The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-03

| have never seen the wrath that haunts
the troubled waters of the bar outside the
entrance to "the finest harbor in the world
sir, =" but Antoine Perena, whose truth
fitness can vouch for even as readily
as he would vouch for mine, has seen it,
more, has felt it. You feel ghosts as well
as see them, don't you know? From the
last vertebra of his spinal column to the
ends of his long, straight black hair,
Antoine has felt the ghost of the Golden
Gate And not he alone, but others of
his craft, having business outside the
Heads after dark, have also seen and felt
the thing, and doubtless you or | might
have experinced the same creepy sensa-
ton if our avocations led us to be tossed
about in an open boat at night in the
fogs and msts that blow down the Japan
current along the Pacific Coast.
Antoine Perena is fisherman; and for
that and because he sees ghosts on the
high seas, you may think him super
stftious being. But you wrong him. I
have his own words to prove the contrary.
II am not the man to put much faith
"nor do l believe that there is anything
supernatural about this vision. 1t is
some strange and unaccountable phenom
enon that needs explanation"
Are you sure it was not some fancy of
the Imagination, some creation of the
log protector UQdU you Jake along III UQdC
demijohn?" l asked him.
II saw the thing Just as plainly as
now see you," was his answer in words,
and with it came look from his piercing
black eyes, that made me hasten to reaffirm
my belief in the weird tale that he was
about to tell me.
II have seen the spectre twice." said
he. 1T was a cold, foggy day of last week
when l first saw it. | decided to take a
trip to BRAKES Bay. l didn't feel exactly
safe when I started, for the wind was
blowing hard and the mist was pouring In
through the Gate. l sailed past Fort
Point and tackled toward the north chan
nel
when I got outside the Heads 1
found that it was not storming even so
much as it had been in the harbor. 1t
was foggy, however, and very hard to find
ones bearings in the vapor
II stood well up the coast for several
hours, and as it grew dark, | made run
for blight close to brakes where could
lay to through the night in perfect
safety. I reached the place about seven
o'clock and Immediately dropped anchor
and prepared to make a meal for myself
over the little oil stove that 1 carry with
me.
II lit the wicks, put on a pot of stew
had partly lifted and 1 could family see
the outlines of point of land close to my
port bow. 1 thought 1 noticed a ship
under full sail coming close to the rocks
and my heart leaped into my throat, for
realized that it must strike if it kept on.
II dropped my handful of peas, grasped
my lantern and swung it about my head,
shouting loudly all the while. The vessel
seemed to come about at place where l
knew there was not water enough to float
her, and in five minutes she slipped away
into the gloom.
You can we'll imagine that was as
tonished. l rubbed my eyes and argued
with myself that l must be mistaken.
After finishing my meal took off my for
ward hatch and lay down in the bottom
of the boat to take a smoke. The fog
lifted still more and l could see far out
over the ocean: A steamer was pitching
along toward the north, and in the south
brig under full sail labored with the
pillows. Here and there a star peeped
out from between the cloud banks. Sud
denly l was startled by some one shouting
and by the sound of waters breaking
against the bow of the craft. l jumped