The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-07-07

prone to superstition. Afloat upon
the black waste Of waters, at the mer-
cy of wind and sea, with vast depths
and strange creatures below them, a
belief in the supernatural Is easier
than ashore, under the cheerful gas
lamps. Strange stories of the sea are
plentiful, and an incident which hep
pened within my own experience has
made me somewhat chary of clubbing
man fool or cowa:d because he has
encountered something he cannot ex-
plain. There are stories of the super
natural with prosaic sequels; there
are others to which the sequel has
never been published.
was fifteen years old at tho time,
and as my father, who had q strong
objection to the sea, would not ap-
prentice me to 1t, skipped before the
mast on sturdy little brig called
the Endeavour, bound for Riga. She
was a small craft, but the skipper was
as fino a seaman as one could wish
for, and in fair weather, All easy man
to sail under. Most boys have rough
time OF 1t when they first go to sea,
but, with a strong scnce o. what was
good for me, he'd attached myself to
brawny, good-natured infant, named
Bill Smith, anu It was soon under
stood that whoever hit me struck Bill
by proxy. Not that the crew were
particularly brutal, but a sound cuff
fing occasionally is held by most sea-
men to be beneficial to lads health
and morals. The only really spiteful
fellow among them was man named
Jem Dadd. He was q morose, sallow-
looking man, of about forty, with a
strong taste for the supernatural, and
q stronger taste still for frightening
his fellows with 1t. have seen Bill
almost afraid to go on deck of a night
for his trick at the wheel, after q few
OF his "reminiscences. Rats were a
favorite topic with him, and he would
never allow one to be killed II he
could help 1t, for he claimed for them
that they were the souls of drowned
sailors, hence their love of ships and
their habit of leaving them when they
became unseaworthy. He was a firm
believer in the transmigration of souls
some idea Of which he had, no doubt,
picked up in Eastern ports, and gave
his shivering auditors to understand
that his arrangements for his own i'm.
mediate future were already per-
fected.
We were SIX or seven days out
when a strange thing happened. Dadd
had the second watch one night, and
Bill was to relieve him. They were
not very strict aboard the brig in fair
weather, and when mans time was
up he just made the wheel fast, and,
running for'ard, chouted down the
1o'csle. On this night I happened to
awake suddenly, in time to see Bill
slip out Of his bunk and stand by me,
rubbing his red eyelids with his
knuckles.
"Dadd's giving me long time" he
whispered, seeing that I was awake;
ITS whole hour after his time"
He battered up on deck, and was
Just turning over, thankful that was
TOO young to have q watch to keep,
when he came softly down again, and
taking me by the shoulders, shook me
roughly.
Jack" he whispered, "Jack."
l raised myself on my elbows, and,
IN the light of the smoking lamp, saw
that he was shaking oil over.
Come on deck" he said, quickly.
put on my clothes, and followed
MIN quietly to the sweet, cool air
above. It was beautiful clear night,
out. from his manner, looked nerv-
ously around for some cause Of alarm.
l saw nothing. The deck was desert
cd, except for the solitary figure at
the wheel.
Look at him." whispered Bill,
bending contorted face to mine.
walked aft few steps, and Bill
followed slowly. Then saw that
Jem Dadd was leaning forward clum-