The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-03-31
CHAPTER XVII.
An Evil Spirit.


An Evil Spirit.
We sailed from the Bay of Matanzas
at 2 o'clock a. m., on the Sd of April,
bound for the Cape of Good Hope,
which we were fated never to reach.
The Eugene had been freighted for
that colony with a 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 l had a fair prospect OF
seeing nearly a half of this terrestrial
globe before | repassed my good old
fathers threshold at Elsmere.
| earnestly hoped that we might
encounter no more w~aterspouts 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 it
was my fortune, or, rather, my mis-
fortune, to undergo such peril and suf-
fering as were far beyond my concep-
ton or anticipation.
BY 8 o'clock on the morning of u
departure the light on Piedras Key
was bearing south by east, sinking into
the waves astern, and going out as we
babe a long farewell to the lovely
shores of Cuba.
Three of our men had died of yell
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 cloudless in the fore
noon that the heat of the sun becomes
almost insupportable; thus we were
soon glad to resort to the use of wind
sails rugged down the open skylight to
an awning over the quarterback for
GOODNESS, and to skids for the proven
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
s~pice-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 ap-
preached the calm ATTITUDES, as that
tract of the ocean e the equator is
named, we became sensible of the over
towering increase of heat, while the
breezes were but flaming ones,'' as
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 it
seemed as if there was an evil spirit
on board the Eugene, and that nothing
went right within or about her.
The crew sulked and quarreled
among themselves as if the demon of
mischief lurked in the vessel, and daily
something unfortunate occurred. Hal
yards or braces gave way, by which the
yards were thrown aback land in one
instance the brig nearly lost her main
mast. Standing and running rigging
were found to be mys~teriOusly fretted,
and even cut, as if by a knife; and
then the crew whispered together of
Antonio ell C~ubano-that horrid, dark,
mysterious fellow, whose character
none of US could fathom.
Twice our comrasses went wrong.
and remained so for days! and before
the cause was discovered the Eugene
had drifted far from her course.
This varying was ineXplicable, until
Hislop, who set himself to watch, and
frequently saw Antonio lowering nea
the pinnacle at night, unshipped the
compass box and found there were con-
cealed near It an iron m~arlinspike or
one side and a lump of tallow on the
other, either of which was sufficient
to affect the magnetic needle.
After their removal the compass
worked as well as before. The crew
were strictly questioned; all vowed to-
tai ignorance of the transaction, anc
Antonio summoned every saint in The
Spanish calendar to attest his limo
cence, but none, however, appeared
The crew now felt convinced that, in
spired by some emotion of malice Of
mischief, he alone vas the culprit; ant
if not loud, their wrath was deel
against him.
These variations of our compass Sc
the busy brain of Mare Hislop to work
and n a day or W. he declared tina
he had discovered a plan for prevent
ing the repetition Of tricks so danger
Gus by Insulating the needle so as II
protect the compass from attraction
false or dangerous,
am uncertain whether he perfecte,
this experiment, but Antonio sooi
went to work another way; for on
day, when he was supposed to be bus.
in the maintop. he shouted, 'Stant
from under!" and ere Hislop, who wa
Just beneath, could give the usual re
Spouse, Let go!' a heavy marlinspike
the same which had been found in tn
pinnacle, slipped from the hand Of An
tonic and fell crashing through tn
topgrating.
The iron bar crashed into the decl
at the feet Of Hislop; whether this oc
Cured by inadvertence or design W
knew not, but the Scotsman though
the latter.
That rascally Spanish picaroon vii
work us some serious mischief befor
we overhaul IL ground-tackle or Sc
the Cape" said Weston, who was en-
ragged by this new incident, and tn