The Opelousas courier., 1897-06-05
Finally he gave a great sigh and low.


no bowsprit, and"
Here he leveled his glass again, and
shortly after continued his obserVa-
tons.
"There's no sail-no nothin'."
"There must be so2ething."
"Aw-certalnly aw something,
certainly, if your vision-aw-is able
to discern it," ventured the gentle
Adolphus Fitzgibbon.
"Don't you see anything like a sail?'
inquired the captain.
mot a speck, or any place to put
one, either. Hold @ minute" ex-
claimed Backstay Bob; "I've got her
in range now. She amt got the least
mite of a boom, yard, or anything
like. She looks like some great hulk
of a lightboat. Hold on again. ] see
the bell. They've rugged it up at the
masthead, so that it swing back ards
and for'ards every time the thing gives
q lurch to Rewards"
"Can you see anything aboard?"
Not a creetur, living or dead"
"Keep away a couple of points"
cried the captain to the man at the
wheel.
say, ay, sir!'
And the ships curse was altered so
as to bring her rapidly to the mysteri-
GUS craft toward which all eyes were
directed.
Several of the company now openly
remarked that there was something
supernatural in the appearance of this
boat, with its tolling bell. To all of
these Florence Harris and her lover
replied lightly, reither Of them having
the least faith in their credulity.
The captain listened impatlently and
then said:
"You're all a set of towards. No
doubt you imagine Old Nick is aboard,
with a crew of little imps, bound for
the Galapagos Isles with a load of
birthstone. If you'll content yourself
for half an hour longer, i'll tell you
something about it, for l intend to
board that old numbering hulk, even if
it turns out to be the Flying Dutchman,
or Davy Jones flagship, and shall ex-
plore it from stem to stern"
To show that he meant what he said,
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 appeared to be an old hulk, with
a single mast in the centre. The bell
was suspended from the masthead,
and ever and anon sent forth its SOL
emn tolling, as the hulk rose and sunk
with the heavings OF the sea.
Before the ship was brought to we
had passed the hulk some distance, so
that when we halted there were sew.
eral hundred yards intervening, and
it was only dimly d~iscernible.
A boat was lowered, and the captaiD
having selected q crew, pulled away
toward the hulk. I asked permission
to accompany it, but on account of a
recent illness vas refused. Forum
ate for me indeed, was that refusalI
There was something so extraordi- |
nary regarding tie appearance and
action of the hulk that the curiosity |
of us all was so intense as to be pain
full. We strained u gaze, as the
captain and his crew drew rapidly
FOL it.
We saw the distance swiftly decrease
between the two boats until the shad.
owy forms merged into one. And
then followed an Impressive silence
suddenly broken by q howl, a pistol
shot and a scream; and Us our hearts
almost stopped beating we saw, a mo-
ment later, the boat put off from the
hulk, and the men rowing with all
their might back to the ship. As
they came nearer we discerned that
the captain was missing.
Backstay Bob dashed toward the
boat and, shaking his fist at the men,
demanded furiously:
"You cowardly dogsl Where is
Captain Luster?"
"The demon has got him!"
Absurd as the reply might have
seemed at any other time, it was ut.
tered in solemn earnest, as the CHASTITY
faces of the crew attested.
In reply to our eager questions,
they said the moment they came along.
side the craft they heard a low, hol-
low, 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 out of sight
when the noise they had heard at first
was repeated, fur louder and fercer.
Inc next moment the report of the
captains pistol was heard, followed by
terrific shrek, and then all was
still.
Horror.struck, they called loudly
and repeatedly to their commander, !
but receiving no answer pulled away
rom the ship. F.,
you're a purity set of cowardly .
>aks, amt you, to go and desert
7o~urS lptain that way, when, like
'nough,&e needed you to save his life"
'xclaimedt9ackstay Bob, forgetting in {
lis fury tylat the first mate was among {
hose whdm he denounced. "I'm CO. !
ng back to that old hulk, and if I
ant get a. the demon in any other
way I'll put u key Of powder in it and {
,low it to blazes!" i
"Bob is right, if his excitement does
make him forget his manners," said
mate. sit was not my intention '
o desert Captain Luster in trouble. t
he men were 50 frightened that I Q
bought it best to come back and get (
new SET" q
There was some difficulty in procur- G
ng the requisite number; and, &C. i
ordingly, Prescott and myself were 8
cceDted. Az tha formor wont oya,