The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-31
BENTLEY'S GHOST.
by WILL LISENBEE.

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ghost, did 1? Well, it all happened dur
ing my second voyage to Rio in the Vix-
en-. Mark Bentley had taken passage
with us and a lillelier young man you
a.ever saw. He was going to enter the
establishment of his uncle, Nicholas
barton, of the firm of Barton and Clip
pinger, brokers and shipping mer-
'ehants, and as old Barton was getting
,Ep in years, and had no nearer kin, it
was generally understood that young
BENTLEY would be heir to his large for
tune.
We had been out a week from New
York when Mark disappeared. Over
board that was all we could make of
NJ, sir, and there wasn't a man aboard
the Vixen but was shocked at the Incl
dent. The whole thing was mystery.
for there wasn't a soul could tell for GER
tain what had become of Bentley. But
IS he was not on board, there was only
one conclusion to come to- and that was
he had fallen overheard and been lost.
But as he was young man who never
took strong drink, and as there had
been no stormy weather since leaving
port, the mystery about poor Bentley's
disappearance seemed all the more puz-
zling.
The night of Bentley disappearance
was very dark, and about three in the
morning, as was taking my turn at the
wheel, [ thought 1 heard splash for
ward, and l was pretty sure some one
had gone overheard. 1 threw a couple
of life buoys over and gave the alarm,
bnt, bless you, they only pooh-poohed at
me, and the mate flared up and says to
me:
"Spriggins, you'd better take less
grog, and you won't see men going over
board like this
Well, they don't make so light of me
when it is discovered that Bentley is
missing, which is not till some hours
after; but Capt. Strong refuses to lay
by, swearing a good deal that such an
accident should happen aboard him.
"But if passengers will go staggering
overheard in fair weather." says he,
Tor, what's more likely, commit suicide,
lam not to stand by a whole day to look
for corpse lying at the bottom of the
sea"
So, with sails set, we continued our
course to Rio. Off the West Indies a
heavy squat struck us and carried us
far out of our course, and for the next
week the weather was about as rough
as one would want to see. Aside from
q small leak which was sprung and
some cabin skylights which were
smashed by falling yards, the Vixen
suffered no damage to speak of.
| think it was the night after the
storm had blowed itself out that Bent
lcy's ghost was first seen. 1t was well
on in the night, and l was taking my
turn ut the wheel, when all of sudden
Magsby comes on deck looking white as
Il sheet. Magsby was a man of about
forty who had taken passage to Rio
and, barring the fact that he drank u
good deal of liquor, l knew nothing
about him. Well, he comes up to the
pinnacle, and leaning on the rail looks
as if he might go over, so white and
Khaky was he.
After standing there for a moment
and saying nothing, he asks:
''Do you believe in dead mems
ghosts?"
81 cant say" 1 replied, being as L
never saw one"
WELL" says he, after moments 81
hence, "if didn't see Bentley's ghost in
my cabin just now, then l never saw
anything in my life"
Of course, l thought he had only
been drinking a little too much and had
imagined he had seen ghost. So
only smiled and said that guessed he
had been dreaming or had had a night
mare.
'No, SIR" he said, running his hand
over his face, as if to brush something
away; sit was no dream, and I say to
you, as certain as God lives, L saw the
ghost of Mark Bentley this night"
''Nonsense!" said l. Surely you can't
believe what you are saying. It's only
fancy"
But for all that there was something
in the mans look that gave me a kind
of creepy" feeling.
"Say what you WILL" he replied, "but
just come to my cabin with me as soon
rs you are relieved from your post, and
you can see for yourself"
With this, he walked forward and
stood leaning on the rail, gazing into
the sea. Although it is no uncommon
thing to see sailors who firmly believe
in such superstitious stories, am not
one of them. Still, couldn't get the
mans words and looks out of my mind,
and when l was relieved l went to him,
and, in light tone, said
Come now, and we'll go down and
take look at Bentley's ghost"
Without word, he led the way to his.
cabin. 1t was quite dark in there, for
there was no light save what came
through bit of skylight that hadn't
been covered with tarpaulin. was
about to strike a light, when he caught
me by the arm and turned my face
toward the bunk where he had been
sleeping.
Look" he cried, in frightened
whisper, his hold tightening on my
arm. 81 saw it again, but it faded
away! There-there it isl"
I turned nv face toward the bunk.