The Ghost of Captain Bower.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 18

The Ghost of Captain Bower.

By F. FRANKFORT MOORE.

(All Rights Reserved). If I have never seen a ghost, I liavo had a few rather weird experiences, bordering on the ghastly if not tho ghostly. One of these is rather curious. It occurred aftoi p I had done a little exploring in South Africa a good many years ayo, whon I' had gone up tho coast to Zanzibar, whence I was anxious to get on to Aden, and I thought I saw my chance of accomplisliing my aim, when, I found in tho harbour a small schooner, which was clearing for tho Rod Sea in a few days. Tho Captain, whose namo was Bower, agreed to accept mo as a passenger and I was to go aboard next morning.'

• So, after spending two or threo pounds in the. purchaso of canned meats andi curries, in addition to a couple of largo tins of biscuits, and as many more. of Keating, I pushed off for the schooner, swinging at her moorings in the harbour, and was mtroduced to the first mate, a lank Scotchman from the north of Ireland, named Duff. Ho was probably tiie most religious man that was over engaged in the slave trade, and.who was also a rigid teetotaler. He thought it necessary to give his reasons for the latter. They were simple enough: Tho captain and the raato of any ship that had a reputation tto maintain , should never ( be confirmed inebriates, he explained, and indeed this theory of his seemed plausible onough to me, at tho moment. It was not merely plausiblo, it . was absolutely convincing to mo when the skipper came aboard that night. I perceived m a moment that it was absolutely necessary that tho chief officer should bo a sober man to enablo him to superintend the hoisting of his captain from the stem sheets of tho dinghy, where he was reposing, to tho deck of tho vessel which he commanded.'' By the aid of a whip—riot a four-line whip, which suggests, an emergency, but a simple bowline—Captain Bower waß hoisted over the rail, and then eased away into his cabin. Ho awoke about midnight, and so did I —so, in fact, did every person aboard that schooner, and probably .some of the crews in tho vessels that lay in tho harbour within a radius of half a mile from our vessel. 1 found that, if the captain had a bull neck, ho had a voice to correspond. I knew that the religious' first mato took m'o up wh-M I'said something to him about Bashan. _ In the early morning, however, he was quite sober, and was not even shaky, when superintending the weighing of the anchor and the setting of sail. He. seemed to me quite a smart, seaman, for he took tho vessel out of tho harbour handsomely, and in another half hour he had given a course to tfio man at the wheel. By eight bells, we wore out of sight of the island of Zanzibar, and tho log registered six knots. Every stitch of canvas on the schooner was set, and as wo went along with a slight list to port, I 1 began to feel that, after all, I had not made such a bad bargain for myself. Tho breeze freshened, ' adding another knot to tho schooner's record, but no sail required to be taken in. Tho next morning and the next, tho captain appeared at breakfast; freshly shorn and sober; but the mate was a pessimist and something of a cynic as well, for, whon I vontured to mate a remark, respecting the captain's condition, ho shook his head sadly, saying: "Too good to last!" - On tho fourth day out tho breeze died away to! tho merest < draught and wo wcro loft idly swinging and swaying'in tho centro of that bright green oxpause of tho Indian Ocean. _ v. Tho next day ho was intoxicated when ho sat .down (to his breakfast, which consisted of alternate glasses _of rum and whisky. But in spite of his rigid adherence to this di6tjihd.;rose up—after twp pr .thr.ee abprtivo attempts—as intoxicated as ho had been on sitting down. Ho managed to climb up tho Cabin hatch to. tho deck, with a tumbler in ono pocket and the bottlo of whisky in tho othor, his fingers never relaxing their grasp on tho protruding neck. Ho vontured. out also beyond tho shadow of. tho deck-awning, and when tho sccond mato fcallod his attention _ to, this fact, ho whirled a revolver out of his hip-pocket, and the "mate sprang into tho port shrouds and ran I 'up to tho fore-top. The captain, staggering, about tho deck with bis revolver, yolled out imprecations againsttho fugitive all tho time, and apparently tried to find a point on the deck that would bo most favourable for his pistol practice in tho direction of the foro-top,' 1 ! recollected at that moment .that I had omitted to write up my. diary, for the day, and I hurried down' to my cabin' for that purpose, taking care to flock ,my do.or, for there is nothing that I dislike more.'than'to bo disturbed 1 at work. I'had not : been below for more, than a quarter of an hour, when I heard some shouting 011 tho deck —shouting from many voices. ■ I caught up my revolver and run up the hatch. Glancing forward, I saw tho captain lying on the broad of his back on tho tarpaulin that covered tho hatch of tho forohola, tho two officers and ; tho cook kneeling, by his side. His face was almost black. I saw at once what had happened. Tho wretched man, always with a tendency to apoplexy, ' had been' struck down, and I knew that-his chancos of recovery were few. . My rough diagnosis proved correct. Tho mate declared to nici that' the captain'had survived three strokes within tho previous six months, and thought that ho would, pull through this onp also, ,biit_ lie was mistakon. The captain died that night, and when I got on deck the next morning,' I found that 110 had already been committed to the deep. To say' tho truth, I felt, and so I think did everyone aboard the schooner, greatly relieved; when .the first officer took command. Wo behoved him to be quito as competent and infinitely more trustworthy than the late captain, and so,' I may say, ho proved. We chatted together in our chairs all that day, and I turned into my bunk feeling that there was no need for me to locki tho door.

