Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-15

legs from running away with me. You
see, it was certain that be must have moved
of his own accord 70 get upon his hack. /
was prepared for the fire to thaw him into
limherness, snd had l found him straight
ened somewhat I should not have been sur
priSed. But there was No power in fire to
stretch him to his fall length and turn him
over on his back. What living or ghostly
hand had done this thing? Did spirits
walk this schooner after all? Had / missed
something more terrible than $sy number
Of dead men in searching The yasssl9
had made . great fire, and it's light
was strong, and there was also the light Of
the lantern; but the Furnaces fumes played
very lively, completely oyermssterirg the
stSaiy illumination Of the candle, and the
igure "a all a-twitch with moving
sh1fows, and a hundred fautastic shades
seemed to steal out of the side and bulk
hasdS and disappeared before my terrified
gaze. Then, thcught /, suppose after all
that man should be alive, the vitality in
him set flowing by the heat? ! minded
myself OF my own simile of the earreut
checked by frost, yet retaining unimpaired
principle of motion; and, getting my agita-
ton under some small control, ! approach
ed the body on tiptoe and held the lantern
70 its face.
He looked q mar Of sixty years Of age;
his beard was gray and very long and lay
upon his breast like . cloud OF smoke.
His eyes were closed; the brows shaggy,
and tbs dark scar of q sword wound ran
across MS forehead from the corner Of the
le;t eve 70 the top Of the right brow. His
pose WAS long and hooked; but the rspOse
in his couutenance, backed By the vague
character Of the light in which / inspected
him, left his face almost expressionless.
l vas too mucn alarmed to put lay ear TO
his mouth to m1rk If he bTeathed, if IT,
deed the noise of the Burning fire would
have permitted me 70 distinguish his res.
pir.tiou. drew back from him and put
down the lantern and watched him.
Presently his LEFT leg, that wa slightly
bent toward the furnace, stretched itself
ont to i:5 full length. and my ear caught
a flint sound, as Of a weak and melancholy
sigh. Gracious heavens, thought I, he
Is alive! and with less Of terror than OF
profound awe, nov that ! saw there was
uPNIAhE ~ - sANohAy VI prCLCtG1luha
character in this business, / approached
and bent over him. His eyes were still
shut, and l could not hear that he
b.eIthed; theIe was lot the faintest motion
OF respiration IL his breas. nor stir in the
nair, that was now SOFT about his mouth.
Yet, so far rs thu light would softer me 20
Judge, there was q complexion in mis- face
such rs could only come with flowing
blood, however ianguild its circalstion
sad pattiDg this and the sigh and the
movement of tae legs together, l felt con-
viaoed that the man was aliTe, and for.h-
with fell 10 work, very fall Of " and
amazsment, TO be sure, to help nature,
that vas struggling in him.
My first step was to heat some brandy,
add while this was doing / pulled open his
coat and freed his neck, fetching a coat
foOn the cabin to serve as q pillow fo- his
head. / next removed his b5ots and laid
ba:e mis- feet (Which were encasej in no
less than four pairs of thick wooltn stock.
ings, 70 that / thought when l came to the
third pair l should lind his leg made up OF
stockipgS), and after bathing lis feet in hot
water, Of which there was O kettleful, l
EUllCu FIX" Will hOL bldSGy 90 haAo ~ 1
could chafe. / then deal. with his hands
IN like manner, having orce been shipmate
with z seaman who told me he had seen a
sailor brought to by severe rubbing Of the
extrsmeties sitter he had been carried be,
low supposed to he frozen to death, and
continued this exercise till I could rub 40
longer. Next I opened his lips, and find
ing he wanted some OF his front teeth, |
very easily poured q dram Of brandy into
bis mouth. Though l preserved my as.
constituent all this while, | soon dis,
covered myself working with enthusiasm,
with q most passionate longing indeed 10
recover the man, not only because II
pleased ne to think of NY being an instIu-
msDt under God CT calling a human being
% to speak, ont OF sis grave, but because
[ yearned Ter 2 eOmpanion-some one TO
address, to tighten the hideoas solitude OF
Ey condition, and to assist me in planning
our dsliyerance.
I built up : great fire, and with much
trouble, for he was very heavy, disposed
him IN such a manner before IL that the
heat was reflected all over the front Of him
from his head to his feet. l likewise con
tinued to chafe his extremities, RENTING
this work only to rest; and finding that the
brandy had stolen down his throat, i pour
| sd another dram in, and then another, TIL
I think he had swallowed q pint. This
went on for ~ hour, during which time b.
never exhibited the least sigGs OF life; but
on q sudden he sighed deep; a tremor rou
through him; he sighed again. and partly
raised his right hand, which fell 20 the deck
with a blow; his lips twitched, and a small
consulsion of his face compelled the feat
ures into the similitude Of q grin that IN
stantly faded: then he fetched a Succession
If signs, and opened his eyes full upon me,
/ wa warm enough with my work; bat
when | observed him looking al me ]
turned OF a death like cold, and felt the
/ deS of an intolerable emotion wet 10 the
palms of my hands. There was no specu
latiou in his stare at tirst-his eyes lay as
| coldly upon me "a those Of q fish; but al
life quicSensd IN him 50 his understanding
aaoke; be slightly knitted his brows, and
se5y slowly rolled his gaze of me to th'
furnace, and so over as much of the cool
| ronm az wss before him. He then started
"a il to sit up, hut fell back with 8 slight
cream and looked at me again.
Whist is this??' said he, in French, in {
very hollow, feeble voice.
knew enough Of his language to enabl'
me to know he spoke French, but thsi
was all. I could not speak syllable o
that tongue.
"YOa'n be feeling better presently; yoT
must not expect your strength to come II
a minute" said I, taking my chance o.
his understanding me, and speaking tina
he might not think mea ghost, for l doub
not / was rs white as one-since, 10 b'
plain, the mere talking to a figure that
had got to consider a. shserly
dead as any bedy in q grave yard
was alarming enough; and then, again
there was the sound Of my OWE voice
which | hSd not sxGgted in speech for ages
as il seemed to me.
He faintly nodded his head, By which
perceived he understood me. aud said very
ffu:ly in English, but with q true French
AGENT, This is a hard bed, cir"
IN speedily mend that, said |, and a
once fetched g mattress from the cabin mex