The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-17

| Nolfi Sdlu tuS cAptdlD, may / De
d! 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 double-quick
| time. evidently afraid that the ghost might
| pop up out of the hold if they didn't mind
| their eve.
All this made us very superstitious from
| the captain down to the boys. We talked
| IL over Ia the cabin. and the second mate
was incredulous and disposed to ridicule me.
ANY way, said hp, Sits strange that
this voice is only heard on your watch.
It's never favored me with any remarks.
The creaking and groaning of an old wood
EN- ship is often like spoken words, and
what you've been hearing may be nothing
but deception of the ear.''
"A deception in your eye," cried Captain
Rothery; the timbers of an old wooden
ship may strain and creak in the Dutch Ian
guage. but hang me If they ever talked
good, sensible English. However, Pm not
going to worry. For my part" said he.
with nervous glance around him. II don't
believe in ghosts; whatever it Is that's talk
Ing in the hold may go on jawing So long as
he sticks TO that, and don't frighten the
men with an ugly mug, nor come upon US
for mans allowance"
IF it's anybody's ghost" said I, cit must
be the Italian, >, the chap that was starved
in the forepeak."
II doubt that" said Captain Rothery 81
didn't detect anything foreign in what he
said. To my mind, IL sounded more White
chapel than Italian"
Well, for another week we heard little
more of the ghost. It's true that one middle
watch chap had sent aloft to loose the
malnroyal had hardly stepped out of the
lower rigging, after lingering in the cross
trees to overhaul his Wines, when he
came rushing up TO me aud cried out: "Pve
been hailed from aloft, sir. A voice has just
sung out, Tommy, jump alOft again. that
may have good look Mt you"
who's UP there?" L asked him. staring
into the gloom where the masts and yards
went towering.
There's no one up there. sir; I'll swear
1t. was bound to see him had any one
been there" he answered, evidently much
frightened.
1t occurred to me that some one of the
crew might be lying hid in the top and
that If | could catch him l might find
the rigging and trotted aloft, keeping my
eye on the lee rigging to make sure that no
one descended by it. | gained the top, but
nobody was there. l mounted to the cross
trees. but the deuce of a sign of any
one could / see. l came down feeling both
foolish and scared, for you see had heard
the voice myself in the hold There was no
question that there was voice, belonging
to nobody knew what knocking about the
ship, and consequently it was now impossi-
bic 10 help believing man when he said he
heard il.
However. il was necessary to keep the men
In heart, and this was not to be done by
captain and mates appearing scared; so |
reasoned little with the man, told him that
there were no such things as ghosts, that a
voice was bound to come from a live per-
son, because specter couldn't possibly
have lungs, those organs being of perish
able nature, and then sent him forward, but
no easier in his mind, | suspect than was
Anyhow, l was glad when eight bells struck
and 1t was my turn to go below. But
as j have said, nothing much came
OF this--at least, nothing that reached my
ears. But not many nights following the
ship lay becalmed there wasn't breath
of air and the sea lay as smooth as
polished jet. This time l had the
middle watch again. / was walking
quietly up and down the poop, on the
look out for deeper SHADOW upon the sea
to Indicate the approach of wind. when
man came to the ladder and said There's
some one attacking to the ship under the
bows"
Are you awaken" said l.
Heaven help me, as l stand here. SIR"
exclaimed the fellow solemnly, eff that
there voice which talked in the hold t'other
day amt now over the side"
l ran forward and found most of the
watch huddled together near the starboard
eathead. l peered over. and there was a
dead silence.
What are you looking over that side for9
I'm hereP said a thin, faint voice, that
seemed more In the air than in the sea.
Ihere!' exclaimed one of the seamen,
In hoarse whisper. that's the third time
Whichever side we look. he's on the other"
But there must be some one in the
water, SAID another man. Anybody see
his h0utline? Cuss me il | couldn't swear
1 see chap swimmin' just now"
mo, no." answered some one, gruffly
nothing but phosphorus, Joe, and the
right sort of stuff, too. for if this amt Old
You're liar, SAM" came the voice
clear and, as one could swear, plain from
over the side. There was a general recoil
and sort of gr0ar among the men. At the
same moment | cOllared a figure standing
near me and slued him around to bring his
face fair to the starlight clear of the stay
sail. Come along with me, Master
Dick" said !. aud / marched him off to
the forecastle along the main deck
and up on TO the poop. so you're
the ghost, eh?" said /. why, TO have
kept your secret you should have given my
only makes observations in my watch.
You're too lazy, l suppose. to leave your
hammocks TO try your wonderful power on
the second mate, Ell? Nov. see here" said
i, finding him silent, and noticing how
white his face gllmmered in the stars. II
know you're the man. so you'd better con-
Tess. Own the truth ana I'll keen ynur
secret, provided you Delay all tricks of this
same kind; deny that you're the ghost and
I'll speak to the captain and set the men
upon YOU"
This fairly frightened him. swell. air.
it's true; Pm the voice, sir; but. for Gods
sake, keep the secret, sir. The men nd
have my life If they found out that 1t was
me as scared Them
This confession was what I needed. for,
Though, when standing pretty close TO him
on the forecastle, | could have sworn it was
he who uttered the words which perpIexed
and awed the men, yet so perfect
was the deception. so fine, in short, was his
skill as ventrliOquist that had he stoutly
denied and gone on denying that he was
the voice" | should have believed him and
continued sharing in the wonder and super
sutton OF the crew. L kent his secret as
l promised, but somehow or other il
leaked out in time that he could de-
ceiye the ear by apparently pitching
ms voice among the rigging or und or
the deck, or over the side, though the
discovery was not made for a long time
after the ghost" had ceased to trouble the
ships company and until the mems super
stitiOus awe had faded somewhat and they
had recovered Their old cheerfuiness We
then sent for Dick to the cabin, where he
gave US real entertainment as ventrilo-
Quist. initiating all sorts of animals and
producing sounds as of women i'm dis
tress and men singing out for help i'm the
berths; indeed. such was the skill that |
would often see the skipper and second mate
turning startled to look in the direction
whence the voice proceeded. He made his
peace with the men by amusing them in the
same way; SO that, instead of getting the
ropes ending aft and the pummeling for
ward which he deserved, he ended as real
and general favorite. and one of the most
amusing fellows that man ever was ship
mate with. / used to tell him that IL he
chose to perform ashore he was sure to
make plenty of money, since such ventri-
loQulal pOwerS as his were the rarest thing