The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-08-05
THE NAMELESS SHIP
sy ANDREW c. EWING.

Snug Harbor; 'twa'n't a circumstance
to the phantom ship my gran'father
used to tell me about when l was a
boy. The old man was pretty nigh as
old as l am now when he told it to
me and had sailed the Spanish main
when pirates there was thicker n
bumboats about a newly arrived Amer
lean ship off Fayal. And my gram
father seen her, too, with his own two
eyes and her wild cap'n on his wild
ship He was the fust pirate to git
his deserts. Hangin' don't do it
that's only KILN But I'll tell you
the story as my gran'father told it,
"a ship-my gran'father didn't know
her name; fact is, she didn't have
name; some said that. bein' intended
for a phantom from the start, she
sailed without name-well. this
ma meless ship sailed from Medford
with a cargo O rum and gold and
silver bars She headed for West
Indian port, but got into the doldrums
and was so long without a breeze that
the water and provisions give out. The
crew was reduced to chewin' the leath-
err of their boots; but. as for water,
there was none even to be got from
damp out O the sails. The weakest
died fust, then the stronger, and so
on till the most endurin' O the crew
When the last man had persisted. there
bein' nothin more for the doldrums
to do. the wind sprung up and the ship
sailed away with her crew Of dead
"The wind bein' out O. the nor'east,
the ship KEEP on her course toward the
West Indies Then 1t was that Juan
Castres. the most Onmerciful pirate
that ever sailed the Spanish main, saw
her and chased her. 1t was an easy
matter to catch her. though every rag
was set and she was fine sailer, for.
bein' without helmsman-at least a
Twin one-she'd huff now and then
and have to wait for her sails to fill
again. When the pirate come up with
her the dusk of night was settlin'
down, and all the pirates could see
was figure behind the wheel, another
leanin' up ag'in the taffrail and others
scattered about in different positions
where they'd died.
"But Castres, seem the ship hadn't
guns for defense. drifted up beside her
when the wind lulled and leavin' some
of his men to make fast, jumped
aboard his prize. The two vessels
bumped and separated. At that mo-
ment a sudden puff O. wind struck 'em.
The pirate had lowered most of his
sails, and before she could get 'em up
again the ship without name sailed
away from har into the thick night.
and that's tbs last the pirate seen O.
her. o..
1.-THE next seen o. the nameleSs ship
was by Britisher. Cap'n CaStres
was at the wheel singin' and shoutin'
and laughin' and THROWN his arms
about He had found himself alone on
a ship with nothin' but dead men,
though she was the richest prize he
had ever taken. with the easiest cargo
to dispose Of. gold and silver bars,
with rum enough to keep him drunk
for the rest Of his natural life. Wheth-
er drinkin' the rum helped him to go
mad or crew Of dead men was
enough to do it, nobody didn't know,
but he was mad sure enough-stark,
starin' mad-a-swearin' at his dead
crew just as though they was alive,
and he must have found plenty of am
munition. for he was pluggin' 'em all
the while. One O. the sailors on the
Britisher recognized Castres. for he
had been taken by the pirate. forced
to walk the plank and got picked up.
He told the cap'n, and the cap'n turned
away without even speakin' the other
ship
'The next seen O. the nameless,'
as the Britishers called her. was by an
Italian brig. There was more super
stition among the Italians than the
and, SEEM crew o dead
men commanded by a mad pirate, they
all knelt on deck and crossed their
selves. Then the cap'n, who was the
only man among 'em that had any
sand at all, took the helm and sailed
On another course as quick as he could
go about.
But what I've been a-comin to all
along is the time my gran'father seen
the phantom for after some years
sailin' about, seen by var'us craft. that's
what they called her. 1t was one
evenin' on the equator. My gram
father was young teller O. nineteen,
an he'd heard O. the nameless,' as she
was then called. when he was six
years old. So, you see, the story's
rue. Well. the sun was a-settin',
soin' down into the water big enough
% take in a dozen craft on the horizon,
when suddenly ship seemed to come
Up near by, as if out O. the ocean, and
sailed right between him and the sun.
On deck was Cap'n Castres leanin'
,ver the gun'ale shakin' his fist, his
yes a-glarfn' and horrible sounds COM
n out Of his throat. The phantom
must "a ratified considerable, for only
Ter ribs was to be seen ag'in the sun, !
ookin' for all the world like grid
ron on redhot fire.
THE phantom always brought bad |