l told the men to clap the matches on
again, and they did this In doubls-quiok
time, evidently afraid that the ghost might
pop up out Of the hold IL they did not mind
their eye.
All this made US very supsrstitious, from
the captain down TO the boys. We talked
it over In the cabin and the second mate
was incredulous and disposed to ridicule
ms
"Any way" said he, ''its strange that
this voice is only heard on your watch. It's
never favored me with any remarks. The
creaking and groauing of an old wooden
ship is often like spoken words, and what
you've been hearing may be nothing but a
deception Of the ear.
"If it's anybody's ghost, said l, sit must
be the Italian's-the chap that was starved
in the forepeak"
81 doubt that said Capt. Rothery. "I
didn't detect anything foreign in what he
said. To my mind it sounded more White
chapel than Italian"
Well, for another week we heard little
more of the ghost It's true that one mid
die watch a CHAP had sent alnft to loose
the mainroyal had hardly stepped out of the
lower rigging. after lingering 10 the cross
trees to overhaul his olewlines, when be
came rushing up to me and cried out: 1--WE
been hailed from aloft, sir. A voice has
just sung out: Tommy, jump aloft again,
that may have a good look at Jou.'"
"Who's up taerep' asked him, staring
into the gloom, where the maats and yard 5
went towering.
There's no one up there sir; III swear
It. l was bound to see him had anyone
been there" he answered, evidently much
frightened.
1t occurred to me that some ono Of the
crew might by lying hid in the top and that
IL could catch him l might find out who
the ghost was. So l jumped into the rig
ging and trotted aloft, keeping my eye on
the lee rigging to make sure that no one de-
scended by it. / gained the top, but no
body was there. l mounted to the GROSS
trees, but the deuce OF a sign or anyone
could see. / came down feeling both fool
ish and scared, for you see | had heard the
voice myself In the hold There was nc
| question that there was voice, belonging
TO nobody knows what, knocking about the
| ship, and consequently it was now impos-
slble to help believing mau when he said
he heard 1t.
However, 1t was necessary to keep the
men in heart. and this was not TO be done
by captain and mates appearing scared: 80
I IL.
that there were no such things as ghosts,
that voice was bound to come from live
person, because q speotsr couldn't possibly
have lungs, those organs being Of a perish
able nature, and then sent him for ward
but no easier In bis mind, suspect, than l
was. Anyhow. was glad when eight bells
struck and it was my turn TO 60 below.
But, as have said, nothing much came Of
this--at least. nothing that reached my ears.
But not many nights following ths ship lay
observation-disclosures wasn't breath OF air and
the sea lay as smooth as polished Jet.
This time I had the middle watch
again. was walking quietly up
and down the poop on the lookout for a
deeper shadow upon the sea to indicate the
approach of wind, when a man came to the
ladder and said: There's some one a-talk-
ing to the ship under the bows.
"Are you awaken said l.
"Heaven help me, as stand here, sir, "
exclaimed the fellow, solemnly, ''if that
there voice which talked in the hold t'other
day amt now over the SIDE"
ran forward and found most OF the
watch huddled together near the starboard
oasnead. peered over, and there was a
dead silence.
what are you looking over that side for
I'm herein said a thin. faint voice that
seemed more in the air than in the sea.
'Therem exclaimed one of the seamen 10
hoarse whisper, that's the third time
Whichever side we look he's ON the other.
NDNN -. 80 a.,