I awoke with a start, shortly : after midnight; becoming aware of an unusual sound just bentath, my port-hole. It seemed to be a sort of dull thumping against the side of tho ship from the water. I listened, sitting up in that swoltering cabin of mino, and, after a short pause, there it camo again— thump, thump, thump, just under my opdn port; another.short interval, and then came a dull tap, tap, tap, tap. I jumped out of my bunk, and tried to look out of my port close to the ship's sido, but I could not do bo very well; there was no moon, and I saw only the ghostly phosphorescence of a' couple of .fish, swimming at a great depth below the surface. I went back to my bunk, and I had scarcely lain down before there was a renewal of tho sound against the sido of the ship. locould stand it ,110 longer. I went on deck, and found the second officer on watch—that is to say,lying snoring -in a canvas deck chair, lio awoko the instant I camo up, and, after a few minutes' pauso, I asked him if ho had'been asleep for long. Of courso, ho assured mo that he had only dropped off the miliuto boforc. I wont over to tho sido of tho ship, saying that it was stifling in my 'cabin, and I had como up for a breath of fresh air. _ 1 "You'll not get much of it hero," said ho. "It's not on draught in theso parollels." Ho sauntered across tho deck to my side, filling his pipe. All this time, I was leaning over tho bulwarks, trying to catch a glimpse of anything in "tho water, but failing to do so; only beyond a doubt tho water was rippling and wimpling just under my port. "Hullo!" said tho mate. -"What's that?" "What's what?". I asked. "That tapping against tho sido of tho ship? There it goes again. Can't you hear it?" he asked. "I hoard it five minutes ago, said I, We both glanced over tho sido, and peered into the water, but could sco nothing oxcopt tho rippling of tho water just at that plnco, for tho night was as black as ink. t But, oven whilo we looked over, wo heard tho dull sound of a gentle thud, thud, thud, against the sido of tho ship. Tho mato wont forward, and unslung the slush-light lamp from' tho shrouds, and put it over tho sido, lowering it swinging to tho water. It niado a ring of light on tho surface, and all down the bulwarks, and out of tho contro of that ring, there looked up at us tho ghastly, bluo face of tho oaptain. It was only a few inches i below tho and close by-it the light

