The suburban citizen., 1901-01-05
A STRANGE CAPTURE. ?

N L eight bells on an October
~ night in the year 1888, the
~ fast sailing brigantine Cor.
lear, of New York, bound
home from Cape Town, Captain Jabez
Starkweather, lay drifting in thick
sea fog. without as much breeze as
would wink a candle.
The shore line of Southern Africa
was only thirty miles distant the Wal
visch Bay entrance bearing northeast
by half east. In those days that was
a formidable coast, partly from un.
charted surroundings but more be-
cause its principal products were
lions, crocodlles, sharks and half can.
nibal savages, with a few unfriendly
Dutch Beers a long way to the south
ward.
The dog watch had been set full half
an hour, and there ought to have been
q breaking Of daylight, but the fog
thickened, and the darkness was so
Opaque that the helmsman said he
could feel it brush his knuckles when
he stirred her wheel.
Suddenly there rose from the foggy
blackness that lay packed upon the
sea Off her port bow, seemingly not
two cables length away, a long drawn,
swelling indescribably despairing cry,
such as no man Of that ship had ever
before heard.
Following the strange cry, as the
ship settled in the hollow after lazy
swell Of the barely breathing ocean,
could be family heard a gurgling pant
ing, as if some tirec swimmer or spent
| Ginger to a wreck was distressed by
the heaying water
Every man on deck clustered along
/ her port bow rail and leaned out, lis
tening, with straining eyes. Mate
Doolittle leaped up, clinging with his
right hand to her fore port shroud,
his left hand followed to an ear,
swinging his body far outward, listen
ing till the sound ceased Then he
called:
"Name O. wonder what was that?
DO any of you men know?"
| No one answered.
The noise Of the crew moving or
Mate Doolittle's voice attracted the
creature, whatever it was; for while
they listened, with bulging eyes, the
cry rose again, nearer and with a still
more melancholy whine, but with a
note of eagemess modulatlng its des
pair. The gurgling painting could be
plainly heard, swimming toward the
/ ship.
Mr., Doolttle jumped inboard and
ordered a boat lowered. While the
men were overhauling her falls he ran
below, and reappeared with Captain
Starliweather by the time the boat was
ready to let fall,
Again that lamentable cry rose from
the hollow Of the sea- this time close
aboard, off her starboard bow, fol-
lowed by a gurgllng moan, like that
Of "some strong swimmer in agony"
Captain Starkweather ran to his boat.
"Cutlasses" he ordered Put
couple Of loaded muskets in her stern
sheets, Mr.. Doolittle. Tumble in, men!
Let fall-steady- - unlock. Mr..
Doolttle, whatever it is. bring it
aboard"
The boat vanished as the sea heaved
her. She was invisible in the fog be-
fore she had pulled her length, but
those on deck could trace her course
by the grinding and splashing of her
oars. She pulled about, zigzag, three
Or four minutes, and then lay still, lis
tening. Suddenly there came from her
a great splashing, confused yells, and
the roar Of Il musket. Mate DoOlittle
was heard giving excited orders,
"DOwn cutlasses Don't strike him!
jackson, don't fire again without or
ders, but keep ready. Tumble aft.
Face him, men! Face him Oars-let
fall-softly-glve way. Hilloa, the
shpw
"Hilloa the boatw
"Make noise on deck there, so we
can judge our distance. It's blacker
here than an African watch pocket.
We've taken on board an awful pas
senger. Way enOugh-stand by to
fend Off"
The boat hoated out Of the darkness
a shadowy mass, and slowly heaved
past alongside, until she lay under the
davits. There was something in her
bows--a great dark heap, from which
the men all recoiled aft; the foremost
holding their ready cutlasses in hand
and Jackson with a leveled musket at
his shoulder.
Hook that forward fall with an oar
blade, Brown"