The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-06-22
MANKATo FREE Pass.
FRIDAY. JUNE az, 1888.
ICE BOUN D.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.

Author Of "The Wreck Of the GrosUeaor"
sacks Courtship," my Watch Be
loW, "Ths Lady Mad Etc.
| TTH-4
He sh9ideredy and extended the pannikin
for more liquor. filed it with two-thirds
Of brandy and the rest water, and he supped
it dowpas il 1t had been a thimbleful of wine.
~ teAoly Cross cried he, ''but this Is
v@Y NSpnderful, thought How long have
you been here, sirG"
"Three days"
"Three daysl and have been in a stnpor
all that time-never moving, never breath
ingT"
"You win have been in a stupor longer
than that, expect, said l.
"What is this month"; he cried.
"July," l replied.
"July-Julyr he muttered. "Impossiblei
Let me see"-he began to count on his fingers
-''we fell I'm with the ice and got locked in
November We had six months of it; recol-
lect no more. Six months of it, sir; and
suppose the stupor came upon me then, the
month at which my memory stops would be
April Yet you call this July-that is to say,
four months Of obliviont Impossiblel"
"What was the year in which you fell in
with the ice!" said l.
"The yearl" he exclaimed, in a voice deep
with the wonder this question raised in him;
"the yearl Why, man, what year but 1753p
"Good Godp cried I, jumping to my feet
with terror at a statement had anticipated,
though it shocked me as a new and frightful
revelation. "Do you know what year this isl"
He looked at me without answering.
sit is 1901" cried; and as l said this re-
coiled a step, fully expecting him to leap up
and exhibit hundred demonstrations of
horror and CONSERVATION; for this, am per-
Suaded, would have been my posture had any
man reused me from a slumber and told me
had been in that condition for eight and
forty years.
He continued to view me with a very
strange and cunning expression in his eyes,
the GOODNESS of which was inexpressibly sur.
prising and bewildering, and even mortify,
ing; then presently, grasping his beard,
looked at it; then put his hands to his face
and looked at them; then pulled out his feet
and looked at them; then very slowly, but
without visible effort, stood up, swaying a
little with an air of weakness, and proceeded
to feel and strike himself all over, swinging
his arms and using his legs-after which he
sat down and pulled his clothes over his naked
feet, and, fixing his eyes on me afresh, said:
"What do you say this year is, sir!'
Eighteen hundred and one" replied
"Bahl" said he, and shook his head very
knowingly. mo matter; you have been
shipwrecked, too! Sir, shipwreck shultles
dates as player does cards; and the best of
US will go wrong in famine, loneliness, cold
and peril. Be of good cheer, my friend; all
will return to you. Sit, sir, that l may hear
your adventures, and will relate mine"
I saw how it was; he supposed me de.
ranged-a notifying construction to place
upon the language of a man who had restored
him to life; yet a few moments reflection
taught me to see the reasonableneSs of it, for
unless he thought me crazy he must conclude
I spoke the truth, and it was inconceivable
he should believe that he had lain in frozen
condition for eight and forty years.
have no doubt the disorder my mind was
in helped to persuade him that had not the
full possession of my senses. He ran his eye
over my figure and then round the cook
room, and said, 81 am impatient to learn
your story, sir"
"Why, sir" said l, "rny story is summed
up in what ! have already told You" But
that he might not be at losS-for to be sure,
he had only very newly collected his intel
lect-I related my adventures at large. He
drew nearer to the furnace while l talked,
bringing his covering of clothes along with
him. and held out his great hands to toast at
the fire, all the time observing ME with
scarce wink of the eye. Arrived at the
end of my tale, l told how only last night
had dragged his companion on deck, and
how he was to follow but for his posture.
"Ha!" cried he, "yOu might have caused
my flesh to mortify by laying me close to the
fire 1t would have been better to rub me
with snow"
He poked up one foot after the other to
count his toes, fearing some had come away
with his stockings, and then said: "Wcll, and
how long should have slept had you rot
comet Another week! By St Paul, might
have diedl Have you my stockings, sir!'
I gave them to him, and he pulled them
over his legs and then drew on his boots and
stood up, the coats and wraps tumbling off
him as he rose.
81 can stand" says he. "That is good"
But in attempting to take n step hc reeled,
| and would have fallen had not grasped his
arm.
"Patience, my friend, patience!" he mt E.
tered, as if to himself. II must lie a lit,
longer, and with that he lnccled and theI,
lay along the mattress. He breathed heavily
and pointed to the pannikin. | asked him
whether he would have wine or brandy. lie
answered "Wine," so I melted n draught,
which dose, thought, on top of what lie had
already taken, would send him to sleep; lut
instead it quickened his spirits, and with 10
lack of life in his voice, he said: "What is the
condition of the vessel!'
told him that she was still high and dry,
adding that during the night some sort of
change had happened, which l should pres
emily go on deck to remark.
''Think you," says he, "that there is any
chance of her ever being hberatedF'
answered, "Yes, but not yet; that is, if
the ice in breaking doesn't destroy her. The
summer season has yet to come, and we are
progressing north; but now that you are
with me, it will be a question for us to settle
whether we are to wait for the ice to release
the schooner or endeavor to effect our escape
by other means"
A curious CLEAN of cunning satisfaction
shone in his eyes as he looked at me; he then
kept silence for some moments, lost in
thought
"Pray," said I, breaking in upon him,
what ship is this!'
He started, deliberated an instant, and an
swered, "The Boca del Dragon"
"a SpaniardF'
He nodded.
''She was pirate?" said L
Chow do you know that7" he cried, with a
sudden ferceness.
"Sir," said ], 81 am a British sailor, who
has used the sea for some years, and knows
the difference between a handspike and a
poop lantern. But what matters? She is a
pirate no longer"
He let his eyes fall from my face, and gazed
round him with the air of one who cannot
yet persuade his understanding of the reali-
ties of the scene he moves in.
"Tutl" cried he, presently, addressing him
self, "what matters the truth, as you say2
Yes" said he, "the Boca del Dragon is a
pirate. You have of course rummaged her,
and guessed her character by what you
foundP'
~ met with enough to excite my suspi-
cion," said 1. 1.-THE ships company of a
craft of this kind do not usually go clothed
In lace and rich cloaks, and carry watches of
this kind" tapping my breast, Sin their fobs
and handfuls of gold in their pockets"
"Unless'- said he.
"Unless," answered, ''their flag is as black
as our prospects" ....
"You think them blackT' cried he the