Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Sailors Yarn.
IOriginal.l

and as soon as the crew had been
propped up after a long fast and every
moment fighting to save the ship we
set about repairing what damages we
could before night came on and max
ing things taut. Then, halving the
watches that all might get some sleep
within the first four hours, six of us
| kept awake while the other six slept.
We were ten before the mast, besides
the captain and a mate.
| on watch sat OH water cask, for
| was too tired to stand and after
fighting sleep as l had not fought the
wind and waves had just lost myself,
when | was aroused by the most I'M
earthly Shrek that ever had sounded
| in that good old ship. 1t not only
awakened me, but the rest of the
watch. the helmsman included, and
| those below came tumbling up from
the forecastle. while the captains head
stood out wonderingly above the COM
panionway.
who's hurt?' he cried.
"No one on deck" replied the mate
GLOW is it with you from belowW
Were all right" There were five of
| them. On deck were the other five sail
ors besides the captain and the mate.
As soon as il was known that all were
present q fear fell on the men, the
mate. on all except the captain. At
any rate if he was frightened he didn't
| show 1t, though the affair nettled him.
what are you standing there for Nike
| a flock o sheepT' he roared. Come,
70 hn To
1--WE three should be enough for some
gibbering ape that must have come
aboard at the last port and is making
havoc below with the eatable cargo"
Down the cOmpaniOnway and down
into the hold we went, the captain
| lighting the way with a lantern. We
| searched the hold from stem to stern,
but nothing did we find. though if any
| one had chosen to hide he could have
done it and we been no wiser, for the
| boxes and barrels had been well shak-
| en- by the storm and needed a lot of
| fixing. and at last the captain. more
| disgruntled than before, led us up to
the deck. We were met by nine in
| Quiring faces. but had nothing to re-
port. and the captain, snarling some
| thing like 'superStitious ours" instead
of giving any information went to his
| cabin.
Twice during the night the yell was
repeated from the hold, but whether
the captain preferred to put off any
| further search till day or was himself
| converted to the belief that the ship
was haunted he did not again appear.
| For my part, have no fear of ghosts,
but in its stead l was born with Il deal
of curiosity. Once when l was sleep
ing below and the thing shrieked l
stole out of my bunk and, taking n
| light, went down to make another try
| to find the cause. was cropping along,
climbing over boxes and barrels. when
L received a shock that drew a Shrek
rivaling those we had heard. for sud-
denly my light revealed face so wild,
an eye so brilliant with despair. that
for moment l did not doubt l had
come upon a lost soul risen from the
place of departed spirits.
| A man was sitting on a barrel, his
legs crossed under him, looking at me
with no more surprise than if l had
been there always. For a moment
| was not sure that he was man. for
| his expression was neither that of the
living nor of the dead. Never before had
l realized the force of the expression
of marrow freezing in ones bones.''
But reason soon comes back into play.
and in q few moments 1 knew l was
confronted by a maniac. How or when
or why he had come to be there l left
for another time. What filed my mind
then was how TO get him out.
Come with me- l said softly, yet
with firmness. And, advancing, l took
hold of his clammy hand. To my sur
prise, he suffered me to lead him like 4
little child, and, making our way
through and over the cargo, / led him
on deck.
The dawn had meanwhile come, and
faint light gave a better sight of him.
He had on the shreds of sailors cos
tune. but nothing on his head or feet.
1 called the mate, who came staring.
and l gave him n brief account of how
l had found our new shipmate. We
questioned him, but got no reply. While
we were trying to get something out of
him the captain came on deck.
A sailor standing ON the bowsprit
called out that there was a raft dashed
to the chains. That revealed the whole
matter. The man had been wrecked,
had taken to the raft, struck our ship
in the night and after flashing his float
clambered on deck. But how in his
| frenzied condition he had the natural
sense to do so is a matter rather for
those who have studied lunacy than a
sailor man with no education.
We took the man down to the galley
and gave him the first thing some
warm broth. This we followed by meat
and little by little let him have a fair
meal. His reason returned, and he told
us of his ship being put on beam ends
in the storm, his taking to the raft with
seven others, who were all washed off.
remembering everything till the last
man left him, and he was alone watch
| ing every mountain billow. expecting