The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-12-07
THE HINDA MYSTERY.


: ocean; hot as the atmosphere was. tn
long white CLEAN, sparkling under th'
moon as she scared into silver, wa
ike the flash of bubbles uuder ice
and the faint breath OF the damn
night wind seemed to come along on
of the east, cool and sweet from tina
streak Of pure light
L was chief mate Of the Canterbury
a bark Of 800 tons; Henry Garter wa.
her commander. We were from Cal
cutta Tor the Thames, but how long
out at this date | forget. / had the
watch from s to 12-it is called at sea
the first watch; it was then about 9:3(
O'Clock. The captain,was in the cabin
playing chess with lady, a Mrs. God
bold, the wife of an old friend of our
skipper.
The faint air of the night wrinkled
rs onward. Yet there was refresh
ment in the noise Of waters trembling
along the bends, and in very loathing
Of the heat stepped to the rail and
overhung it to get some coldness for
the eye out OF the shadow. touched
here and there with roaming glows
and sudden puffs of the green sea fire.
1t was like binding the sight and
seeing strange lights. As the moon
frightened a reflected luster shifted
! from the squares of canvas into the
dusk and the figure Of the bark stole
out with veins of silver in her heat
sOftened rigging, every point of yard
arm finding pendant jewel in star,
so still and upright did we float. Sud
denly my eye was taken by an object
ahead on the port bow. 1t was close
to, slowly coming along. 1t seemed
to shine upon the liquid gloom and [
thought it was made by star, till |
glanced aloft and saw nothing In the
sky over-it brilliant enough for that
mirroring. [ watched it as it drew
nigh; it tiOated alongside not a boat
hooks length off. The moonlight lay
fair upon it, but it was not until the
object was Immediately under the part
of the rail l overhung that | perceived
it was the body of a woman lying on
her back resting as quietly as though
she slept and yeering noiseless as oil
into the blackness under our counter
and stern.
L sprang to the skylight and shout
ed: The body of woman has just
gone past, sir. She may be alive She
doesn't look to have been long over
board"
In an instant Capt. Garter was on
deck. He ran to the quarter and star
ed over, and, seeing the body, called
to the man at the wheel to put his
helm down. The ship came sluggish
ly round. Capt. Carter told me to get
a boat lowered and pick the body up
smartly. He spoke as though the
sight of the thing floating plain in the
moonshine, and now slipping off TO
the starboard quarter, had convinced
him it lived. The watch tumbled aft
promptly to my call, and in a few min
utes-for on such a night as that there
was nothing to hinder agility, still was
the weather, with the water sheeting
into smoky dusk westward, while
eastward the wake OF the moon came
in treble of greenish silver to the very
shadow of the ship-the boat was
lowered, three hands in her, myself in
the stern shipping the rudder as we
were water borne.
Half a dozen strokes of the oar, car
ried US TO the body. [ and another
lifted it streaming into the boat, then
scarcely needing our soaked white
burden we made for the ship again
and were presently aboard.
The woman was dressed in white
muslin, think was the stuff. She
wore a sash, but the color was not to
be guessed by moonlight. She was
without hat. Her hair had washed
loose. but streaky as it was with the
wet and dark with the saturation Of
the brine it showed OF a wonderful
abundance and of yellow gold. Mrs
Godbold stood at hand ready to help.
[ and seaman carried the woman be
low. We were followed by the cap
tain and Mrs. Godbold There was
clear light of oil flame down here, and
while we bore the body to a spare
berth I looked at its face. [ saw neith
er discoloration nor distortion. The
eyelids We're nearly shut, but | wit
messed no glazing of death in the
glance of the porcelain like slips of
white betwixt the long eyelashes.
The steward had thrown the mat
tress into the punk, and we laid the
body upon it. L then returned on
deck to stump out the rest Of my
watch, taking the skipper's instruc-
tons as passed out to get the ship
to her course again if there was any
wind left. There was no wind. While
l was at this the captain came on
deck.
DO you make out anything like a
ship?" he asked.
NO SIR
Neither did l: yet the woman has
not been long in the water. She has
fallen overheard out of a passenger
ship that's sure by the looks of her.
Where's her ship, then?"
He took the glass and carefully
swept the ocean.
There was nothing in sight at sun
down." said he.
had been below at that hour and
could not tell.
strange, SAID he, that her clothes
didn't suck her under She has very
little on, though. Mrs. Godbold says
what she has is of the best. Every
thing is marked E. c."
| 1t is not often" said I, you hear
of a body found floating at sea and
nothing in sight"
Why, yes" he answered They're
mostly dead, however-dead, l mean,
when launched. Yet I've heard tell
of people found atioat, picked up in
sensible, after having been in, or rath-
er on top of the water for hours
Women viii float when men will sink
It's not matter of clothes-it's OBJ
stnancy helped by shape
Hereturned to the cabin. The decks
were ivory white with moonlight; for
ward couple of figures softly paced