The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-02
GHOST OR HUMAN?

notonous and full of the silent but awful
influences of the mysterious ocean.
1t was when was first mate of the
Golden Scud that was perhaps more for
chilly impressed with this great fact than
ever before. 1t was one of those calm,
dark nights which bring out all the dor
mant superstition that has lain awaiting
such an opportunity to torture your mind
with horrid fancies and hideous semi
dreams until you are in 81 fever. Every
familiar coil of rope becomes a hidden
fend ready to seize and carry you to its
abode, where horrors reside too great fer
the imagination TO picture.
I had the Eaidwatch, and a light, quar-
tering air gave the vessel Storage way,
but nothing more There was a heavy
swell setting on the port bow and causing
the ship to rise and fall with a regular,
easy motion, yet it was heavy enough to
make the stern settle, as the bow rose,
with a doleful swash, which seemed the
proper and fitting sound for such night
The sky was overcast, and thick, heavy
clouds slowly passed athwart the moon.
The air was heavy and oppressive, and a
faint smell of sulphur seemed to faint the
slow breeze which fanned-our brows. Or
dinarily 1 am most matter of fact and
could not be credited with a lively inagi-
nation, yet tonight was prey to super
stitious dread
my excited mind, and after making a
search of the sea with the glasses, and hav-
ing seen that every sail was drawing to
the best advantage, 1 leaned over the quar-
ter rail trying to compose myself by
thoughts of home My brain, however
was in an unInanageable state and refused
to obey me. 1t would not settle on any
tangible horror but seemed to roam over
a wide field of horrible thoughts, in which
lorpses kept reckoning to me from the wa
ter, and then, opening their mouths as if to
speak, would disappear only to be fol-
lowed by others of even more hideous
shape and appearance.
turned away with 1oathing, knowing
that, if 1 let my mind rest on such fancies,
l should become a gibbering idiot. walk
ed forward to the break of the poop and
found the watch drowsily walking to and
fro or gazing with sleep laden eyes at the
sails and rigging. turned to go aft, and
as did so 1 distinctly heard in a muffled,
uncanny tone, the words, Golden Scud,
ahoyl'' The cry evidently came from close
alongside.
was terror stricken. Cold Precipitation
| streamed from all over me My hair stood
erect, and my legs barely supported me-
| With mighty effort I shook myself to-
| gether, assuring myself that this was only
| a more realistic illusion than the others.
| Resuming my walk, arrived at the bin
| nacle, and as glanced in to see if the ship
| said, 81 thought heard some one hail Us,
| sir"
was surprised, but only more mystifed
| than before. Could it have been a real
| hail? hesitated to approach the rail, IN
certain what fresh terror should encoun-
! ter asked the men forward if they had
heard the hail. They answered that they
had, but each one thought that it came
! from a different direction. There was
| nothing in sight, and all felt that some
thing very strange had happened As we
| eagerly strained our eyes to pierce the gloom
! I heard the hail again, apparently from I'M
| der my feet, " Golden Scud al" The last
word was cut off and ended in a gurgling
laugh, which sounded fairly diabolical.
The captain was called, and the watch
below came tumbling out of the forecastle.
I explained the matter as best could, in
terrupted every once in awhile by the de-
| moniacal hail. A fashlght was shown.
1t revealed nothing, but only added to the
| weirdness of the scene, and all Of US felt
relieved when it was extinguished- Some
of the halls were distinct, but muf1ed.
Others ended in that awful gurgle which
chilled our blood.
We searched in groups, being afraid to
separate, and gathered courage from each
others presence. Every horror that the
| imagination could concoct was suggested
by different individuals as solution. A
| Norwegian named johnson collapsed under
|
him.
Under such strain and excitement our
minds must either give way or resume
their normal functions. The captain was
the first to recover and Gained Us by his
example We were organized into small
squads and distributed about the vessel to
ascertain the exact locality of the hail.
The squad which was stationed aft soon
reported that it came from under the coun-
ter. We all rushed aft, gathering courage
from our number, and waited silently to
hear the next one which came soon, al
though it was rather feeble. The captain
Immediately answered the hail with
hoarse believing 'Ahoyl" AS the stern
voice rose on a swell the answer came:
f'Send me q linel Quick''
a bovine was made on the tail of the
main brace and lowered over the stern.
For short time it hung Imply from the
rail, swaying with the motion OF the yes
sci.
Then it was drawn under the stern, and
after short time it swung out clear and
dangling. On the end was an indistin-
| guishable mass.
to the object we were about to haul up we
lay back with a will, and soon human
figure was brought over the rail.
1t was a man. An audible, deep drawn
sigh of relief came from all hands as we
clustered around the newcomer, who lay
on deck, too weak to stand
A stiff glass of grog revived him so that
) he was soon able to answer the captain 8
question of f'Who are you?''
: He replied, I'm Ole Hansen, sir
, s'Well, what were you doing overheard?
!, We're you wrecked
mo, sir. L fell overheard from the fore
; castle, sir, and caught the rudder chains,
sir!''
What ship are you from?''
why, this one, sir, the Golden Scud- .
s'Why, MIR. Blake,' said the captain,
turning to me, sis this one of our men?''
1 struck a match and holding it TO the
|, | mans face recognized the well known