Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-20
CHAPTER XVI,
AN TROUBLED BY THoroHTs OF THH
TREASURE.

AN TROUBLED BY THoroHTs OF THE
TREASURE.
The weight Of the wind in tho rigging
stsadied the schooner somewhat, and pre-
vented her from rolling too heavily to star
board, while her list corrected her lsrboard
rolls. 30 a sat below she seemed to me 10
bs making tolerably good weather of it. Not
much water came aboard; now and again
would hear the clatter Of fall forward, but
at comfortably long intervals.
sat against the dresser with my back upon
II, and being dead tired must have dropped
asleep on q sudden-indeed, before had half
smoked my pipe out--and do not believe
gave thought TO my situation before slum-
bered, go wearied was l. The cold awoke me.
The fire was out, and 50 was the candle in
the lantern, and I was in coffin darkness.
This the tinder box speedily remedied.
looked at my watch-7 o'clock, as was q
sinnerl % that my sleep had lasted between
three and four hours
went on deck and found the night still
black upon the sea, the wind the same brisk
gale that was blowing when quit the helm,
the sea no heavier, and the schooner tumblipg
in true Dutch fashion upon it. Hooked very
earnestly around, but could see no signs Of
ice There would be daylight presently; so
fast, and when I returned the sun was up,
and the sea visible to its farthest reaches.
1t was fine wintry piece; the sea green
and running in ridges with frothing heads,
the sky very pale among the dark snow laden
clouds, the sun darting ray now and again,
which was swung into the north by the shad-
ows Of the clouds until they extinguished il.
Remote in the northwest hung the CLEAN Of
an iceberg-there was nothing else in sight.
es-something that comforted me exceed
ingly, though it was not very many days ago
that like object had heavily scared mean
albatross, q noble bird, sailing on the wind
ward close enough to be shot. The sight Of
this living thing was inexpressibly cheering;
1t put into my head fancy of ships being at
hand, thoughts of help and OF human compan-
ions. In truth, my Imagination was willing
TO accept it as the same bird that had fright
ened away when in the boat, now returned
to silently reproach me for my treatment Of
IT, Nay, my lonely eye, my subdued and suf.
fering heart, might even have witnessed the
good angel Of my life in that solitary shape
of ocean beauty, and have deemed that,
though unseen, it had been with mo through.
out, and was now made visible to my gaze
by the light Of hope that had broken into the
darkness of my adventure.
Well, supposing it SO, should not have
been the only man who ever scared his good
angel away and found it faithful afterward.
Iunlashed the tiller and got the schooner
before the wind, and steerad until q little be-
fore noon, letting her drive dead before the
sea, which carried her northeast Then, Sc
curing the helm amidships, l ran for the
quadrant, and while waiting for the sun to
chow himself / observed that the vessel held
herself very steadily before the wind, which
might have been owing to her high stern and
the great swell of her sides and her round
bottom; hut be the cause what IL might, she
ran as fairly with her helm amidships as il
had been at the tiller to check her-a most
fortunate condition Of my navigation, for it
privileged me TO get about other work, while
at the same time every hour was conveying
me nearer to the tracks of ships and farther
from the bitter regions Of the south.
got an observation, and made out that the
vessel had driven about fifteen leagues dur
ing the night. She must do better than that,
thought I; and when ] had eaten some din.
ner took chopper, and going on TO the
forecastle lay out upon the bowsprit, and
after beating the spritsail yard block clear Of
the ice, cut away the gaskets that confined
the sail TO the yard, heartily beating the can
vas, that WAS like iron, till clew Of IL fell.
ItLn Ssms IN and Rzsssd ths yGd sasars.