The Adair County news., 1914-08-26
A SAILORS
YARN
By RMAND BELL

Oue Or1Snt moonlight night curing
the 6fties Of the last century a COM
pany of tars were lOlling on the fore
castle when one of them, Jim Burns.
told the following yarn:
Mates, I've seen marvels on salt
water, but the biggest marvel | ever
see was on land. I'd been left In a
hospital at MarSeilles. and when got
well shipped in the brigantine North
ern Light, bound for New Orleans
But i wasn't fated to git to that port,
for we was driven ashore by a SOU
easter and every soul lost except my
self. Bein' washed overheard. I hung
on to chicken coop that loated by
me, was carried into the breakers and
throwed on a sandy beach. Between
seas | managed to crawl up beyond
'em, and somehow as soon as I saw
they couldn't git me ag'in my strength
went out o. me all of a student, and
didn't know nOthin'. The last l re-
membered was a lot o. corpses Of my
mates rOllin' around in the breakers,
and they seemed to be lookin' at me
envious.
There was a big change from this to
what l saw when got back to myself
ag'in. A gal with a pair o blue eyes
was a-IoOkin' down into mine. She
had just poured some grog down my
throat from bottle and was watchin'
to see if it would bring me out"
Bully" said Tom Nye, Il wouldn't
give a piece o. bareback for a yarn
without gal in it."
There bein' nothin' the matter with
me-" continued the speaker. except
1avin' got my bearin's, axed the gal
where I was. She said i was on the
coast o. South Carolina, not far from
Savannah. She p'inted to house back
en- the shore and said she lived there.
| could come up there if 1 liked and
git some rest and somepin to eat.
1T was queer lookin' house and
seemed to have been built long time
before, when there was Indians In the
neighbOrhood, cos there was lOophOles
in it. 1t had been kind o. elegant
Oncet. but was turrable run down.
concluded to go up there with the gal
If only to git rid Of the roIlin' corpses.
found what they call a poor white
family Occupyin' the premises-the
gals mother, one or two white chill
dren and a few niggers. They give
me some grub, and by this time it WAS
CROWN dark, and. havin' been two
days and nights at the pumps. | told
EN- I'd like to turn in. The mother
and daughter did a lot o whisperin'
together, and then the daughter went
off, come back with key and told me
she'd show me to my room. As soon
as she opened the door a shut-up smell
come out that almost made me sick
The furniture was the old fashion
edest | ever see. 1t was fine stuff.
kin tell you. but the curtains and the
canopy to the big bed was all fallen
to pieces. There was a fireplace big
enough to roast an OK in and arm
chairs that for comfort beat a ham,
mock all to pieces. But | was too
sleepy to take much notice.
We'll. now. mebbe them covers
wasn't musty. If hadn't been ready
to drop off l wouldn't "a stayed under
'em no time. AS it was. I was asleeP
almost before struck the bed.
I'm the middle of the night | was
dreamin' of my mates rolIin' around
in the breakers and woke up with a
start. What dye suppose | saw? A
man comm in at the door He held
candle to light the way. and it shined
right on to his face, and it was the
ugliest mug ever see in any country.
Why. Malay pirate was holy Joe
to it. WO'st of all. the Teller clutched
a knife as long as your arm.
He wasn't loOkin' at the bed az
fuSt. His face was a-wOrkin' as if hs
was powerful mad But he come right
so the light shined right on TO my face
At the same moment | jumped. But
hadn't landed on the floor before the
light went out, and it was as dark as
the black hole o. Calcutta. | expected
to git that knife in my ribs. but I
didn't Then listened to hear the
Teller move. hOpin' he'd go out The
TOOIu WIS dS SLlll dS OuTTSlN STOuDU-
IT had no way o. strikin' a light. for
when l went TO bed | hadn't thort
about wakin' up in the night. | won
dered if hadn't been sufferin from
nightmare Anyway | got back into
ned. my heart a-thumpin and this
sweat standin' out on me. 1 lay
awake till day came and | could see
all over the room. There was no signs
Of any one except me havin' been in il
durin' the night So turned over and
went to Sleep
81 walked about noon and went
downstairs.
where's that piraticaI chap that
rome into my room last nightT l asked.
Law sakes" said the gal. palm.
Did you see him.?
Reckon I did. Who is he?
Hes a ghost When this yere
country was first settled a slave dealer
built this house and brought a young
wife here to live in it. One time when
ne come home from Africa student he
found another man here. He killed
both the man and the woman in that
room. We've never been able to use
II We th0rf we'd fry IN LAST NIGHT on