Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-14
CHAPTER XVI.


lighted pipe, and sat bordering his
story little while There was no doubt he
had given me the exact truth so far as his
relation of it went, As it was certain then
that the Boca del Dragon las she was called
had been fixed in the ice for hard upon fifty
years, the conclusion | formed was that she
had been blown by some hundreds Of leagues
farther south than the point TO which the
Laughing Mary had been driven that this
ice in which she was entangled was not then
drifting northward, but was in the grasp Of
some polar current that trended it south
easterly; that in due course it was carried to
the antarctic main of ice, where it lay COM
pacted; after which, through stress of
weather or by the agency Of a particular
temperature, great mass of it broke away
and started on that northward course which
bergs of all magnitude take when they are
ruptured from the frozen continent.
Now that | had a companion should be
able to escape from this horrid situationg He
had spoken of chests of silver. Where was
the treasure-in the rum There might be
booty enough in the hold to make great
man, fine gentleman, of me, ashore. 1t
would be Il noble ending to an amazing ad-
venture to come Off with as much money us
would render me independent for life, and
enable me to turn my back forever upon the
hardest calling TO which the destiny Of man
can wed MN
VI such were inc IaIcles winch hurrleu
through my mllu'
wished 10 see now the s'hooner nay, ana
what change had befallen the ice in the
night, and went on deck. III was blowing
whole gale OF wihd from The northwest:
The sea was swelilhg very lurlously' ana 1
could dlVlhe ltS tehlpes1uolis character ny
e
clouds Of spray "hich spread like volumes Oh
steam uhder the suiieh uueNy heavens hlgh
over tbe ihaslhe"us' ihe schouheI iaS "th
list OF about 10 dogs, ana her BOWS hlgh
cooked looked over the stern ana saw
that the ice had sunk there ana that there
were twenty great rents ana yawhlng seams
where had before noticed but one A vast
block of ice had fallen on the starboard side,
and lay so close on the quarter mat could
have sprung on 10 IL. NO other marked
changes were opSerFaole
was apouU 10 ~ peio" as"i"' WHEN my
eye was taken ny Che tMo CURES lying upon
the deck NO uc'u po'Hes ever looAeu hioie
dead; puV aIoer inc "onurous restoration Vi
the Frenchman could hot view thelr Iorils
without lahcylhB tluo they "ero put rs ne
hau peeh, ana thht IL Ihey Welo cuilleu 10 tne
furnace, ana treateu WIN prahuy anu ruD-
bling and the IKE they might be Drought To-
run OF thoughts concerning theih l stepped
into the CABIN, ana gong 10 lhe COOK room
iound lassaru SUN heaNhy sieePinS' inc
coal in the corner was low, ana as 1t wanted
an hour OF dinner Tune TOOK the lantern ana
bucket ana Went mo the lore peak' ana
aiter several Journeys sUocheu up eoou pro
VISION OF coai III 'he corner iiitlae NOISE
enough puC iaSS Sa, siep' on. heii tiiis
was ehueh l polleu some water 10 cleanse
llyseH, anu .hell SCI aoouI seuIlhS lho uiiiiiei
reluy.
Inc gong lllIo the lore peak nau pun my
mlnd upon the treasure "Ilch' as had
gauhefeu from inc frelcHnahS IairaIlFe'
was somewhere hlddeh IN the schooher-ih
the run as dountet nov mean IA Ihe nod
uiiuel Ihe lll%aIe've loI you WIN Ieooii t,
that, belhg weary ana mar perlsheu WIN uhe
cold, h'd turned my pack on that DARK part
atter having looked INTO the powder room
An lhe time was leIchiiig tne coai anu dress
ing the dlhher my Imagination was Oh nre
with fancies of the treasure in this ship The
Frehchman had tolh me that tIey had been
wen enough pleased WITH Their hauis IN the
South sea to resolve them upon heading
round the morn Tor tneir natht' wherever IL
HliSnU "e' III 'ne Hl''ni'h NAM anu 'i''u w.
Boou uh ulr'ci S'aiiuliis oi 'ho c""i iI'ei Vi
pirates 10 neieNe tlao Cney "ouiu nave
quilted rich hunting ned before they had
handsomely lined their pockets Nhat' theh'
was The treasure IN the run, IL indeed IL were
there'
was mechanically SURFING the saucepan
tull OF Dfoth mad prepared, lost III theSe
golden thoughts, when the Frenchman sud
denly sat up ON his mattress.
"HaE cried he, snlffng vigorously
smell something good-something am ready
for. There is no physlc ike sleep ana WIN
That he stretched out ms arms WIN a great
yawn then rose very agllely, kicking the
clothes ana mattress on one SIDE ana pflhs-
ing a bench close to the furnace what
time Is 1t, slrf
something after IL by the captains
watch sald J. pulling 1T out ana looking al
IT, hnI MS guesS"ofk uihe
me captains Watch!' cried ne, WIN
snore loutl laugh hotl are ihouee.' MI
faul houhey'' Salu l. seeing ne stopper
ior my haLlie;
les INQUEST MI faul houi y ihaI
"a'cl ~ ours SIT anu So" iiie''n IL sAl"li oe
SouIS' ~, NJ, :
ven hr. laSSaru' saiu L., coiorlilS III
spite OF myself thouSh ne could NOT witness
Tue cnahee IN sucli hgho as thac' !ei0
this that II lelC the Wabch IN the captains
pocket it was bound to go to the bottom III |
timately. and--
BAN ne interrupted, WIN Vlolent |
hourlSh OF the hahd; Let us save the |
schooner II poss'oiei there VIII be more than
one wa'ch lor your pocket, more than one
uouoloou Ior your purse Meanwmle, TO din
nerl MY stuPor mas converted me INTO an
empty nogsheau' ana IL VIII take me Tort
hlgnt OF nara entihg toieel that have broken
my Ias1'"
With blow OF the chopper he struck OFF |