The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-09-28
TALES OF THE SEA.
WEIRD YARNS or THE SuPERNAT-
uRAL SPUN BY THE CAPTAIN.


The Skull In tho Chain Locker-The I'm
lucky Bark In tho DcmerArA Trade That
Was Said to Be Haunted-The Story of an
Exile From Salvador.
We were eating dinner one night ON
the old cargo ship and talking of tho
} openings at sea and ON shore that arc
called supernatural when tho captain
said:
Zone sees some things at sea not sa.
pernatural which arc fit to make merry.
Gus man sec ghosts. There was that case
in one of Green's liners to tho colonies,
where a man was sent down to clean
out the chain locker. The locker had
seemed foul all the passage home, and
70 they hoisted out the chain and sent
this fellow down with his brush and
soap and bucket, with lamp, to clean
1t out I'll wager he saw ghosts for
year after that, for when he'd got down
on his knees to begin scrubhing he
found himself bending over the skull of
dead man.
1t was most likely a man that lad
slowed away out in the colony and had
boon caught under the cable when they
were running it down quickly, and so
had the life crushed out of him.
However, did know of case thas
seemed supernatural right enough. 1t
was in tho Demerara trade, and l was
acquainted with the first officer of tine
bark where it all happened
In the first place, while she was out
there loaded and ready to sail, the cap
tain had trouble with one Of the seamen,
who drew out his knife and stabbed him
to death then and there. The mate after
warl took hor home, but on the way a
passenger took to ailing in some mysteri-
Gus fashion and up and died very sud-
denly.
"Of course she was a haunted ship
when she arrived home, and so the
owners had her name changed, and she
was refitted and painted up entirely
different from what she had been. Then
she sailed away with new captain, but
on the way out he took to drink, and by
the time she reached Demerara he was
off his head and killed himself with q
revolver
"Now she was haunted, sure enough,
If you could believe tho mate. Mind
you, after she was refitted the mate said
never q word to the new captain about
what had happened in her before, and
even when new captain came out from
home to take charge Of her, believing
! that the last captain was naturally a
drunkard, instead Of one who had taken
to it after coming on this ship, this first
officer never said aword, because he did
not believe in ghosts or even in future
state.
However, tho first night the new
captain was OH board the trouble began
The captain at about o'clock went to
his room and retired. An hour later he
was calling the mate and telling that
he had gone to sleep and then had been
awakened by q light in the room. On
opening his eyes he saw short, thick
set man, with side whiskers, In the
armchair at the desk, leaning over, with
his elbows on the desk, holding his
head between his hands and saying:
oh my poor headl Oh, my poor head!'
"That was enough for the mate. He
left the vessel that night with all hands.
This new captain knew nothing of the
style or manner of the one who had
killed himself, and yet the picture
ghost or what you may call tin the
chair was the image in appearance and
dress of the suicide and had complained
in precisely the words and voice of the
dead man.
This brought out tho story Of an exile
| from Salvador whom the narrator met
in Guatemala Having got into trouble
with the authorities, Senior Don Sebas-
tian Mojaricta saved his life by fleeing
to Amapala, Honduras, as many another
exile has done, and there taking a
steamer north to San Jose, Guatemala.
A friend of his who was involved in
like manner was to have reached Amap-
ala by different route in time for the
same steamer, and to prevent any posi-
BILE delays Moiarieta engaged staterooms