Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-06

amt ghostsF
That was mere hallucination," ven
tured.
'Was it, Not much Such things don't
happen twice or three times any more than
lightning strikes twice In the same place "
''Then you saw her again"
"Yes, three times afterward, and have
never failed to see her when passed here
within two hours Of the hour OF o'clock,
morning or evening. Here comes my re-
lief for dinner Had yoursI No. Sit at
nv table. It's nearly 4, and as we are
about to stop to wood up before we
round the bend, maybe you will see the
| ghost of a steamer yourself. Seems De-
| levin"
Just then the speaking tube from the
| captain's office was sounded and heard
the hollow, reverberating tone OF bixbys
voice through fifty feet Of tin pipe saying
one of the cylinders needed repacking and
we would stay at the woodpile where we
were till 1t was done.
'0That means ten hours anyway" said
Kinney. THANK God, we will get by the
bend about midnight
Ten hours did not measure the time OF
our delay, and was sleeping oblivious OF
ghosts and regardless of Kinney's spook
steam boat, when sharp rap at my state
room door brought me out of dreamless
slumber.
'VMr. Kinney says, Would you all please,
sir, come into the pilot housey
It was the voice of the nightwatch speak
ing to me as IN individual and assuring
me that none Of myself was neglected.
Giving hasty affirmative, l arose and
hurried to the hurricane deck. River pi-
lots have no lights in their warehouses at
Al. -. NOT ont hn
shore they find their dark way by means
of the profile Of the bank cast against the
sky or of some tree or strip of land. could
lust see Kinney's face as came into the
pilot house and only enough Of 1t to dis
tinOuish its profile He was smoking his
pipe nervously.
81 say" he said, its nearly o'clock,
and we are going to pass the wreck. You
wanted to see the ghost of a steamboat.
don't want to be alone, and want skep-
tic with me. Light your pipe and sit
down"
| did so, while Kinney smoked on till
the signal came to start, and presently the
wheels of the Baton Rouge once more
beat the turbid waters When her head
was fairly down stream Kinney began, as
il there had been no interruption to our
previous talk:
eyes, | saw her three times; once coming
I'D the river and overtaking u.s. Then she
came upon us from behind, and saw her
} collide with us and melt into air. | never
could understand it, and | tell you my
reason seems to leave me when | think of
it. Why does it follow me? Now look
: out for it."
Kinney hove the wheel over to port, aud
r the jackstaff of the boat could be seen, as
? the might hawk" swung for the pilots
, eye to sweep the horizon cut away such
, rays of light as penetrated the cottonwood
forests on the Louisiana shore.
: II don't sec her. said Kinney, turning
: his night glass one way and another. land
! it's ten minutes to T."
+ Don't see whatP inquired a strange
{ voice at my side and turning in surprise,
. for had not heard any one enter, could
. define in the half gray light of the morn
ing the figure Of a man with smoothly
shaver face-apparently youth.
e THE ghost" said Kinney. still peering
e into the space beyond.
t DO you expect any," asked the stranger
{ "Why, l was just telling you-great
Z God, there she isl
l looked in the direction he pointed, ant
: sure enough, about a quarter of a mil'
$ away were the red and green lights of al
v approaching steamer. knew enough O
Il the laws of the road ON water to compre
e bend that she was coming toward us
and could also see she was making tire
l. mendous Roadway. kinney's eyes, as
d saw them fash, were fixed upon her HI
% neither moved the wheel nor stirred a hant
y to give warning.
"Kinney," cried, that is not the ghost
IL il a steamer It is the White, of tn
'e Vicksburg line, bound up. She is to pas
p here about this time. For the love o
y heaven, give the signal"
D. At such a time one scarcely knows wha
10 he says or does. The two great vessels
I'll each of them moving at the rate of foul
rs teen or fifteen miles an hour, SCENE
vi doomed to.crash upon each other. kneN
he the White was, ordinarily, filled with pas
lg sengers. On our own boat were nearly 90
~ souls.
Up tried to wrest the wheel from him; bu
At a strong arm swept us both aside, and th
l stranger seized the spokes There was
III jingling Of BELLS a screeching of whistle
n a mad cry of human voices, leaping
40 flames over light woodwork that cracke
IS and seemed to laugh with joy over the d
ne struction that was being wrought
I'd But over it all heard one voice in arti
eu ulate agony, whose Wild, aSonlzlng acceh
shall never forget. Then, in the flash
flame, I saw the face ofthe person who hs
or uttered it. 1t was the stranger at u
u, wheel On his cap band, spelled out
I'd letters of gold bullion, were the word
ad "Pilot, Alonzo Childsl" He was illumin'
st. by the blaze and his eyes shone bright
m than the fire itself.
u.s. ~ am punished My God, is it n
enoughP was her pilot 1t is the Alon
rm CHILDISH he screamed.
'er, For a second he lowered, like gia
OF high, over the eight foot wheel; the
70 throwing his arms above his head, he +
zee. prone upon the floor. Already the gls
at windows of the pilot house were crack
nef with the heat. knelt beside the prostrt
no form. There was no heartbeat
, I'D looked up at Kinney. He was standi
ere with his arms folded, bis face perfect