The sun., 1901-10-04
A GHOST AT SEA.

s"They're queer set of sperrits that ire
quents the seas, and they do some mighty
queer things, as any sailor man knows"
said Capt. Bill Kinsman, as he cut pipe
full off plug and proceeded to roll it be.
tween his horny palms. but the queerest
spook | ever see was one that put itself out
Of business for 80-odd years by making
mistake.
ut happened when | was young man |
on voyage from Maracaibo to Liverpool +
on the bark Ingomar with cargo of ma
hogany. A chap by the name Of Teague
was the captain; and the sickest-lookine |
skipper he was that ever let ships crew
do as it pleased. He was powerful, big
boned man, but gaunt as wolf, with his
clothes hanging loose all over him and hii
eyes burning away back at the end OF tvs
sort O. caverns
Instead Of taking his rest like a Chris
tlan, he set up On the taffiail, In his watch
and out of 1t, fair weather or foul, sleeping
sometimes, but most while looking out over
/ the sea like man in a trance. Bout once
day he'd come down for bite to eat and
look at the first mates figgers and then
back he d go, with never word out OF him.
Mates, says Ben Wicks, who'd lost one
Of his eyes on a man-o'-war, i know tho
| signs. It's blood spots he sees out there.
/ DlOO0 SpOtS Ol MS OWN HidhiHB, anu thc5 .
no good goin' to come to them as travels
with him..
II don't know jest what the crew'd "a
done if it hadn't happened that Ben's re-
marks come to the ears of the first mate.
Soon's they did the mate comes thump-
ing into the fo'c'sle and lays Ben out with
a smash under the ear.
".Now, We swine, he says, turning to the
rest Of us, is they any of you ever had sense
enough to love woman? Two years ago
they was a feller about to get the likeliest
gal in Portland, Me-, for wife. She quar-.
relied with him week before the wedding
about nothing. as women will, and up and
married dub that was worth no good
woman's thoughts. Well, the chap that got
left is him that's sitting up there on the
taffrail Ye dirty snakes, that's what love
does sometimes to a man. Now, If they's
any of you wants a broken head let me
hear another yelp about blood spots
"That same night it come up to rain on
, the captains watch and he sent me down
after his oilskins. Foot of the companion.
way / looked into the cabin, and there at
the captains table, as I'm living man, sat
t little brown-haired woman writing. Ey-
i erybody aboard knew they was no woman
, on the Ingomar, and hadn't been. / took
one look and then made for the quarter
deck.
"'Where's them skinsg' says league.
elf You please, sir says, 'they's lady
! at the cabin table writing
: "'What kind of looking woman was it 2
says he.
: She was little plump woman ! says
with brown hair that was brushed back
!, "'Thatll do he says. Go down and
ask the lady to kindly step up
II wasn't hankering after that cabin
= Jest then, but it was better than leagues
voice. Before got to the foot of the com
It panionway ! see she was gone. ] went ovei
s to where she'd been setting, and there or
|. the table was sheet of paper and on il
= in woman's writing was the three words
: Steer due SOUTH / grabbed the paper ano
:, went back on deck. As | came up i
! seemed as though leagues eyes grabbed
u hold of me.
y The lady's gone, sir Il says, but thi
$, here paper was on the cabin table
t. Il don't know how he got the paper.
d didn't hand it to him. He Jest had it. Thel
NJ there comes sound like herd Of bull
believing, and it was league calling to tin
! man at the wheel.
J, j, Hard starboard,' says league, ant
y around she swung.
\. "'Keep her due SOUTH says league, AM
I'd mind your eye
to "That minute the breeze shifted fair an
began to freshen, and inside of two hour
" we was jumping along at ten knots Th
~ first mate looked feazed when he come o
- deck to take his watch, but league gave hi
= orders and didn't make no explanations
81 Then he went up into the bow and took hi
We seat in the knighthead.
''For seven days that fair breeze LASTED
lie and for seven days we went clipping soutf
IN with the sun so hot that it boiled the pitc
out of the decks, and our port of destin'
ton further and further over our port qua
ter. And for seven days league set u
there on the knighthead looking forwar
ut out over the sea- We passed ships an
I'd then got past the Travelled way, and Teagu
10, paid no heed.
s- "But on the seventh day we raised spec
IT, on the horizon, and league jumped to h
=, feet when he seen it. We come UP to It
- - the first dog watch She was what was lie
nc of fine schooner, her masts gone and la
10 ng so low in the water her decks was par
ef ly awash.
of Lower away the yawl,' says Teagu
by It was his first word since he'd turned Il
n. bark south.
L. II was in the yawIs crew. They was
!, dozen starving men with bloodshot eyes {
= that wreck and two or three dead ones.
Water the men whispered, as Teag,
came aboard and held out their hands.
"'Where's the woman' says league.
ne +" Dead-under yon tarpaulin' says o.
ed of the men. Poor little woman! Bark
II. beat her to death before she starved
"'God be praised, says league in qui
Je- voice that shook the waterlogged wrec
,,a And which Of you's Barker:'
"a "'Dead a week. says the men. Give
~ water
VI ''Teague went over, pulled the tarpaul
of and picked the woman that was lyi
under it up in his two hands. They sd
afterward that she'd been dead three da!
las He looked at her minute and put his ia
,ry down to hers. Then he hollers out:
ied Some brandy here - this womal
~ ~ aliven
They passed him fiack out of the va
and he forced some down between her
the teeth Then he loosened her dress a
by rubbed her body and blew in her mouth a
worked over her for two hours withc
raising his head. And then, as ! hope
mercy the woman's eyelids began to flut
ooI like loose studdin' sail in a light bret
~ and her eyes opened, and she smiled w
~ ~ 'em up at league. And league, as Ii
hee set there swelling up to the size of
clothes with every second that passed.
= "'Come here, Bill says he to me, spe
ing soft as woman with young Elby;
this her you see in the cabin!'
rhe Il crept over and looked at her.