gleamed upon the white body of an immense shark. That was all that wo saw, for the lino of the lamp slipped through the fingers of the mate at the samo instant that ho gavo an exclamation of horror, and the thing' was extinguished in the water, though tho mate managed to retain tho knot of the rope. I supposo tho samo look of horror was in my faco as I saw in his at that moment. Wo both stood breathless at tho bulwarks, and then ho. whispered to me, "Great Caesar I One of the sharks must have bitten off tho shot which wo sunk at' tho old man's foot this morning, and ho has como to tho surface again. It was the sharks nibbling at him that mado the noise of tapping that wo heard." I heard a whine on tho deck beside us, and tho next instant Charlie, tho Newfoundland dog, 'which had accompanied tho captain on many voyages, sprang upon tho top of tho bulwarks, and, still whining uneasily, peered down into tho water. Tho faithful, animal was gathering himself up for a leap, when I caught him by.tho collar and hold him back. / "Tho sharks havo already be'en provided for," said I, "and wo can't spare our friend Charlie for tho sake of . giving them a savoury." Charlio did not struggle when ho found my hand on his collar; but ho raised his head and gavo a long and ghastly growl, thon another and another. The effect; of tho sound, cleaving the marvellous stillness of that hot night, was weird in the extreme. It brought to their feet those of the crew who were playing cards on tho forecastle hatch. I could, hear their pious exclamations as they sauntered slowly aft: Then one of them became aware of tho shark's cojnmotiion in the water, and of the causo of it. Luiz, a Portuguese, cried, "Jesu Maria 1" and crossed himself devoutly. Then all at once thero was seen the flash of a white fin, thero was a swirling of tho black waters that actually ( caused tho becalmed vessel to quiver and sway., * That was all. "That's the last of Captain Bower," said a man with a laugh. "Is it?", muttered another. A breezo sprang up in tho, early dawn, and sent us flying, along at five knots until noon, when it dropped, and once again wo wero becalmed. It was, however, some satisfaction for us to feol that, wo wero thirty or forty miles away from tho scene of the horror which wo had encountered, and we entered, upon the second period of calm in bettet spirits tli.in we had possessed for some time.' The mato only seemed morose, and I should have felt quite without a companion had my friendship with Charlio not ripened quickly since that night when I had prevented him .from committing suicide. We became 'greatly attached, Charlio and I, and so long as a biscuit remained in my last tin I shared it with the dog, and felt that, in doing so, I was making only tho humblest recompense for' the pleasure I derived from his' companionship. , Usually he lay on the deck at my feet, but when ho had retired to the old atiple barrel which served him for a kennel lashed to tho winch at' the after hold, a whistle from ine would invariably bring him'to my feet. Store than onco I nave seen him como out of his barrel atf night, and, standing on a cork , fender or something that raised him abovo tho bulwarks, turn an oyo down to the water beneath,, as if ho had'expected to see again something that ho had once seen there. ' .' 1

It wis on 1 the 'third' nigh't of 'tho second period of calm that I took a stroll uj) the deck, to'gei: something in tho way of exercise bef&ro turning in. The night was cloudy, and close, and the hands were for the most part sleeping about the 'deck in various postures. The mate was smoking, while loaning j over tho port rail ; a couplo of seamen wero squatting on coils of ropo about amidships, close to one another, hut exchanging no word. ' Suddenly as' I was passing the hatch of tho : after: hold, thero came a sound, as, if someone below the deck were knocking at tho hatch. Tap-tap-tap, it went; tap-tap-tap. I stood'still,"and ,the sound ceased immediately. j ' I saw the mate remove his pipe and turn slightly round with a start. Tho men seated on.,fche ( c:.oilij, pf ajouscd n fi-om their doze, arid I could see that they too had heard tho sounds. . : "What _was that noise, Mr. - Duff?" I said, looking towards the-mate. "What noise?" said ho cautiously. "I thought you heard it—a sort of knocking on the inside of the. hatch," said I. ; "'Maybe some of tho hands were knocking tho ashes out of their.pipes," said he. I turned to tho men sitting a yard or two away. _ . , _ "Did you hear the noise?" I enquired. After a pause, ono of thom mumbled,' "No,' sir. ' Tho second shook his head, muttering, . "I heard nuffin'." ! I knew that they were lying, but I merely said, : ; . "Oh," and resumed my walk forward; and then I heard one .of the men say to tho other, in a whisper, . . ."I reckon the old man is paying us another visit, Bob." ; . . .• ■ "Sounds like it," said the other. ■ And indeed thero was some similarity between, the sounds that.l had just heard arid those which had been made by tho.bumping of tho Captain's head against the side of the schooner. I remained in tho fore part of the vessel for some timo and then strolled aft. The moment that I was abreast of the hold the hollow rapping was resumed. The mate, who was leaning against the bulwarks,, straightened himself; tno two sailors slipped backward off thoir uneasy seats, and wobbled half way across tho deck on their hands' and heels. ■. ■ ■

