The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-07-13

or four coats end cloaks, warming the under
ones before folding them about him, and
completing his preparations for the excur-
sion by swallowing half pint OF raw brandy,
babe him arm himself with short headed
spear to save his neck, and thus equipped we
went on deck
He stood stock still with his eyes shut ON
emerging through the hatch, crying out with
a number OF French oaths that he had been
struck blind This did not believe, though
] readily supposed that the glare made his
eyehalls smart so as 10 cause him good deal
of agony. Indeed, all along had been sur
prised that he should have found his sight so
easily after having sat In blindness for forty
eight years, and il was not wonderful that
the amazing brillance ON deck, shifting his
sight ON a sudden, should have caused him to
cry out as IL he had lost the use Of his eyes
forever
Iwaited patiently, and In about ten min
utes he was able to look about him, and then
it was not long before he could sec without
pain. He stood minute gazing at the glo-
ries upon the rigging, and in that piercing
light noticed the unwholesome color OF his
face. His cap hid the scar, and no hing of
his countenance was to be seen but the
cheeks, eyes and nose He was much more
wrinkled than l had supposed, and mo
thought the spirit OF cruelty lay visible in
every line. had never seen eyes so full of
cunning and treachery -so expressive, 1
should say, Of these qualities; yet they were
no bigger than mere punctures. was SEN
sible of a momentary fear of the man-not,
let me say, an emotion Of cowardice, but a
sort of mixture of alarm and awe, such as a
ghost might inspire. This I put down to
the searching light in which watched him
for a moment or two-an irradiation subtle
enough to give the sharpest form 10 express
sion, to exquisitely define every meaning
that was distinguishable in his graveyard
physiognomy. l left him to stare and judge
for himself Of the posture in which the long,
hard gale had put the schooner, and stepped
over to the two bodies They were shrouded
in ice from head to foot, as though they had
each man been packed in a glass case cum
ningly wrought to their shapes. Their faces
We're hid by the crystal masks Tassard
joined me.
"Small chance for your friends now" said
/, seven if you were agreeable to my pro-
posal to attempt to revive them"
'Sop cried he, touching the body of the
mate with his foot; land this Is the end Of
the irresistible TrentanoveI for what con-
quests has Death robed him so bravely7
See, the colors shine in him like fifty differ
emit kinds of ribbons. Poor fellowl he could
not curl his mustaches now, though the
loveliest eyes in Europe were fixed in pas
sionate admiration on him. He'll never slit
another throat, nor hiccough Petrarch over
| a gobletful, nor demonstrate with me for my
humanity. Shall we toss the bodies over
| the side?'
"They are your friends" said l.; 'do as
you please"
"But we must empty their pockets first
Business before sentiment, Mr.. Rodney"
He stirred the figure again with his foot.
"Well, presently" said he, this armor
will want the Ratchet Now, my friend, to
view the work of the gale"
The increased heel of the ship brought the
larboard fore channel low, and we stepped
without difficulty from it on to the ice. The
rent or fissure that have before spoken of
went very deep-it was nearly two feet wide
in places; but, though the light poured bril-
liantly upon it, I could see no bottom.
"If only such another split as this would
happen t'other side" said the Frenchman,
81 believe this block would go adrift"
|
ran my eye over the hollows, "Tl tell you
what was in my mind just now. There is a
great quantity of gunpowder in the hold
ten or a dozen barrels. By dropping large
parcels of it into the crevices on the right
there, and firing it with slow Matches
He interrupted me with cry: by St.
Paul, you have it! What crevices have your
We walked briskly round the vessel; and
all about her beam and stalboard quarter l
! found, in addition to the seams had before
noticed, many great cracks and assures,
caused no doubt by the fall of the shoulder
of the slope. pushed on farther yet, going
down the ravine, as have called it, until !
camo to the edge; and here l looked down
from height of some twelve or fourteen
fcct-so greatly had tho ice sunk or been
changed by the weather.-upon the ocean /
called to Tassard. He approached warily. !
firmly believe he feared might be tempted
| to give him friendly shove over the edge
''Obsorve this hollow" said I; ''the split
there goes down to tho water, and you may
! take it that the block is wholly disconnected
! a->-LL-A -.L--- zE~rr- az the lace of the
ice," said /, pointing to the starboard or right
hand side; "that crack goes as far as the
vessels quarter, and tho weakness is carried
on to past the bows by the other rents Mr..
Tassard, if we could burst this body Of i,a
by an explosion from it's mornings ahead OF
the bowsprit, where it is all too compact, this
| cradle with the schooner in it will go free of
the parent body"
lie answered promptly, eyes, it is the one
and only plan. That crack to starboard is like
| telling US what to do. 1t is well you came
here. We should not have seen it from the
top. This valley runs steep. You must expect
no more than the surface to DO liberated, for
the foot Of the cliff will go deep"
81 desire no more"
"Will the ship stand such launch, suppos-
ing we bring it about?" said he.
responded with one of his own shrugs,
and said, Nothing is certain. We have
ono Of two courses to choose; to venture
this launch, or stay till tho ice breaks up,
and take our chance of floating or of being
| smashed"
"You are right" he exclaimed. "Here is
an opportunity. If We wait, bergs may
gather about this point and build us in. As
to this island dissolvinS, we arc yet to know
which way tits heading. Suppose it should
he travelling south, heyT'
| He struck the leo with his spear, and we
toiled up the slippery rocks with difficulty to
the ship. We walked past tho bows to the
| distance OF tho vessels length. Here were
many deep holes and cracks, and, o. if wo
were to DO taught how these came about,
even while wo were viewing them, an ear
splitting crash Of noise happened within
twenty fathoms of us, rock many tons in
weight rolled over and left black gulf be-
| hind it.
| The Frenchman started, muttered and
crossed himself "Holy Virgin" he cried,
rolling his eyes. "Let us return. Tho pow
der barrel must have tho first chance" And
he made for the schooner savagely striking
the ice with his spear, and growing curses to
himself as he plowed and climbed and jumped
his way along
| To he Continual