Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-11-12
THE HAUNTED SHIP.

fuller OF ghosts than an old ship and
The Dimsdale had once upon time
been said to be haunted. remember
one OF these yarns; it was told TO me
by the dockmaster who had been nj
sea for many years was an old man
and knew the history of all such craft
as the DimsdaIe. He said that in
1851, | think it was there had been
Il row among the crew; an Italian sea-
man stabbed an Engiishman. who
bled to death. 10 avenge the Eng
lishman death the rest of the crew
who were chiefly English thrust the
Italian into the forepeak and let him
lie there in darkness.
don't believe myself that any
stories which had been told the men
about the shin impressed them much.
sailors are very superstitious, but
they are not to be scared till some
thing has happened to brighten them.
0ne night had the first watch. 1t
was about two bells. There was n
nice wind. sea smooth and a red
moon crawling up over our starboard
beam. We were under all plain SAIL.
leaning away from the wind tribe,
and the water washed along under
the bends in lines through which the
starlight ran glimmering. | was
thinking over the FIVE or six months
voyage which old buckets after the
pattern of this ship took in getting to
India. when. seeing a s3uall coming
along. sung OF. for the hands TO
stand by tn ina oval and mizzen-
top gallant Iatgards. 10 drove down
dark. and MOI knowing what was be-
hind i ordered the mainroyal TO be
cIewed up and furled. Two young
sters went aloEt. By the time they
were ON the yard the squall thinned
but fancied there was another bear
ing down and thought it best to let
the ordinary seamen roll the sail up.
On a sudden down they trotted hand
over hand leaving the sail Topping
in the clutch of the clewline5.
| roared out What dye mean by
coming down before you've furled
that sail?i
They stood together in the main
rigging aud one OF them answe ed
Please. sir there's u ghost some
where up alOit on the foretopsail
yard.
"A ghost you foolr' / cried
Yes. sr." he answered. He
says. Jim. your mother wants yer
in the hollowest O. voices Dick here
heard it There's no one aloft for
ards. sir.
l sang out 10 them to jump aloft
again. and finding that they didn't
move. / made spring on which
they dropped like lightning on deck
and began TO pray and beg of me in
the most eager manner not to send
them aloft as they were too fright
ened 10 hold on. Indeed. the fellow
named Jim actually began to shiveI
and cry when | threatened him; so as
the royal had TO be furled. | sent an
able seaman aloft who after rolling
up the sail came down and said thai
no voice had called TO him aud thai
he rather reckoned it was a bit o.
sky-larking on the part OF the boys to
get out OF slowing the sail How.
ever | noticed that the man was won
derfnlly quick over the job and tha
afterWard the watch on deck stood
talking in low voices in the waist.
Jim was fool OF a youth but Dick
was a smart lad. aged about II. and
good-looking. with a lively tongue.
and heard a teruard that ne colld
spin a yarn TO perfection ali out o
his imagination. l called him to me
and asked if he had really heard ;
voice. and he swore he mad.
did it say" said /, Jim. your
mother wants you.
'Ay sir he answered with bill
OF shudder as plain as you your
self say it It seemed to come off thu
foretopgallantyard where ! fancieC
saw something dark amoving but
was too frightened to take particular
notice
IL was not many days after tn S
about IL O'clock in the morning. that
she captain being on deck the cool
steps out OF the galley, comes walk
ing along the poop and going up 4
the captain. touches his cap an
stands look ng at him.
What dye want?' said Captain
Rothery. eyeing him as if he tool
him TO be mad.
Didn't you call sir9' said tin
cook.
.Call?" cried the speaker Ger
tainly not"
The man looked stupid with sur
prise. and muttering thing some +,
himself went forward.
A few days rolled by without any
thing particular happening. On,
night it came to my turn to have th,
first watch. Ii was q quiet night will
wind enough 10 keep the sails still
while the old ship went drowsily roll
ing along her course to the African
port Suddenly heard a commotiol
forward and. fearing that some acct
dent had happened / called out 4
know what was the matter A voic
answered: Ghost or no ghost
there's somebody attacking ia th