"Someone is having a-lark, Mr. Duff," said 'I. "One of the hands has got into-tho hold and is trying to scaro us. . .That rapping camo from tho hold, didn't it?" : "It sounded liko as if it- did," said tho inato, without moving. - "It is a silly joke; better pay no attention to it," said I. *> He mado'mo no answer! and I continuod my! walk round the wheel. Passing up on tho starboard- sido of the deck-house I reached tho main hatch once more,'and onco again there came those hollow mysterious rappings.. They, sounded exactly as if someono' imprisoned in the hold was asking to be let. out. ' So ; liremarked to the mate, and in reply ho nodded, saying, , "Too polite. Thoso knocks were as genteel as genteel can bo." "That's why I say that someone is trying to scaro us: it's taken for granted .that ghosts aro genteel," said, 1., He didn't respond to jny attempt to show myself quito free from uneasiness. He was undoubtedly very uneasy. "Could anyouo get into the hold?" I enquired. "A stowaway—might it bo a stowaway?."- ■ "I never heard tell of a stowaway on such a run as this," ho said. "I've been hero for tho best part of an hour, but not .a sound camo from tho hold till you- walked /past. It came three times and every time you wero abroast of tho hatch." "Do you fancy thflt I am ventriloquising for your benefit?",! asked. "I only said that the 'rapping' camo only wlion you wero abreast of tho hatch," ho replied. " I don't see what I have to do with it," said I. "I can assure you that whatevor tho origin of tho noise may bo, I have nothing to do with it." Ho did not think that I had said anything that needed a reply. Four or fivo seamen had como close to us, pretending to bo busy about tho slack of tho halliards, coiling it down with a neatness quito unusual on this deck. One could see that they had como up to overhear our conversation. Tho mate spied them and told them, to clear off forward, and thoy obeyed him at their leisure. I went aft, and in.tho oourso of half an hour or so found my way to my borth. Lying awako after I had tumblod in, I could hoar tho mumbling of a convocation —it may have been a council —botween tho two mates on deck. 1 It was a long time boforo I succeeded in getting any sleop. Beyond a doubt tho sounds that wo had hoard wero very mysterious—much moro so than thoso which had' como to my oar somo nights beforo. Tho strangeness . of. tho scene—that hot dead calm, tho unclean vessel on whoso deck tho captain had died not a week boforo—everything contributed t-o tho nervousness which I experienced for tho first timo in my life.. When I awoko it was to hear tho rattlo of tho breakfast things being laid by tho steward. Tho two mates wero in tho cabin together, and when the jingle'of the. teaspoons coascd, I heard one of them say in a whispor, ' li

