The morning call., 1892-04-09
4 SPECTER HELMSMAN.

son. was on her hOmeward- bound passage
from the Indies with half a cargo of tea
and she stopped at Cape Negro, on the coast
of BengueIa. after a lot of ivory to make up
her load. Having gone on shore at the Cape
the captain learned from the native con-
tractor that he would have to go some
Is miles up the CannibaPs River, as
the elephant-hunterS had all the boats
further up in the country, so that con-
seqnently they had not been enabled TO bring
the ivory down.
CAPTAIN Johnson was somewhat disap-
pointed at this cause for delay, but without
waiting TO find useless fault he determined
TO man his own boats and proceeded at once
up the river. IL required four trips to bring
all the ivory down, but as they had op-
portunity to take advantage of the slight
tides the task was accomplished in four
days. On the last trip the captain went
himself. leaving his first mate in charge of
tie ship, and on arriving at the small village
where the ivory was stored he was not a
little surprised to find that nearly all the
miserable hutS were deserted. Several
ines Captain johnson inquired the mean
ing OF this, but the natives were either
unable or unwilling to give any plain an
swer. and ii was not until the last lot Of
tussS had been conveyed 10 the boats and
the natives had been rem0neraied for their
labor that the least clew could be OBJ
tanned as to the cause Of this strange deser-
ton, and then for the first time the captain
received the startling intelligence that the
cholera was sweeping down the river.
As soon as this fact became known to the
seamen they wildly huddled into their
boats, as though the fearful death angel
was at their heels, and silently, yet with
powerful strokes, they pulled down the
fatal stream. At length they reached their
ship, and, though they breathed somewha
more freely as they tr0d their own deck, yet
each c0nntenance bore the stamp of deep
fear. The ivory was soon got on board
and with all haste the old Vulcan was
soon got under way. 1t was nearly night
when the ship got off, and with good
breeze from the northward and eastward
she stood we'll on her course. On the next
morning, shortly after breakfast, and while
the crew had begun 10 think that they had
no occasion for further fear, young man
named Walter Addison was taken suddenly
sick
Young Addison was the favorite both OF
the officers and the crew, ard as it was re-
ported that he was thus i'll n general con-
sternati0n seized upon all hands. The
young man felt at first giddiness and a
sickly chill, and in the course Of two hours
be sank into an alarming debility, the
eOuntenaace assuming deadly paleness
and his skin bearing all the appearance of q
and then the startling announcement went
through the ship that he was dead
This was the first, but who should be the
nextP a panic had seized upon the men !;
the cholera WAS with them, and none dared
remove the form of their dead shipmate
from his berth. Night approached, and with
it came an almos; dead calm, but the corpse
still remained in the forecastle, nor did the
men dare to go thitber. The captain urged
that the longer presence OF the body would
breed more dangerous contagion, but the
only answer he received was a mournful
shake of the heads about him.
At length, finding that all arguments
were useless, he turned to his mate and
asked him If he would assist himself In
throwing the body of the dead man over
board The mate at first hesitated, but in
moment he signifed his consent. and to-
gether himself and the captain went down
into the fOrecaStle. They dared not remain
long enough with the corpse to sew it up,
nor even 10 attach to 1t sinking weight,
but throwing over it single blanket thew
managed to get it on deck and lay il across
the bulwark Of the star6oard bow. A mo-
ment Captain johnson hesitated-he opened
his lips, breathed prayer Tor the soul of
the departed, and then, while shudder ran
over his frame, he let the cold form Of young
Walter Addison slide into the blue water!
Instinclively he cast his eyes over the side
as the deep was done, and by the pale
phos phorescent light he could just see the
corpse sink, then rise and sink again, and
then with heavy step and a still heavier
heart be walked aft
The first watch had been set but the
other watch dared not 20 below, and.
budding themselves beneath the long boat,
they sought the repose which they feared to
speak where their companion had died but
each seemed to fear his neighbor. for none
knew where the contaglon might be. at ii
o'clock the slight breathings of the air,
which seemed for the last few hours to have
had DO settled points, began 10 gather more
force from the Dorthward and westward,
and ere long a good fresh breeze filled the
ships canvas and started her through the
water The wind continued to increase
and before midnight all hands were called
to take In the topgalant sails. At II o'clock
the mldwatch was set, and ali hands were
Tor lew moments broug ht in contact with
each other. No further symptoms Of the
dreaded pestilence had appeared and thew
began to TO take hope
1t was half-past l2 o'clock. Au old sea-
man named Bill Shipper had the helm,
while the remainder Of the watch were
either In the ganEway or else forward. The
wind continued fresh, but yet steady, aud
the old ship was close hauled upon II, lying
some two points off from her true course
Tbs ships bell was suspended over the bin
naele, and old Shipper reached over and
struck the fist half hour after midnight. He
had just resumed his position, and was gaz-
IbS lhiEuIl1 At COupdSS, HUHH lie IelL a
band laid upon his shoulder and on turning
around he beheld by the struggling beams
OF the pinnacle lamp the pale, deathly fea-
lures of Walter Addison
For an instant the old sailor remained
rooted to the spot, and then, uttering a
sharP cry OF fear, he let go the wheel ana
darted forward. In moment the ship be-
gan 10 faii Oh, and as she brought the fiat
surface OF broad canvas to the wind she
heeled oyer alarmingly; but soon the pale
ssDecter that had frightened the belmsman
from his post caught the wheel, and laid the
helm hard down, and ere long the shin was
once more to the wind
ohlppen cry had started all hands from
their iistlsssness, for they Thought the
cholera iend had assaulted him. but from
III. S oiukeh excavations they soon learned
what was the matter, and in q body they
crowded ait, and by the dim light from the
pinnacle they saw the specter helmsman I
Every knee trembled, and every tongue
Glove to the roof Of its mouth. None
cared TO approach him, nor did any move
back. AT this juncture the captain came
on deck. His eye caught the corpselike
form that still held the wheel, and. he too
was riveted to the spot where he stood.
Shlpmates, relieve me from here, or /
shall faint. am cold and weak!" at length
came from the lips of the seeming specter.
In faint, agoniZed tones.
Captain johnson hesitated an instant.
and then he rushed forward and laid his
hand upon the trembling form before him.
1t was cold and wet but he knew that il
was living man. One after another of the
men gathered about. and before long all
knew that young Waiter Addison still
lived. TIE captain had him conveyed to
the cabin. where every thing that could be
thought OF was administered for his CON-
fort. and iG vas not long before he suffi-
GENTLY revived to give an account of his
strange escape from the cold, deep grave to
which he had been e0n signed
1t seemed that young Addison had fallen
into that deathliks lethargv which not infre-
Qpently results from sudden cholera, and
which. as all who are acquainted with the
disease must be aware, SO nearly resembles
death that even the best physicians have
been deceived by it. The sudden immersion