, 1897-12-13
WHO STRUCK THE BELL?
Mysterious Occurrence on Lake Mich,
igan by Which Two Lives Were
Saved.

speaking OF ghosts, said the sailor
as he knocked the ashes out of his pips
preparatory to recharging it, you new
er could get Capt. Bob Evans to ADM:
there was no spirits except such as
Schweltzer has over there corked up
in bottles, and l can't say that l blame
him, seeing how they or something
else helped him to one of the best
wives in the world. 1t is i'll turning
the back Of your hand to a bridge thai
has carried you over safely"
Hump. snorted the skipper; do
you mean to say that he ever saw a
ghost? Why man alive, there was neve.
a ghost on the lakes"
No." said the sailor, putting away at
his pipe to see that it was properly
lighted, l can't say that he did. neither
do / claim that the spirits had any
thing to do with it, but here is what
happened to Bob Evans. Him and me
at the time were in the old schooner
Moselle before the mast. We were
bound down from Chicago to Buffalo
with a cargo of grain. When we left
Chicago the wind had been westerly.
but by the time we were abreast of Mil
waukee it had worked around to the
southeast and came on to blow fresh.
We had everything set to the raffey.
and the old hooker was just stormins
down the lake at a rate that just put
the old man in the best of humors.
When night came on the mate suggest.
ed that we better shorten sail, but the
skipper cooked his eye up to the wind,
ward and allowed that it wouldn't get
any worse and he would take the chan,
ces anyway, seeing as we We're leading
the fleet.
"It had been a hard day all hands
had been at work getting the schooner
to rights and h watch below We're
mighty glad to get into their hunks
while the rest of lis who were in the
mates watch were left to do the best
we could to keep awake until eight
bells struck. Bob was on the lookout
and it was my trick at the wheel the
latter part of the watch. The other
two men were crouched on the hatch
trying their best to make the mate
think they were awake while catching
a few winks of sleep. | had my hands
full at the wheel. for the old boat had
a habit of eating up into the wind il
you gave her a half a chance. We were
somewhere abreast of Big Point Sauble
and | was thinking of the warm bunk
which would be mine in a short time.
when suddenly the bell struck twice.
Forward there. who struck that
bell?' roared the mate, starting toward
the bows. when there came a shout
from Bob, hard up the helm. Quick,
for Gods sake or you will run down a
boat
81 put every ounce of strength had
into the heave | gave on the wheel,
and the spokes few around and the
schooner came up in the wind with
everything shaking.
BOAT! what boat? cried the mate.
jumping on the rail and s%teadying him
self by the fore shrouds.
fright there, sir. on the port bow,
and l believe there is some one in it.
"I see it, said the mate. You're
right, and it's a m too, by all
that's holy. Here. the watch below.
tumble up and take in sail. Ready
about
But it took some time to get the
schooner around for the reason that
her way had been deadened in the first
place when l threw her up in the wind
and she had to be allowed to fall OH
again, else she would have missed stays
By the time we got about we had gone
some distance from the boat, and the
old man had come on deck aroused by
the noise Oh. but he was in a bowling
rage when he first come up and found
the schooner half stripped and heading
back for Chicago But when he had to
stop to get his breath the mate got in
a word, and the minute the old fellow
heard there were women in the boat
he was as anxious as any Of us to pick
them up
Half the crew were on the to'-gall-
ant forec'sle looking out for the drift
ing boat and the remainder were on
the rails. 1t was Bob sighted it first
almost dead ahead. The skipper took
command and ordered the mate and
two Of the crew to stand by, ready to
drop into the boat when 1t came along
side. We cane up 80 as to give a
good lse and dropped down on the
bobbilk fhlpE; as we reached it the
mate and Boz dropped into 1t. They're
both unconscious, SIR cried the mate.
Well hoist them up and you can take
care Of then on board"
"'All righ, ready there in the waist
replied the cd man.
ut was MT much of a Job as the
schooner vas loaded deep and in q
matter of i've minutes or 80 the two
women wee in the cabin and the wom-
an cook which we carried doing her
best to bEing them too. while the Mos
ellie with everything drawing was on
again on ter course down the lake.
1T Wa our watch below. but neither
Bob nor ! teIt like turning in till we had
learned the story Of the women One
Of them va saw aa thew were passed up