The morning call., 1893-04-30
GHOSTLY VISITORS.
Spirits Who Walked Only
by Night.
A BRAVE QUAKER MAIDEN.
How Sea Captain Was Led to ADAM
don His Chosen Calling-G Ghosts
Afioat and Ashore.
Written for THE MoRN1Ne CALL.

Do ghosts really exist?
"Of course notP' some one will exelaim.
'How can rational being ask such ques-
ton p"
Others still will seriously answer my
question in the affirmative.
| asked this question, recently, of the first
officer of great steamer. as we paced the
hurrieane-deck one evening recently in mid
ocean. He was stalwart, healthy speci-
men of siX-foot-tall man hood He looked
at me gravely. LET ME tell you a story"
he said, and Immediately began: sit hap
pened about six years ago. l had recently
left the navy, and was mate of one of the
ships of an Eastern company, running to
Acapulco.
1--WE were homeward bound, six days out
from Acapul co, the night l am telling you
OF, in which | had the most singular expert
ence Of my life.
1t was bright moonlight night-one of
those calm, beautiful nights you often get
In those attitudes. There was full moon
SO Light you could almost see to read. 1t
was my habit on nights when there was no
WIND to go aft and talk with the man at the
wheel. The fellow who was usually there
during my nightwatch was very bright
man, named Brown-unusually we'll in
formed and interesting to talk with. He
was on watch this night, and after seeing
that everything was all right l strolled over
to the wheelhouse and began talking to
Brown. A few minutes after l greeted him
he said TO me. pointing in a certain direction {:
Mr.. L., do you see that man over there p
glanced over 10 where lie had pointed and
saw man walking backward and for
ward in the open space between the wheel
house and the after-house. He wore a long
oyercOgt and a soft black hat. and as he
walked back and forth across the ship he
kept his face turned from us and toward
the rigging, as a Waterman on a sailing
vessel always does. In fact his whole APP
pearanee was that of man on watch.
Yes. see him. replied.
. Well said Brown, that's Sales
(naming one of the men from the fo'castle).
He's missed you and is spying round to see
whether you amt somewhere asleep. If
he should catch you mapping he would re-
port you and get you into trouble; that's
Sales all over. and if l were you I'd go for
ward and thump him for his impudence.'
1T made me pretty mad TO think one of
the men was spying on me, and l was per-
fectly willing to act on Browns suggestion.
| watched the man for few minutes. He
did not look aft, man on watch never
does, but If he had be could not have
seen me, as 1 was in the shadow
of the wheelhouse, and about twenty feet
away, but in the bright moOnl CHIT that sh one
on the deck where he was walking he was
as visible as though it were broad daylight
de was evidently on the watch. and the
longer l looked ut him the mddder | grew
so presently | started forward to do him
up. As | did so the man suddenly turned
FNfaaNnF q
tween the side and some bales that formed
part Of the cargo and were slowed on deck
This passageway at the end went down one
step 10 covered deck and on to the fore
castle. The man did not seem to be run
ming away from me, but to have lust then
taken notion 10 go forward. ] could see
him distinctly few feet ahead of me, but
did not come up with him, although ran
quite fast. Finally, though, l thought had
MN. and was just reaching forward to grab
him when he disappeared under the awning,
and reaching the step a second later fell
over 1t and went fat on the deck
II Jumped up and ran into the f0'castle,
where l found all the men who were not on
duty, Sales among them, sound asleep in
their hunks. ! was puzzled, as well as m ad
wondering where the man could have gone
but concluding lie had escaped. went back
to Brown, and was amazed to find him in a
dead faint, hanging against the wheel l
got some water and brought him to, and
then asked what the matter was. He was
an uncommonly strong, robust man, and
was dumf0unded at his queer turn. Instead
Of answering my question lie said: Mr. L.,
did You catch that man?'
a." No. said |, he got away, but 1t wasn't
Sales-Sales Is asleep in his bunk This
fellow went up forward, and l lost him lust
as l WAS going TO grab him.
My God. Mr.. L., said Brown, with his
teeth fairly chatlering. 'The man didn't
60 forward. You passed directly through
him as he stood there. Then as you went