The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-07-23
\ MYSTERY OF THE SEA.

. are mirrOred in the vast deep beneath,
( There Is just enough air to keep the
! Dolphin moving at quick rate. and
/ the passengers gathered on deck to
/ enjoy the matchless evening.
| had been an invalid for years, ana
was now recovering from q very severe
/ spell OF sickness. [ was laZily draw
ing at my Havana, putting the thin,
! fragrant smoke from my mouth with
/ ont removing the cigar. end gazing
upward AT the brilliant stars as they
slowly sailed overhead. | was in a
/ deliciously dreamy state. half asleep
and half awake. hearing only the mur-
mur Of the voices around me, as one
| hears the faint sound of a distant
water fall
| | presume [ had lain thus for near
! ly an hour, and my cigar had burned
almost 10 my mouth, while the long
| column Of ashes was still unbroken.
when something struck my ear like
the sound Of bell 1t was not until
! | had heard it several times that 1t
/ seemed really to affect my senses.
/ All at once | gave start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and | arose
to a sitting position and gazed around
me- The strange, solemn sound was
repeated at regular intervals, rs if
| swung by the hanG of some exhausted
sufferer, on tolled by the swell Of the
1 ocean.
The captain by this time had APP
preached me, and stood in the atti
/ tude of attention.
"N must be near land 2 | vent
ured to say, rather In the form OF in
! quiry than in that of an assertion.
No, sir" responded the captain;
| the nearest island is Il good eight
/ hundred miles away"
1T is the bell of doom" exclaimed
Backstay Bob, tail, scared sailor,
! from his position at the wheel
.Pshaw, you're childish" replied
the captain. w hateyer it Is, We are
rapidly approaching it."
Such was the case. The bell was
now heard distinctly to the south, and
and was approaching nearer every
moment Shortly after, the captain
took his night glass and gazed long
and intcntly in that direction. When
he lowered il. he said. Il can INST dis
cover a dark object rising and falling
on the waves, but nothing more.
Backstay Bob, You have got the best
eyesight of any one on board: see
what you can make OF it,
Bob resigned his place at the wheel
| to one of the men, and came forward
and took the glass. He held it to his
! eye for several minutes without speak
ing, and to all appearances without
even breathing. while we awaited his
word with the deepest interest Final
ly he gave great sigh, and lowered
it, She amt got the least mite of a
boom, yard, or any thing like She
looks like some great hulk of light
boat Hold on again; | see the bell.
They've rugged it up to the masthead,
so that it swings backwards and for
wards every time the thing gives
lUrch TO leeward."
Can you see any thing aboard?"
Not a creetur. living OF dead
Keep her away couple of points"
cried the captain to the man at the
wheel
"Ay, ay, sir"
And the ships course was altered
so as to bring her rapidly near the
mysterious craft, towards which all
eyes were directed Orders were
given to heave to- and to get one Of
the boats in readiness BY this time
the nondescript was plainly visible to
all. 1t appears to be an old hulk,
with a single mast in the center. The
bell was suspended from the mast
head, and ever and anon sent forth its
solemn tolling, as the bulk rose and
sank with the heaving of the sea.
Before the ship was brought 10, we
had passed the hulk some distance, so
that when We halted there were
several hundred yards Intervening,
and it was only dimly discermble.
\ boat was lowered, and the captain
having selected a crew, pulled away
towards the latter.
There was something so eXtraordi
nary regarding the appearance and
action of the hulk that the curiosity
Of all was 50 intense as 10 be painful.
We strained our gaze, as the captain
and crew drew rapidly near it.
We saw the distance swiftly de
crease between the two objects, until
the shadOwy forms merged into one.
And then followed an impressive sill
ence- suddenly broken by a howl, a
hearts almost stopped beating, we saw,
moment later the boat put off from
the hulk, and rowing with all their
might back to the ship As they
came nearer, we discerned that the
captain was missing
Backstay Bob dashed towards the
boat, and. shakiE1; MS fist at the men,
demanded furioral~ You c0wardly
dogs, where IS Captain Lrster?"
The devil has got him.
Absurd as the reply might have
seemed at any other time, it was utter
ed IN solemn earnest, rs the ghastly
faces of the crew attested IN reply
to our eager questions, they said the
moment they came alongside the craft
they heard low hollow. unearthly
sound. which caused them to hesitate
The captain climbed up the side of
the vessel. descended the hatchway,
and disappeared from view. He was
hardly ont of sight. when tie noise
they had heard at first was repeated
| far louder and fiercer The next mo
pent the report of the captains pistol
was heard. followed by a terrible
shrek, and then all was still
Horror struck. they called loudly
and repeatedly to their commander.
but receiving no answer, pulled away
from the ship.
You're a purity sat of coaardly
sneaks, amt yon. to desert your capt
that way, when, like enough, he need
ed you to save his life" exclaimed
Backstay Bob forgetting in his fury
that the first mate was among those
whom he denounced I'm going back
to that old hulk, and If | can't get at