Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-28
CHAPTER XVII.
An Evil Shirt

/ -
We sailed from the Bay of Matanzas
at O'Clock a. m. on the Sd of April.
bound for the Cape of Good Hone.
which we were fated never to reach.
The Eugene had been freighted for
that colony with rich cargo of mo-
lasses, sugar, coffee. and tobacco. and
| arrangements had been made that from
Cape Town she would be chartered for
London. Thus I had fair prospect of
seeing nearly half of this terrestrial
globe before I repassed my good old
fathers threshold at Elsmere.
l earnestly hoped that We might
encounter no more waterspouts or tor
nadoes. as they were not at all to my
taste; but from other causes than phe-
nomena or the war of the elements il
was my fortune, or. rather. nv mis-
fortune. to undergo such peril and suf-
ferlng as were far beyond my concep-
ton or anticipation.
BY 8 o'clock on the morning NJ onr
departure the light on Piedras Kew
was bearing south by east, sinking into
the waves astern, and going out as we
babe long farewell to the lovely
shores OF Cuba.
Three of our men had died of vel
low fever in hospital SO we sailed from
MatanZas with ten able-bodied hands
exclusive OF three ship boys. the cap
tain, first and second mates.
In the waters, after the rainy sea-
son, the sky is SO clOudIess in the fore
noon that the heat OF the sun becomes
almost insupportable thus we were
soon glad to resort 70 the use of wind
sails rugged down the open skyIight to
| an awning over the quarterback for
GOODNESS. and to skids for the preven-
ton of blisters on the sides of the brig:
but in the starry night the land-wind
which comes off these fertile isles,
laden with the rich aroma of their
! spice-grOwing savannas. is beyond de-
scription grateful and delicious.
Without any incident worth record
ing, we ran through the sea of the
Windward Isles, thence along the coast
of South America. and when we an
preached the calm ATTITUDES as that
tract of the ocean near the equator is
named, We became sensible of the over
towering increase OF heat, while the
breezes were but flaming ones" a.
the sailors term those which, under the
double influence of the air and motion
of the hull. are just sufficient to make
the lighter canvas collapse and swell
again.
We were soon aware OF other an
nOyances than mere heat, for now II
seemed as II there was an evil spiri,
on board the Eugene, and that nothin @
went right within or about her.
The crew sulked and ouarreled
among themselves as If the demon OF
mischief lurked in the vessel, and daily
something unfortunate occurred. Hal
yards OF braces gave way. by which the
yards were thrown aback :and in one
instance the brig nearly lost her main.
mast. Standing and running higgins
were found to be mysteriously fretted
and even eat, as il by a knife: anC
then the crew whispered together o.
Antonio Cd CdbanO-that horrid. dark
mysterious fellow, whose character
none of us cOsld fathom.
Twice our compasses went wrong
and remained so for days, and befor,
the cause was discovered the Eugeni,
had drifted far from her course.
This varying was inexplicable. unit
HisiOp, who set himself to watch, ant
frequently saw Antonio lowering nea
the pinnacle at night. unshipped tn.
compass box and found there were con
cealed near it an iron marlinspike oil
one side and lump OF taIlow on tn
other. either OF which wss susicien
to affect the magnetic needle.
After their removal the compass
worked well before. The crew
were strictly questioned; all vowed to
tai ignorance OF the transaction. an,
Antonio summoned every saint in tn
Spanish calendar to attest his limo
:. cence. but none. however. appeared
. The crew now felt convinced that. in