Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-08
The Bindo
Mystery
A New Story of the Sea by Clark
Russell.

1t will be thirty years now since it
happened. [ paced the deck watching
the moon rise. 1t was the Indian ocean;
hot as the atmosphere was, the long,
white gleam, sparkling under the moon
as she scared into silver, was like the
flash of bubbles under ice, and the faint
breath of the damp night wind seemed
to come along out of the east, cool and
sweet from that streak of pure light
l was chief mate of the Canterbury.
a bark of 500 tons; Henry Carter was
her commander We were from Cal
cutta for the Thames. but how long
out at this date | forget. | had the
watch from to 12-it is called at sea
the first watch; it was then about $50
O'Clock. The captain was in the cabin
playing chess with a lady, a Mrs God
bold, the wife of an old friend of our
skipper.
The faint air of the night wrinkled
us onward. Yet there was refreShment
in the noise of waters trembling along
the bends, and in every way loathing
of the heat. L stepped to the rail and
the eye out of the Shadow, touched
here and there with roaming CLOVIS and
sudden puffs of the green sea fire.
1t was like binding the sight and see
ing 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 a pendant jewel in a 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 a star, till I
glanced aloft and saw nothing in the
sky over it brilliant enough for that
mirroring. [ watched it as it drew nigh
and fioated alongside not a boa thooks
length off. The moonlight Lay fair up
on it, but it was not until the object
was Immediately under the part Of the
rail I overhuug that perceived it was
the body of woman lying on her back
resting as quietly AS though she slept
and veering noiSeless as oil into the
blackness under our counter and stern
I sprang to the skylight and shouted:
The body of a woman has just gone
past, sir. She may be alive. She does
not look to have been long overheard"
In an instant Capt. Carter was on
deck. He ran to the quarter and stared
over, and seeing the body, called to the
man at the wheel to put his helm
down. The ship came sluggishly
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 moon
shine, and now slipping away off 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, so still
was the weather, with the water sheet
ing into a 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 low
cred. three hands in her, myself in the
stern sheets shipping the rudder as we
were water borne
Half a dozen strokes of the oar car
ried us to the body. I and another
lifted it streaming into the boat. then
scarcely needing our soaked white bur
den we made for the ship again and
were presently aboard.
The woman was dressed in white
muslin, I think, was the stuff. She
wore a sash, but the color was not to
be guessed by moonlight. She was
without a 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 a seaman carried the woman
below. We were followed by the cap
tain and Mrs. Godbold. There was a
clear light of oil fame down here, and
while we bore the body to a spare berth
I looked at its face. [ saw neither dis
colora ton nor distortion. The eyelids
We're nearly shut, but I witnessed no
glazing of death in the glance of the
Dorcelain-like slips of white betwiXt
the long eyelashes.
| The steward had thrown q mattress
| into the bunk, and we laid the body on
! it. I then returned on deck to stump
/ out the rest Of my watch, taking the
shippers instructions as I passed out
| to get the ship in her course again If
there was any wind left There was no
wind. While I was at this the captain
came on deck.
DO you make out anything like a
ship" he asked.
mo, sir"
Neither did L; yet the woman has
not been long in the water. She has
fallen overheard out of a passenger
sllip-that's sure, by the looks of her
Where's her ship, them
He took the glass and carefully
swept the ocean.
''There was nothing in sight at sun
down." said he.
I had not been below at that horu
and could not tell.
Strange" said he, that her clothe:
didn't suck her under. She has yer!
little on. though Mrs Godbold say.
what She has is Of the best. Every
thing is marked E. c."
1T is not often" said I, that yol
hear of a body found floating at Sc;
and nothing in sight"