A SAILOR'S YARN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 47, 20 March 1896, Page 6

A SAILOR'S YARN.

A DEMON IN THE RIGGIKG.

Alfred T. Story tells a good many sailor yarns in the January number of the Strand Magazine. The following amusing incident chows the superstitious mind of old salts. On a dark and dismal night a few years ago a Bmall coasting schooner was trssing about off the south-east coast. The wind whistled ominously, telling in its own unmistak ble language of a rapidly approaching storm. The skipper, a seasoned old salt, felt, with a knowledge that had become instinct, that they were going to navel a dirty night. He knew that there was not a moment to be ost if he would have his vessel put in readiness to meet tbe coming tempest. The first thing to be done was to get in tbe topsail, and he accordingly gave the order to a man standing near him :—: — " Jack, go aloft and furl the tops'el ?" To the master's astonishment, tbe man he addressed, though a sailor of undoubted bravery, hesitated to obey. The skipper rapped out an oath, and bade him do as be was bid. Bat the Bailor still

held back, and when reproached for a coward and a p iltroon, the poor fellow bluitid out the reason of his extraordma y conduct by sayiDg : — " A darn't, sir. A've 'eared queer Bounds in th' riggin' as a don't much care for. It strikes me there's somethin' unoat'ra! b.M^ it " "Rubbish?" cried the skipper, now well-nigh boiling with rage. " Do as I tell ye this moment, or it'll be the woise for >c." Jack, fearing tb.9 iough treatment he would inevitably bring down upon himself if he persisted in his disobediencp, made up his mind to dare the terror that lutked in the pitch darkness enshrouding the rigging, and begin to ascend towards the top-a 1 yard, Bnt he had not gcje far aloft ere he came to a sudden stop. Then with a precipitancy which he had not shown in going up, be tumbled down to the deck again. " Now, then, you lnbber ! What's taken possession of you now ? ' demanded the skipper. "Ob, Cap'u !" cried tbe terrified fellow, as soon as his agitation would permit him to speak, " tha bad uns in the riggm'. I ain't agoin' t'forl that ere tops'e) with Mm a lurkin' there." The skipper ground his tfeth, but vouchsafed not a w. rd to the scared man. With a look of contempt he pushed past him, and commanded a young Irishman to perform the task, addiog : "And look smart about it, d'ye hear?" "Ay, ay, skipper I" responded Paddy, who, glad to show his superiority to danger and fear, swung himself aloft with the alacrity of a monkey. But no sooner had he reacied the top than, like Jack, Paddy became transfixed with horror. Not another step did he venture to take, but instead went helter-skelter downwards, reaching the deck even qu'eker than hie shipmate had done. Nor did he attempt to hide the white feather either. «' Och, sure?" cried he, " an 1 if it ain'i the foul fiend himself that has got into the top&'el." "Get along, you cowardly lubber I" cried the incensed skipper. " Faix, masth- r, but 1 heered him say, < Routjh weather, mates,' as plain as could be — an' as far furling the sail in face of that imp of B1U — you may do it yourstlf, for, begor, I won't."

" Fiend or no fiend," shouted the c«ryain, who was now in a lowering rage, " I'll have that topsail djwn " ; and seizing a knife, hef proceeded to climb the rigging. Bat no sooner had he reached the top than he receive d, in a rarshi rancous voice, the same greeting as his men :—: — " Rough weather, mates — roueh weather ? " Needless to say thac, like Jack and Paddy, the skipper was terribly scared ; and if he did not get down to the deck sb quickly as tbey, it was because be was less supple in the joints, not because bis hurry was less. There was no doubt as to the ship being, for the time, the abode of a demon. The only question was what to do with the schooner with such an unwelcome visitor on board. A hasty council of war was beld, with (he resulting unanimous feeling that their prospects of ever seeing daylight again were very small. All were of opinion that the only chance tbey had lay in being very good, and doing nothing to anger the Evil One, Accordingly tbey steered tbe ship to the beßt of their ability, and kept very quiet, fearing all the time lest tbe grim terror in the rigging should lead them to destruction upon a treacherous sand, or against some sunken rock. In this state of anxiety and fear they passed tbe night ; and gladly did they hail the firet faint gleam of returning day, which also brought some mitigation of the tempest. Then the eyes of the crew were strained &9 they gazed up into the rigging to see if perchance the demon was still there. Nothing as yet could they descry, for tbe mist continued to cling about tbe masts and shrouds ; but the Irish sai'or vowed that be could make out a pair of eyes a-gleam near the mast-bead ; and there was no mistake about tbe voice that suddenly cried down to them, making Jack almost jump overboard with fright :— " Now then, you lubbers, belay, there, belay I " Everybody expected next moment to see the grim monster Bbow himself in their midst. Bat behold their surprise when, instead, they saw a large, handsome parrot fly dewn into the top and salute them witb something very much like a laugh. The accomplished bird had flown into the schooner's rigging from a passing

vessel, and was thus, no doubt innocently enough, the cause of a night of heart-quaking and anxiety to a whole crew.