The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-09-01

breath Of air rippled the surface of the
sea or fiuttered the canvas we spread.
By 9o'clock a sort of blush gray haze
crept over the sky, but the heat was
none the less oppressive.
1.-THE captain walked the deck and
raved. DO you know where we are?' he
snarled at Corello. The natives who in
habit this country are cannibals! What
if they should take a fancy to attack us
now? We'd all be served in soup and
roasts.
1.-The skipper seemed to blame the
mate, and in less than three minutes an
other row had begun. This time the
master did order Corello to be seized and
ironed. but the order was not obeyed.
Not a man moved to carry out the COM
mand. Instead the sailors stood scowl-
ing at their captain.
Whats this? he roared, his face
growing black. DO you refuse to obey
me? By HI, this is mutinyr
1--we are seek of you,' calmly said
Corello. I'VE serve you re way re crew
of re Ella Noble was serve. Grab him,
ladsr
1.-THE skipper snatched out a pistol and
retreated a few steps, swearing to blow
out the brains of the first man who tried
to touch him. | saw a Portuguese creep
ing catlike up behind the man, and |
knew the brig would soon be in the pos
session of the mutineers unless some I'M
foreseen occurrence prevented.
cat this very instant Bildad Downes.
a cockeyed old tar, shouted:
"'Canoes putin off from shore loaded
with blackskins! There's piles of 'em,
In they're all armed. We're in for a
fghtp
In one instant the mutiny was over.
Every man realized our peril, and they
jumped to the rail to get a look at the
approaching canoes Downes had told
the truth. A regular war party of the
cannibals were coming off to attack the
brig.
"'Muskets and cutlasses, menr thun-
dered the captain. Train the gun on
'em and blow 'em out of the waterr
"Our only chance was to fight, and
that chance was really a slim one,a as we
were badly prepared for such an encoun-
ter. Our heavy gun was a rusty old
thing, and it was doubtful if it would
do much execution. But we were not
destined to fire a shot.
Suddenly a great cry went up from
the Threats of the natives, and the ca
noes sat motionless on the CLASSY water,
yyhIIa fhA h1aoly fanhc IF fhnir nr,o4oa
were turned upward.
"'Great God! Look there!
''The sailor who uttered the cry point
ed almost directly overhead, and there
we saw a most astounding spectacle. A
two masted schooner turned bottom up
ward seem to hang suspended in the air
amid the blush haze that overspread the
sky! Every sail was set, but they hung
idle like our own, as if she was also be-
Gained. We could look directly upon
the deck, but not a living thing seemed
stirring about her. She was deserted.
"But the most singular part of it all is
that I could read her name, and I swear
she was the lost schooner Ella Noble.
SIN a few moments she began to fade
from view. DINNER and DINNER grew
her outlines, and she was finally swal-
lowed up and lost in the haze. When
we looked at the cannibals, every canoe
was scooting for the shore as fast as pad
dies could send them. Those natives
were the worst scared lot you ever saw,
and we had no more trouble with them,
'Isuppose it is easy enough to account
for the vision of the vessel in the sky by
calling it a mirage, but sailors are mighty
superstitious, and there were some sober
men Oh the Swallow after that. No fur
Their offer at mutiny was made. and ev-
erything moved smoothly to the end of
the voyage.
"But we didn't find the Ella Noble,
and she has never been heard of since."-
New York Dispatch.