Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-08-29
RATIFIED THE SHIPS GREW.
The Ghost Jim Barnet Saw While
Taking His Trick at the Wheel.


altogether pretty wild. The midnight
watch had just been relieved, and a
man named Barnet, Jim Barnet, was
at the wheel. He was rum sort of
cuss, was Jim; the other fellows
thought him regular crank. ! my
self had my doubts but he had Il
screw loose somewhere. But as |
say, he was at the wheel, and Capn
Taylor had the watch. He was see
ond mate then, you know. Well, all
of n sudden Jim gave yell and made
a leap over the rail and into the boil
ing sea. 1t happened in second.
But the mate passed the word along
to man the boats, and we had the
lashings cut and the boats lowered in
a jiffy-ah, we had sailors in them
days. not the milk and water, sloppy
slow coaches we've got nowadays"
added the bas'n, with sigh.
''Well. we were out four hours be-
fore we picked him up, senseless, with
his arms through life buoy. We
took him for dead, bur the skipper
gave him some brandy and other
stuff while we rubbed and worked
his limbs till he showed signs OF life.
All of sudden up he jumps looking
as wild as could be, and shouts, the
ghost! the ghost the devil take him
away For a moment he kicked sum-
mat awful and shrieked and cursed
like a madman. but it did not last
long, and he fell back again ex-
hausted. ! tell you, boys, we We're
scared. What ghost or devil had lie
seen? And the skipper, he made it
worse by saying it was his bad con-
science, and God had sent it as pun
ishment for getting drunk, or summat
of the kind. The skipper, you know,
was sort of holy religious kind of
chap. IIowSomeyer, we put him in
his bunk, and one of us was always
by him in case he came to, or began
raying again, and | suppose 1t was
about half-past q the next evening
christmas day. before he showed
any signs of consciousness,
ME and my mate were sitting by
him when he opens his eyes and
clutches my hand. Dick, he says
frightened like, has he gomez
"Oh, yes, guess he's gone, mate,
says |. We amt seen him at all,
for tumbled that he meant the
ghost.
:" Not seen him, up the miz2en?
see him now, up the mizzen. The
devil, the devils ghost and with a
gasp he fell back in his bunk again.
by this time all hands in the
focsle had crowded round his bunk,
and you know, boys, sailors are bit
Supelstitious, Sc off they all scooted
to see what there was up the mizzeu
when they heard what he said
1T wasn't long before they Were
back, though, nearly as scared as poor
Jim. Yes, Dick, says my mate,
there's ghost up there. You go
look
well. boys, went, thinking
would find i- all mistake On prac-
teal joke and show them what fools
they'd been. But no, | was the fool
this time. Up there in the moonlight
was white grinning thing, rs like
the devil, only he was white, as two
pins. | simply stood and stared until
the skipper came and asked me what
| was looking at | showed him, but
he poohp8ohed the idea of its being
a ghost. Some practical joke he
says; you go up one side and Ill go
up the ether and catch him. You bet
| wasn't going up, but Captain Taylor
he goes up one side and the skipper
the other. while | stood and looked on,
and ] was very glad | did, too, for
their chase was vain. AS they
seemed to get near him he would dis
appear like phantom amid the white
ness OF the sails. then appear again
above or below them, but never near
enough for them to catch him.
The skipper comes down, swearing
like Il trooper. Call all hands, Mr..
Taylor he says, lets see what rascal
is up there. Ii | catch him he shall
smart for it, We mustered: al lands
were on deck, and yet there was the
ghost still up there ana srinning and
pointing AT us.
ut was a mystery Everyone was
scared. The crew would not 90 aft TO
take their wheel and so the officers
had to steer. Pretty state Of things.
wasn't 1t? But there ii lad % stay
for the time. However, the next night
the steward was entering the pantry
when he caught sight of the ghaStlike
form disappearing through the port.
and further search revealed the Fact
that the Christmas ham had disap-
peared also. OF course the first thing
they did was to look up the mizzen.
but there il was again. the same as
last night. Here was another rum :
The ghost was hungry and had carried
away the ham--at least, so said the
steward. But ! don't think he was
quite believed A. the Malay cook
said
~ bet dat steward eat de ham, an
say it's de ghost. Steward, him one
BIZ liar"
"The captain however. had had
.,;.l .f,..t Ffo