Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-06-07
CHAPTER XIII.

I EXPLORE THE HOLD AND FoRECAsTLE
It was pitch dark when / awoke, and I
conceived it must be the middle of the night;
but, to my establishment, on lighting the
lantern and looking at the watch, which had
taken the precaution to wind up over night.
saw it wanted but twenty minutes to eight
o'clock, so that had passed through eleven
hours of solid sleep. However, it was only
needful to recollect where was and TO cast
glance at the closed door and port, to
understand why it was dark. l had slept
fairly warm, and awoke with no sensation of
cramp; but the keen air had caused the steam
Of my breath to freeze upon my mouth in
such manner that, when feeling the sticky
inconvenience l put my finger to it, it fell
like q little mask; and | likewise felt the pain
of cold in my face to such an extent that had
been blistered there, my cheeks, nose and
brow could not have smarted more This
resolved me henceforward to wrap up my
head and face before going to rest.
opened the door and passed out, and OBJ
served an amazing difference between the
temperature of the air in which had been
sleeping and that of the atmosphere in the
passage-a happy discovery, for it served to
assure me that, if / was careful to lie under
plenty of coverings and to keep the outer air
excluded, the heat Of my body would raise
the temperature of the little cabin; nor, pro-
viding the compartment was ventilated
throughout the day, was there anything to
be feared from the vitiation of the air by my
own breathing.
My first business was to light tho fire and
set my breakfast to thaw, and boil me ket-
tie of water; and while this was preparing |
went on deck to view the weather and to re.
volve in my mind the routine of the day. On
opening the door of the companion hatch /
was nearly blinded by the glorious brilliance
of the sunshine on the snow; after the black
ness of the cabin it was like looking at the
sun himself, and had TO stand full three
minutes with my hand upon my eyes before
could accustom my sight to the dazzling
glare. 1t was fine weather again; the sky
over the glass like masts of the schooner was
clear, dark blue, with a few light clouds
blowing over it from the southwark. The
wind had shifted at last; but, pure as the
heavens were, the breeze was piping briskly
with the weight and song of small gale,
and its fangs of frost, even in the compare
tive quiet of the sheltered deck bit with
fierceness that had not been observable yes
terday.
The moment had the body of the vessel
in my sight perceived that she had changed
her position since my last view of her. Her
bows were more raised, and she lay over far
Their by the depth of plank. l stared ear
nestly at the rocky slopes on either hand, but
could not have sworn their fguration was
changed. An eager hope shot into my mind,
but it quickly faded into an emotion Of APP
prehension. 1t was conceivable, indeed, that
on a sudden some early day might find the
4 c..1 ff.s-
the first inspiriting flush; but then came the
fear that the disruption and volcanic throes
of the ice might crash her-a fear rational
enough when saw the height she lay above
the sea, and how by pressure those slopes
| which formed her cradle might be jammed
and welded together. The change of her
posture then fell upon me with a kind of
shock, and determined me, when l had
broken my fast, to search her hold for boat
| or for materials for constructing some ark
| by which l might float out to sea, should the
| ice grow menacing and force me from the
| schooner
made plentiful meal, feeling the need Of
abundance of food in such temperature as
| this, and heartily grateful that there was no
| need why / should stint myself.
| While / ate my mind was so busy with
considerations of the change in the ships
posture during the night, that it ended in de-
| ternining me to take a survey Of her from
| the outside, and then climb the cliffs and
look around before fell TO any other work.
| Aiming myself with boarding pike to serve
as a pole, dropped into the fore chains and
thence stepped on to the ice, and very slowly
and carefully walked round the schooner,
examining her closely and boring into the
snow upon her side with my pike wherever
suspected hole or indent. l could find
nothing wrong with her in this way, though
what thaw might reveal could not know.
Her rudder hung frozen upon its pintles, and
| looked as it should. Some little distance
abaft her rudder, where the hollow or chasm
sloped to the sea, was great split three or
| four feet wide; this had certainly happened
in the night, and I must have slept as sound
as the dead not to hear the noise of it. Such
rent as this sufficed to account for the sub
sidence Of the after part of the schooner and