"Suppose it should be the old man como back to take, command ? What do you say to that, Duff?" . . "Rot!—that's what I say to it,"- said'the first mate. -- , "I overheard Stephens say that to Combes— it waspombes who was handy when the first; raps started. What were the raps like: Mi\ Duff?" ; / . - " • ; "Like—why, like—like raps—nothing,else: raps, only with a curious nollowness about them, liko—well, liko a man trying to get out of his own coffin." . "The old man is safe stowed away in a lire coffin, anyway, so it's not him. But what would ho want coming aboard and only rapping when the passonger went by the hatch:'" "I wouldn't try to puzzle it out.- I never, saw a 'ghost with my own ejjfes, 'though I've sailed in ships that had a - bad name for being' haunted, and well-niglr every seaman has come across someone who had known another that hod . been moderately intimate ■with a spectre or so, and all that I've heard, tell of tliom makes ine' sure' that they behave oddly most always." ' "I've beard that before -now.' That's,why, we needn't'.think of- asking why the old mail should begin;, his pranks only' .when the passenger comes up. ~ At this point in the conversation the steward, brought breakfast for the two'mates, ■ and i tumbled out of 'my' bunk and piillcd on. my clothes. Our'toilets aboard the schooner were not elaborate.',,!: r». • A , On the afternoon of that day.l asked Mr. Duff if he meant to search tihe .hold. He asked mo why ho should do . so. c . ' "Oh, just to satisfy I replied. • "I'm quite satisfied, 1 ' h'Q, rather'grufrly. "In that case' " said Ij and I walked to my deck chair aft, whistling for Charlie, who came bounding up' frolh ;, where he ; usually lay in the day a shady place under a grating far,.astern, : x ! That - day passed without our hearing; any.; mysterious sounds of rapping' oi" anything else, and after supper I began my'usual stroU for exercise. . , '

I must confess that I g'ot.a shock when,, just as I canie abreast .'of the strange rapping began.Thei.mates were together on the port, waiting for this, and every hand in tli6' forepart ot tho ship was clearly alert. 1 -A" murmur caitte ! from tho men arid a quick s exclamation from the second male when the rapping, began. 1 I : could riot halp, thinking i that' Mr. Duff had described it very well when he said that " it was like" a man sneaking agaihsfr the lid of his coffin. It had a hollow sound —that was' what made me believe that it. came' from within the hold —and.at the same time it was muffled; it suggested a succession] of short blows, not with the knuckles, but with ' the: soft side of a hand. • That was why, it seemed so mysterious. I stood at ~ the ' coaming ; ofthe hatch, l ' breathlessly awaiting; a continuance of the • rapping. I could see that tho mates and the rsoamen were doing tho;same. The* silence 1 , became, oppressive, but the sound was not resumed; arid, after an interval'l "went up: to Mr. Duff and his mate, saying, "Gan you make out ivhat it is? I tell you it seems to come from tho - interior of the hold." ...■' '. Mr. Duff shook his head, and then walked away; : "Have vou any idea what it is?" I thei asked of his subordinate. • . "There's a curse on the vessel, sir, he replied. "Tho Lord knows what things have. happened under those hatches when the; old man was'running one of lus slave cargoes. There's a curse on the vessel I It s doomed,' and wo are doomed, Maylw we'll starve to. death in this calm. We may become another Flying Dutchman." . , "That's a gloomy view to take of things, • 1 said L "What I want to know is why the, rapping begins tho moment that I come abreast of-the hatch. , One would, fancy that it'was a trick'.''. : ■>- r - • . "A trick?" said the second mate. He did not add another word, and.l,felti rebuked. I thought that the best thing I could do would bo to go to ray berth. : r lhat was what I' did; and for two hours I lay awake listening to the mumbled .exchange, of: views be-' tween 1 hWFA them • conib f dowawthe; compaii/oni and turn, into their bunks. They did not seem to think it necessary to keep their watches on deck. . When I could hear that both of them were asleep,; I got out of. my:, bunk and went stealthily up. the companion, to try, some experiments in tho absence of the orn-i cers. I found the deck almost deserted. Unly two seamen were lying asleep in bows. I went along by the side .of the deck house in complete silence j but tho moment, that : 1 got abreast of -the-hatch there, came three distinct taps. I went back to the side of the deck - house and advanced again. 'ihe taps were repeated. But this time I,had moved so stealthily that I had almost passed the tarimuliii before tho sounds came, and i was able to locate them to some extent. J. repeated .my experiment and then > • .well, then,l gave a .laugh .that awoke, the two sailors in the bows. , ~. I thought it well to retreat to; my cabin,; but when there I put head under the 'sheet and had another laugh. 1 was asleep in half-an-hour., " , ",v„ "Well Mr. Duff, any developments of the mystery?" said I, when.l went on deck m the morning. ■ ,'.■■■" ■ uv,3„™i„„' ."I don't know what you call developments,". said he. "But you take my word for it that tho vesesl is . haunted.; Two of the hands saw a ghost, last night coming through the main hatch, and moving about, witli .its head-bent-! 1 '. ■ "a" gfost" in' white duck or pyjamas I asked. . .. .■ •••...

