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Show HOW SAILORS "LAY GHOSTS" Men of the Sea Give Short Shrift to Matte r-of-Fact Spooks That Annoy Them. The first lieutenant had just been relieved, writes "I. S. T." In the London Lon-don Mall, and was wending his way from the destroyer's bridge to his cabin. It was fairly calm, but very dark, and there was little to be seen but a line of waves on each side and the dim form of a second destroyer In station astern. Even for this "No. 1" had no eyes, for he had had a weary middle watch and bed was his only Interest. But he did notice a weird figure, apparently human, crawling about near the ''bandstand" -:- of the after gun. He went to investigate and found the surgeon probationer, clad In a chamois leather overall suit, in which he had been sleeping on the wardroom ward-room couch below for every one must sleep more or less clad, ready to turn out at a moment's notice. He was feeling about In the dark, apparently ap-parently in search of something. "What on earth are you doing, Doc?" he asked, and got the brief answer, an-swer, "Laying a ghost." The first i lieutenant ' grunted and disappeared below, leaving the doctor to Insert a paper wedge between a loose rattling , shell and the side of the stand In ' which it was placed. A ghost, In navaf language, is a noise which cannot be accounted for. In a destroyer one becomes a con-; noisseur in noises. , The steering gear clanks heavily at Intervals and the rhythmic beat of the' ! engines Is always there, changing only ' when the speed is altered. In heavy weather the washing and beating of ' the water makes a hundred noises. But ghosts are extra noises and should be avoidable. Some misplaced or ill-fitting article or a loose screw may' cause the noise, and with the ship's vibration It will knock or rattle . with a regular persistency that will drive the most placid mind nearly to frenzy, and sleep will rarely be the : victim's portion until he has left hl warm bunk and found the cause of the trouble and the ghost is laid. |