The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-02-06
A SAILORS YARN

The storm was over. the sun went
down in a flame of gold and crimson,
n as soon as the crew had beer
%propped. up after a long last and every
moment fighting to save the ship we
set about repairing what damages we
could befo e night came IN ard max
ing things taut. Then, halving the
watches hat 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 on a water cask, for
/ was too tired to stand and after
fighting sleep as / had not fought the
wind and waves. had just lost myself,
when l was aroused by the most I'M
earthly shrek hat ever had sounded in
that good old ship. 1t not only waken-
ed me, but the rest of the watch, the
came tumbling up from the for ecastle
while the captains head stood out
wonderingly from the companionway.
Who's hurt" he cried.
mo one on deck replied the mate;
how is 1t with you from below?"
Were all right" There were five
of them. On deck were the other FIVE
mate. AS soon as 1t was known that
allawere present a fear fell on the men
n the mate-all except the captain.
At any rate. IL he was frightened he
did not show 1t. though the affair net
tied him.
What are you standing there for,
like a flock of Sheep" he roared out.
Come, you," to me, land you,'' to the
mate. We three should be enough FIR
some. jibbering ape hat 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 1t and we been no wiser for tie
boxes and barrels had been we'll shak-
en- by the storm and needed a lot of
fixing; and at last the captain, moro
d~isgruntled than before, led us up to
the deck. We were met by nine inquir-
ing faces, but had nothing to report.
and the captain, snarling something
like "superstitious curs." 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 until day. or was him
self converted to the belief that the
ship was haunted, he did not again ap-
pear. For my part. I have no fear OF
ghosts. but in it's stead was born with
a deal of curiosity. Once when I was
sleeping below and the ting shrieked.
I stole out of my bunk, and taking a
light, went down to take another try
to find the cause. 1 was cropping along.
climbing yer boxes and barrels. when
I receivd a shock that drew a shrek
that rivalled those that we had heard.
for suddenly my light revealed a face
so wild. an eye so brilliant with des-
pair. that for a moment I did not doubt
I 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 nc more surprise than If I had
been there always. For a moment I
was not sure that he was a man, for
his expression was neither that of the
living or of the dead. Never before had
I realized the force of the expression,
marrow freezing in ones bones"
But reason soon comes back into
play, and in a few minutes I knew /
was confronted by a maniac. How
or when or why he had come to be
there I left for another time. What
filled my mind was how to get him
out.
Come with me-" I said softly. ye'
with firmness. And, advancing, I took
hold of his clammy hand. To my sur
prise he suffered me to lead him like a
little child. Making our way owe tn.
cargo. I lead him onto the deck.
The dawn had meanwhile come, and
a faint light CAV a better sight of him.
He had on the shreds of a sailors cos
tune. but nothing on his head or feet.
I called the mate, who came staring
and gave him a brief account of how I
had found our new shipmate. We ques-
toned him. but got no reply.
While we were trying to get some
thing out of him the captain came On
deck. A sailor standing on the bow
spirit 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. ST. uck
our ship in the night, and, after lash
ing his float. had clambered on deck.
But how in his frenzied condition he
had the natural sense to do 50 Is a
matter for those who ave studied lun-
acy more than for a sailor man with
no education.
We took the man down to the galley
and gave him for the first thing some