Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-05-03

my luHkhSt nhu Dteu SenL uDOhTu anu
bad sauntered out on the pier when Of sud
den there arose a commotion on the ship.
l heard Captain Carter shouting some or
ders, and then saw several Of the sailors
rushing wildly about the deck. Tony sur
prise | observed they were chasing large
black cat. IN few moments they pursued
the cat from the deck TO the pier, and the
creature disappeared amid a pile Of lumber.
Scarcely had the cat vanished when an
old negress came rushing out from some re
treat in the lumber and burst into a tor
rent of vile language and abuse, shaking
her knobby fists at the captain and fairly
screeching:
Courses ON yo' vessel an yo' crew. Ole
satan will hab de boss fore de voyage is
over, an de ship'll go to de bottom"
Then she hobbled away, muttering and
snarling, and was once more lost amid the
timbers
was astounded to discover what an i'm
preston the old crone's words had pro-
duced on both crew and captain. The face
Of the latter, usually bright and cheerful,
was clouded and somber, and the men
seemed awed and frightened. Captain Car.
ter greeted me pleasantly, and even as he
shook my hand Dave Bunce, the second
ula0e, came up ana salu;
WED better get away lively, cap'n The
cat and that old bag have stirred the men
up so some Of them'll be desertin If they
have the chance"
An hour later we were dropping down
the bay In tow OF tug. Il was glorious
day, but almost fancied = shadow how
cred over the Marion Jaries. After a time,
however, this passed away, and everything
seemed all right enough ON the surface.
little understood the natural superstition
Of sailors, and did not know the discov-
cry of the cat and the curse Of the old ne
gress would be talked over day after day
In the fo'cas'le.
Everything went so well the captain
came TO laugh over the matter in time, but
he once grayely declared;
~ wouldn't have sailed with that cat on
board for the wealth OF Jay Gould. have
q horror OF black eats, and the creature
surely would have brought us bad luck
Somehow that old negress made me think
Of the cat. Did you notice she came out OF
the lumber at the very spot where the ami
NAL Disappeared She had cats face too.
do hope nothing will happen to us this
voyager
The final words were uttered in a way
that plainly told he had not entirely rccoy-
cred from his fear Of disaster.
A few days later the first mate brought
US Information that the Portuguese de
clared he had seen a cat In the hold, and the
creature was the very counterpart Of the
one the crew drove ashore Tony surprise
the captain did not laugh at this, only
pressed his lips together and shook his head
In short time half the crew were ready
90 swear they had seen the cat or heard Il
screeehing In the night took no stock in
these yarns, believing their eyes had de
ceived them and they had simply heard the
wind wailing in the rigging.
But although everything had moved
smoothly a great and growing discomfort
and restlessneSs seized upon the crew. At
times detected them talking together in
little knots, which broke up quickly the
moment they found they were observed.
told the captain, and his gloom increased,
much TO my disgust, for It seemed like a
silly and trivial matter to me-
Discipline grew lax Captain Carter took
his observations and studied his chart anx-
iously
We'll soon be in the China seas" he
said IF can only touch Hiogo in safety,
shall know there is nothing in that old
~ curse.
That very night was aroused by some
one exeitedly shaking me- The dim light
OF the oil lamp showed me the captain at
the side Of my berth. and his face, usually
rudy with health. was white as that OF a
corpse.
listen" be whispered. and hts teeth
ehattsred
As II FROM the bowels Of the ship heard
a weird and unoanny sound--a wild and
mournful wall that chilled my blood. |
knew the sound II was the howl OF a cat.
Not a wink Of sleep was there for Cap
tain Carter the rest % that night, and
must confess l did not sleep a great deal
myself The next day monster shark
was seen following in our wake.
He knows he'll have feast, said some
Of the sailors
BY mfdAfternoon we were becalmed be
meath braxen sky. the sails hanging idly,
with noe breath Of air to stir them. OF .
sudden the Portuguese appeared on deck
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