Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-28
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
OFF CAPE HORN.

was sailing such an eccentric course
that we knew there must be trouble
aboard. She was under plain sail only,
and we ran down to her TO discover
that she was abandoned and taking
care of herself. i was one of the four
men sent of in the mates boat to
board her, and when we had brought
her to the wind our captain came
aboard for n personal inspection. The
brig was the Princess of London, out
ward bound. and n new craft and
fine one. We could find nothing wrong
with her. She was as dry as Il bone,
all right aloft, with water and provl-
sions in plenty. She had carried n
crew Of twelve, and there had been
no sickness or mutiny. The crew had
simply provisioned the boats and
showed of, leaving a stanch craft to
drive about until some gale sent her
To the bottom or 4 current carried her
ashore on rockbound coast. Her
log was written up 10 three days be-
fore we found her. and it had nothing
to say of any trouble aboard.
Here was knOtty problem to solve.
That a good ship loaded with n valu-
able cargo should be abandoned by
full crew in midocean without seem
ing excuse was puzzle beyond our
ken. After n search lasting for three
hours and with nothing new coming
10 the surface the mate and eight men
were put aboard as n crew. and it was
decided to sail her into Chilean port.
The salvage would pay better than
looking after whales. When we got
sail on her, she was found to he very
fast, and those of us who made up the
crew felicitated ourselves on having
a regular picnic in taking her up the
coast. All day long we kept n sharp
lookout for the boats which had left
her, but darkness fell without our hav-
ing caught sight of them. OF course
there had been talk and argument and
speculation all day long. but never n
man had limited at anything super
natural. Sailors will tell you of haunt
ed ships. but they are always old
craft. With her paint hardly dry and
her rigging not yet fully stretched it
was impossible to connect the Princess
with anything uncanny. y Iandsman
would have as soon locked for ghost
in Il new corner cottage. There was
a surprise in store FOR. us. however.
The watches had been chosen, supper
finished and the off watch sent below
when the alarm came. The four men Of
the off watch suddenly rushed on deck
from the forecastle and cried out that
murder was being done in the hold Of
the ship. The matches had been taken
off 1trpi Z Isn
morning and men sent down to inspect
the storage of the cargo. and the idea
that anybody could he below had. not
occurred 20 any one. The watch re-
ported cries of distress and groans OF
agony, and all of us except the steers
man made our way into the forecastle
to investigate. Almost at once we
heard the cries and groans, aud / can
tell you that they were of Il nature to
take the pluck out OF Il man. The cap
tain ut once ordered the fore hatch re-
moved, and l was ordered to take Il
lantern and go down among the cargo
with him. We spent half an hour down
there, climbing about and calling out.
and during this time not n groan or a
cry was heard from the unknown. No
sooner had we given up the search.
however, than they recommended. ard
sail was shortened to allow the whalCr
to come up. Her captain came aboard
and listened to the cries, and then we
spent two hours hosting out cargo un-
til the hold could be thoroughly rum
mayed. 1t was given such Il close in
spection that not dead rat would have
been overlooked. but no human being
was found. Then the cargo was replac-
ed and the hatch put on, and the cap
tain gave us n piece of his mind. lie
was yet blasting our eyes for lot of
towards when n man who had skulked
below reported the cries again. 1t was
n knockout for the captain and an up
set for us. We stood right up and re-
fused to stay another hour aboard the
brig. In this emergency we were sent
Off to the whaler, the second mate and
eight new men We're transferred, and
the craft made sail. Two hours later |
the brig lay to and signaled, and it was
the same thing over again.
l don't believe that sailors are more |
than landsmen. Had this |
been a haunted house in Il city the re- |
suit would have beer the same. The |
cries and Groans brought shivers to |
every listener, anu the new crew not |
only refused duty, but not another |
man would leave the whaler for the |
brig. Captain and mates affected great |
Indignation and were brutal in their |
language, but nevertheless we knew |
that they were also under the spell. |
When daylight came, the brig was
from end to end, but even as
we searched we heard the strange
noises. The final result was that she
was abandoned again. and as she was
never seen afterward she must have
foundered in gale. We reported her
ut Santiago. and her log was left there
for the owners. and since then / have
listened to 4 hundred different theories
advanced TO explain the mystery. What
scared us off frightened her original
crew of, but none of her boats eyer
made land Or xCnS fticl-ad nm