Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1896-12-04

charge. ADVERTISEMENTS should De marked
with time and space they are to occupy.
devil himself ="
This voyage was great deal worse
than the last. All day did they tack
and ratch about the point losing ON one
tack all that they had gained on the
previous ono, until about dusk. when
tho wind increased to gale aud the
captain, finding that he could not hope
to weather the point that night, put her
about and ran before the wind, intend
ing to anchor behind the shelter of the
hills till morning
As she soudded along at terrific rate.
yAwing and sheering as tho seas caught
her under the stern, the main boom sud
denly gybed. The captain was at the TIL
Ter when this occurred, and az the boom
swung across the deck blight of the
main sheet fell about his neck, and
when the sheet tautened 10 cut the head
Off the unfortunate man and threw it
far out of sight into the henving waters
Of the river. while the crew stood pale
and horror stricken at the grewsome
sight. Almost Instantly the gale mod.
Grated and the sloop was sailed back to
New York without further difficulty.
1t was several months before "a man
could be- found to take command OF the
haunted vessel, for in addition TO the
other tales that were circulated about
her IL was rumored that the hcndlCss
ghost Of Captain Blocker could be seen
every night standing on tho quarter deck.
grasping the tiller in his phantom bands.
At last IA man came forward and of
fered to take the position, and though
no was stranger to everybody on the
river his offer was accepted, for he
seemed to understand his business thor
oughly. This man called himself Ru-
dolph SturdevaDt He was tall, dark,
mysterious sort of u person, with IA sa-
turnine cast Of oountennnco. and WIS
terribly profane in his speech. Indeed,
his blasphemy shocked the wharf rats
about tho Washington market, and that
was no easier task in those days than it
il now. Captain Sturdevant brought his
own crew with him. and it was well he
did. for there was not man In New
York who would have shipped in the
Wynkoop for love or money
Tho day which Captain Sturdevant
appointed to sail from New York was
the 18th Of September. and to make
matters worse il WAS on Friday. II was
one Of those autumn days when the air
seems full of vague threatenings when
the glass falls apaoe and the prudent
mariner seeks good harbor for his
craft The loungers about the wharf
tried to dissuade tho captain from his
purpose, telling him of the experience
Of her former commander and urging AZ
reason. apart from other considera-
tions, that il was Friday and the thir-
teenth of the month, which made ID lit
tie less than suicide to leave port In such
II vessel as the Wynkoop; but the cap
tain laughed at their fears and swore
with terrible. blood ourdling oaths that
he would put the sloop around the head
land Of Hook mountain that night or no
would land her In hades. And 80 he
started on his voyage.
Old river mon say that never before
within the memory Of the oldest of them
had such fearful night visited the
Hudson river AZ that memorable 18th
Of September. Tho upbound fleet an
ohored at nightfall behind tho shelter
ing hills near Nyack. and tho crews Of
tho different vessels assembled ON deck
to watch the Wynkoop ~ she laborious-
ly tackled and filed across tho tempes-
tuous Tappan Zee. Night came ON, and
still In the inky blackness she orept
along amid the bufYoting wind and
waves. Tho thunder roared and rever-
berated among the hills and echoed and
re-echoed from the sides Of Anthonys
Nose and Hook mountain and then went
grumbling away across the lowlands on
tho other side of the river, while tho
vivid lightning ever and anon played
about tho toilinR sloop IA she moved
YEARLY on. The night wore on, and tho
watchers grew weary at their posts, but
still the flashes showed tho Wynkoop
now ON port and now OH star board tack,
yet never nearer the heRdland
Just at midnight there came flash
Of lightning which illuminated tho
heavens like tho MONDAY sun, and ut
the same instant the thunder doomed M
II the universe had split In twain. In
that binding flash Of light they saw tho
Wynkoop standing out bold and clear
against the dark background of the east-
orn shore. and outlined full to their gaze
was the form Of Captain Sturdeyant
standing on tho quarter deck, his head
thrown back and his oinched fist ex-
tended upward toward the sky as IL he
were defying the powers Of heaven. The
air seemed To glow with blush lumi-
mostly, and strong odor of birthstone
greeted the nostrils Of the amazed watch.
ers, while wild and thrilling shrek
came across tho water, sounding loud
and clear above the roar Of the tempest.
When another flash Of lightning came,
the sloop had vanished, and never TO
this day has vostige Of either vessel on
crew been seen.
No one knew where Captain Sturde-
want and his crew came from, but IL be-
came matter Of grave discussion
among the river men, the general opin.
ion being that they we're agents Of the
foul Gend.
IL IL currently believed ON the river
that on every 18th of September ghost
ly craft envelopcd in "a mist Of blush
fame may be- seen beating across the
fappan Zee and that at midnight she
disappears beneath the waters Of the
Hudson. while blood chilling shrek
wakes the echoes Of the headland. -
Charles y. Nash, u. s. n. @. s., in
Short Stories
Tho Ring California Gave Pierce.