Ho, was grave. . '. _ - (( - "They both saw. it-, said he ..and.they, heard the rapping at the same .time. . . "Why didn't they grab it? TTo could have preserved it< in-. ghost .pita would make a. good show at _Aden, saidl. -"You wouldn't, bo so readv.to joke if you hoard what the hands for'ard aro saying about you," ho whispered. : '. .- "What are .they saying? ; ; ... ~ - "They day that you.-are , the .one that brought • the ill-luck to the schooner, and that's why the ghost knocks, to be, let out of the hold-when,you are passing,. , COh! and what do they mean„to. do? ,-, Ho shifted his feet uneasily,; before saying in a low tone, "The Lord onW knows. . _ Ho then went forward with; his hands u» his pockets.' : ' . ' ' I perceived-that with such a. crew as wera aboard the- schooner the suggestion that .1 was a Jonah had only 'to .bo . made,: and I would share the fatd- of .the ■ prophet soma dark night. I thought it as,well to.keep pretty far aft. all day; . but after- supper, when there" was a full muster of the crew forward and the two mates ; ware smoking amidships,'l walked boldly npr.the deck.- In a moment the rapping began as beforehand in another instnnt every man, of .the crew had sprung to his feet. - "Get back to your you want to save your life,' 1 cried Mr. Duff. ■ . "I'll bo hanged if I get back to my cabin,"said I "I bave a right to every part of the vessel. I'll stand' my ground.!' .■: . _ "Well you were warned anyway," said he* Throe of tho crew advanced till they were almost at tho side" of the main, hatch. "HulloI" I cried. "Are you ! in search of the ghost?" - . . ' , ohey hung back-for a mmuto or two. ; "If you want to' find f it, 1 can toll you where to search," I continued. "Just skin your eyes ill tho direction of tho dog's barrel. Como along, my men, and you'll learn all abc>ut tho rapping. Stand by Charlie's kennel." After somo hositation two of tho men advanced to tho - old apple barrel which was lashed to the windlass. I walkod astern and then returned briskly amidships, and the rapping began. ■ . ' ... ■; "Blost if it ain't the dog s tail wagging agen the side o' tho bar'l!" criod one of tha 111011. . ' ■ ''That's tho ghost," said I. "I found it out' last night when 1 1 came on deck in my pyjamas, and was taken for a spectre. Charlie knows my step, and the momoiit I approach his barrol ho wags his tail. That's all. "I'm blest 1" said one soamau. It was not blest that the second said he was,.but his asseveration had the samo effect. In five minutes every man of tho crew had declared that he was either .blest or tho other thihg; but considering that their investigations were interrupted by tho order to trim tho sails for'the wind that had be; gim to send the tacklo swinging and creakin';, and,that we had not another hour of calm until wo roached Aden, I am inclined to believe that those that _ took the blessed view, of tho matter were in the right, (Copyright in tho .U.S.A.J