Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1910-07-06
A Ghost Ship
By GRACE ETHEL WEEKS
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association

making trip around the world, turned
the Cape of Good Hope and pointed
northwestward on the Atlantic ocean.
The Seminole had left New York four
years before, trading along the South
American coast, Japan and other coun-
tries without hearing much, if any,
| news from her sailing port. She was
slow going brigantine and from
whose bottom the barnacles had not
been scraped since month before her
departure on her long voyage.
One summer evening she was lying
becalmed off the west coast of Africa.
The captain was playing cards with
the first and second mate to kill time
when the lookout cried:
"Wessel atire on port bow"
Now, a ship in storm at sea may
not interest the crew of another ship,
| especially as the latter is breasting the
same storm, but burning craft is
a very different matter The game
ceased, and all hands from captain to
cabin boy strained their eyes in the
direction indicated by the lookout. All
they could see was a faint trace of
smoke.
"Theres wind there" remarked the
captain after making an examination
with a glass. "That smokes drifting
to leeward."
It'll help burn her," said the second
mate, "but it's an ill wind that blows
nobody any good. Well get it after
awhile
Presently dark speck marking the
nor could any sails be distinguished
The vessel seemed to be coming to-
ward the Seminole in a southerly di-
rection. but the smoke instead of NOV
ing with her was drifting in her wake.
THAT beats anything ever see," re-
marked one of the crew. Us been a
sailor twenty years, and l never see a
burnin' ship movin' without sails and
the smoke BLOWN behind her without
any wind"
"Wot knocks me out" said another,
'is there bein' no fame"
They've got the matches battened
down to keep the fire below decks"
said third. "Nothin' but smoke can
git out"
The ship, moving without sails, came
steadily on till to the crew of the
Seminole she appeared larger, but was
growing faint in the diminishing twi-
light. AS she drew near she was
pointed directly toward them. A terror
spread through not only the Seminole's
crew, but the officers. Here was a;
burning ship coming to run them
down.
"GEeat guns the caP+aitlp
Gam l dreamin'? Say, you Martini
addressing her first mate. do you see
f, a smokin' vessel comm while we're in
the doldrums"
THAT l do, SIR" replied the first
mate, land l don't understand her.
"She's a ghost shipr' exclaimed
sailor with blanched cheeks.
Been burned at sea and haunts the
place where she went up in smoker
added another.
at must "a been all smoke and no
famer cried a third
"There is a light on her bow" said
the second mate. "Some 'un must "a
KEEP his head pretty cool to put that
out with the ship afre."
How does she manage to keep so
straight a course without any wind to
steer by?"
These and many other comments on
the wonder continued to be made
while the hull of the coming ship was
growing larger and less distinct in the
growing darkness.
Swing out the boatsr' cried the cap
tain.
The crew ran to the boats, but were
so mad with terror that they tumbled
over one another lowering one end.
while the ropes holding the other to
the davits were left unfastened. FL
nally the boats were all swung out and
some of them in the water when there
was flash of light on the coming
ship. Every man stood stock still
other combustible had exploded am
that when he sound had time to cross
the distance between them and the
doomed ship they would hear roar
followed by the shrieks of those who
had been bown skyward
Stand by to save lifer cried the
captain.
But the seconds passed, and ther"
was no sound either of an explosion o"
of shrieking people.
By this time both officers and Gre
of the Seminole were so bewildered |
that they magnified every appearanc'
on or about what they believed to b
a ghost ship But one cause of terro: |
was allayed. The smoking hulk's pro
was turned so that if she kept Ii
course she would not run them dow:
Indeed, by the time she came lGtituGi |
nally on the same plane with them All
they saw her broadside she was sew
eral hundred yards to the starboar'
Of them. Something like wheels was
her.
Then suddenly through an opening
In her side which looked like tho
mouth of hell opened swarthy figure
stripped to the waist appeared in the
glare shOveling in fuel
1.-THE devil" exclaimed the men "a
Il ~,