The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-10-08


well" says he, after q moments
silence. IF I didn't see Bentley's ghost
IN my cabin Just now. then never saw
anything in my life"
OF course. thought he had only
been drinking a little too much, and
had imagined he had seen ghost. So
I only smiled and said that guessed
ne had been dreaming OF had had q
nightmare.
NO, SIR" he said, running his hand
over his face, a. II to brush something
away; cit was no dream, and say to
you, as certain as God lives. saw the
ghost Of Mark Bentley this night!
"Nonsense!" said /. surely you
can't believe what you are saying. It's
only fancy"
But for all that, there was something
In the mans look that gave me Q kind
Of creepy" feeling.
Say what you viii" he replied, but
Just come to my cabin NTH me as soon
as you are relieved from your post.
and you can see for yourself"
With this. he walked forward and
stood leaning on the rail, gazing into
the sea- Although II Is no uncommon
thing to see sailors who firmly be-
heve in such superstitious stories. am
not one Of them. Still, / couldn't get
the mans words and looks out Of my
mind, and when I was relieved went
to him, and, in q light tone, said:
Come, now, and well go down ana
take q lock at Bentley's ghost"
Without q word, he led the way to
his cabin. II was quite dark In there,
for there was no light save what came
through q bit Of skylight that hadn't
been covered with q tarpauiin. / was
about to strike light, when he caught
me by the arm and turned my face
toward the bunk where he had been
sleeping.
"LookF" he cried, in a frightened
whisper, his hold tightening on my
arm. 81 saw II again, but 1t faded
away! There-there II ISL
/ turned my face toward the bunk.
and as did so I saw a kind Of SHIN
mering light lowering over the pillow.
II seemed to move back and forth with
the swaying of the vessel. Then OF q
sudden 1t grew brighter, and, as I am
living. there was the face Of Mark
Bentley as plain as see yours this mo-
ment. Well, sir, you might have
knocked me down with q feather. /
stood there looking at It till kind OF
cry came from Magsby.
you see IT," he asked, just as II
they were the last words he would ever
speak.
Yes" says I. IL saw some
thing"
He uttered q groan, and I think he
would have fallen had / not caught
him. mnen looked again, the strange
vision had disappeared.
Magsby and 1 went from the cabin
together, and from that moment he
never entered the place again.
He slept with me In my bunk that
night; that is, he turned In with me,
but don't think he closed his eyes all
night. OF course the story that Bent
ley's ghost had been seen in Magsbys
cabin was soon known to every sailor
on board, and there was no end OF talk
over the strange incident / was called
upon to tell all / knew Of the affair,
and my story was listened to with
mingled expressions Of doubt and
credulity.
The next night a crowd Of sailors
visited the cabin where the vision had
appeared, but nothing was seen Of the
ghostiy visitant. Magsby, however.
kept aloof from the place, and could
not be induced to enter. He seemed
to be terribly downcast, and In a few
days q great change had come over
him. His cheeks were hollow, his face
haggard, and he was forever glancing
about him, as IL he expected any mo-
ment to see something dreadful.
One night he came to my cabin, and
throwing himself on the edge Of the
bunk, aid in a husky voice:
faint no use In trying-I can't
stand this; it's worrying the life out
Of me-"
"why-what is?' asked, though
well knew what he meant
"Bentley's ghost" was the reply.
TITS going to drive me into the sea
yet, to follow poor Bentley"
That's all foolish talk" said. "Is
Is q little strange what we saw in the
cabin that night, but what's the harm
of It? Didn't / see 1t as well as your
self? Still, / don't see as that's any
reason that should 60 talking Of
jumping into the sea over IT."
But you don't know ALL" he went
on, In q strange. hesitating way. Then,
letting his voice sink to a whisper. he
said, with q sort Of gasp, as IL the
words were forced from him: "Sprig-
gins, I've got to tell it to some one
I murdered Mark Bentley
As you may well believe, the fei-
lows words completely upset me. /
hardly knew whether to believe his
words or not, for ] had about come
to the conclusion that poor Magsby had
gone clean daft over the ghost BUSH