The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-06-12
.,
A Mystery Of
the Sea
By EUNlCE BLAKE

hlOotSl - N"S -
gum, stood on the deck of his ship
listening to a sound that greatly dis
turbed him. He thought he heard a
bell attached to a buoy. But 1t was
so faint that he was not sure that what
he heard was not one of those ringings
within his ears that some persons are
subject to or a freak of his magma
ton.
There it was again, this time a tri1e
more distinct.
The Penguin was coming westward
and was midway between Gibraltar
and New York. The Azores and Ma
deira had been left several hundred
miles behind. True, clouds had pre-
vented an observation for several days.
but Captain Macarthur had SO much
sea room that he had not the slightest
fear Of a near shore. Indeed, he was
in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
buoy, for the tolling came with the ir-
regularity of the waves.
Fearing to approach any nearer to it.
he gave orders to the helmsman to
steer in a circle while the lead was
being thrown. The bosom reported no
bottom. but the captains fears were
not allayed. The sound Of the bell was
rapidly growing more distinct. There
was the same irregularity Of the strokes
throughout. indicating that it was toll
ell by the waves. Macarthur had
heard these sounds as long as he had
been at sea, and they had always aris-
en- from the same instrument. a bell
buoy.
There can be nothing more calculated
TO throw a man off his equanimity than
one of these paradoxical occurrences.
We hear or see or feel something; we
know what it is, and yet we know that
it is not what our senses tell us it is.
but rarely when we are awake. Cap
tain Macarthur momentarily dread
ed to strike a sunken rock. and yet he
knew that there was no such danger
within a thousand miles Of him. He
asked the few men who were on deck
with him If they heard the tolling. and
all said they did. but one of them
could give any explanation Of 1t. Some
Of them knew little Of navigation or
geography, but there was none so un-
Informed that he did not know that
there were no sunken rocks in the mid
die Of the Atlantic ocean.
Yet there is always ar uncertainty
to break down one's courage. Might
there be in that vast wilderness Of wa
tiers n rock remaining for centuries
undiscovered? Might not ships tina,
have sailed lev to be heard from
have been lost on this infinitely small
point in so vast an area?
Nonsense, If such were the case
there would be no bell buoy to warn
ships away. And If there were such
a rock protected by a buoy it would be
on the charts.
Something like this was running
through Captain MacArthur's mind
Probably his was more keenly alive to
the matter than any Of his crew be,
cause on him rested the responsibility
for the lives Of all and of the ship.
:. There were. one or two of the more
superstitious who gave a different ex.
PLANTATION of what they heard. One
imputed 1t to evil spirits who were
using 1t to drive the ship away from
deep waters or waters clear of other
ships on to an area Of danger. Another
considered it a tolling for a ship that
had at some time gone down on that
very spot. But while every one lis.
tened and thought not m spoke his
interpretations Of the mystery.
As the sound Of the t0lling indicated
approach by its increasing distinctness,
80 having reached a maximum. 1t indi'
Gated recession by a gradual dying, till
at last it was heard no more. Then
the captain breathed a sigh Of relief
which was initiated by the others
The mystery, whatever 1t was, had
passed as mysteriously as it had come
But 1t came again. The next day
came a storm from the west, and the
Penguin, after beating up against It
at last was obliged to turn and ride
before it. BY evening the storm had
spent its force. and the ship was again
put on her course. Near midnight wal
again heard that irregular melancholy
tolling. This second visit, finding the
crew tired and depressed from theil
experience with the storm, had a keen
er effect upon them than the night be
fore.
Moreover. superstition seizes upon
US when we are worn out. Captain
Macarthur looked troubled. His officers
listened to the strokes in silence, while
some Of the crew muttered prayers tt
heaven for protection from this un
known evil. Again the sounds ap
preached. reaching a maximum Of dis
tinctness. Their died away. But in thit
case they were longer, and the strokes
changed louder. as If made by fierce
waves.
In the morning the outlook reported
a ship on the starboard quarter. She
was without mast or sail and seemed
to have been disabled, doubtless by
the recent storm. As the Penguin ap'
npnnnhnd ho~ tho orovv hoo ri a on In fhS