The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-06-15
MANKATo FREE Pass.
FRIDAY. JUNE Is. 1888.
ICE BOUN D.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL,

Author of "Ths Wreok of the Grosuenor."
"Jacks Courtship," my Watch Be
lo,R" "Ths Lady Maud Etc.
I had made great fire, and It's light was
strong, and there was also the light of the
lantern; but the furnace flames played very
lively, completely overmastering the steady
Of the candle, and the mans fig
ure was all a-twitch with moving shadows,
and q hundred fantastic shades seemed to
steal out Of the side and bulkheads and disap-
pear upon my terrified gaze Then, thought
I, suppose after all that man should be alive,
the vitality in him set flowing by the heati
I minded myself of my own smile of the
current checked by frost, yet retaining unim-
paired the principle of motion; and, getting
my agitation under some small control, | APP
the body ON tiptoe and held the Ian
tern to its face.
He looked a man of 60 years of age; his
his breast like a cloud of smoke His eyes
were closed; the brows shaggy, and the dark
scar Of a sword wound ran across his fore
head from the corner Of the left eye to the top
Of the right brow. His nose was long and
hooked; but the repose in his countenance,
backed by the vague character of the light in
which l inspected him, left his face almost
l was too much alarmed to
put my ear to his mouth to mark If he
if indeed the noise of the burning
fire would have permitted me to distinguish
his respiration. drew back from him, and
put down the lantern and watched him.
Presently his left leg, that was slightly
bent toward the furnace, stretched itself out
to its full length, and my ear caught faint
sound, as Of a weak and melancholy sigh.
Gracious heaven, thought l, he is aliveI and
with less of terror than of profound awe,
now that l saw there was nothing of a
ghostly or preternatural character in this
business, approached and bent over him.
His eyes were still shut, and could not hear
that he breathed; there was not the faintest
motion of respiration in his breast nor stir in
the hair, that was now soft, about his mouth.
Yet, so far as the light would suffer me to
Judge, there was a complexion in his face
such as could only come with flowing blood,
however languid its circulation; and putting
this and the sigh and the movement of the
leg together, felt convinced that the man
was alive, and forthwith fell to work, very
full of awe and amazement, to be sure, to
help nature, that was struggling in him.
Ny first step was to heat some brandy, and
while this was doing pulled open his coat
and freed his neck, fetching coat from the
cabin to serve as a pillow for his head.
next removed his boots and laid bare his feet
(which were incased in no less than four pairs
of thick wooden stockings, so that l thought
when came to the third pair | should find
his legs made of stockings, and after bathing
his feet in hot water, of which there was q
kettleful, rubbed them with hot brandy as
hard as could chafe. l then dealt with his
hands in the like manner, having once been
shipmate with a seaman who told Inc he haG
seen a sailor brought to by severe rubbing OF
his extremities after he had been carried
below supposed to be frozen to death, anG
continued this exercise till could rub NJ
longer. Next opened his lips, and finding
he wanted some of his front teeth, l very
easily poured a dram of brandy into hi
mouth Though l preserved my astonish
ment all this while, I soon discovered myself
working with enthusiasm, with a most pas
sionate longing indeed to recover the man
not only because it pleased me to think of my
being an instrument under God of calling
q human being, so to speak, out of his grave
but because yearned for a companion-som
one to address, to tighten the hideOus solitude
of my condition, and to assist me in planning
our deliverance.
! built up a great fire, and with mucl
trouble, for he was very heavy, disposed hin
in such a manner before it that the heat wa
reflected all over the front of him from hi
head to his feet. likewise continued t.
chafe his extremities, RENTING this worl
only to rest; and finding that the brandy haC
stolen down his throat, poured anothe
dram in, and then another, till think he haC
swallowed pint. This went ON for an hour
during which time he never exhibited tn
least signs Of life; but on sudden he sighet
deep; a tremor ran through him; he sigheC
again, and partly raised his right hand, which
fell to the deck with blow; his lips twitched
and small CONFUSION of his face compelleC
the features into the similitude of q girl
that instantly faded: then he fetched sue
cession of signs, and opened his eyes full upol
me.
I was warm enough with my work; bu
when observed him looking at me turneC
of death like cold, and felt the dew of al
intolerable emotion wet in the palms of m,
hands There was no speculation in his star
at first-his eyes lay as coldly upon me q
those of fish; but as life quickened in hin
so his understanding awoke; he slightly knit
ted his brows, and very slowly rolled his gaz
off me to the furnace, and so over as much o
the cook room as was before him. He the
started as if to sit up, but fell back with
slight groan and looked at me again.
"What is thisf said he, in French, in
very hollow, feeble voice.
l knew enough of his language to enabl
me to know he spoke French, but that wa
all. l could not speak a syllable of tina
tongue,
you'll be feeling better presently; yo
must not expect your strength to come in
minute" said l, taking my chance of his III
Outstanding me, and speaking that he Nigh
not think me a ghost, for doubt not wa
as white as one-since, to be plain, the mer
talking to figure that had got to conside
Is sheerly dead as anybody in grave YarG
was alarming enough; and then, again, Their
was the sound Of my own voice, which l ha,
not exerted in speech for ages, as it scenes
TO me,
He family nodded his head, by which
perceived he understood me, and said yer.
family in English, but with true Frencl
MS Is a nara Deu,
an speedily mend that" said 1, and a
once fetched a mattress from the cabin mex
mine; this placed beside him, and dragget
him on to it, he very weakly assisting.
then brought clothes and rugs to cover hin
with, and made him high pillow; and as h
lay close to the furnace he could not hav
been snugger had he had a wife to tuck hin
up in his own bed.
was very much excited; my former ter
rors had vanished, but my awe continues
great; for felt as if l had wrought a mir
acle, and | trembled as a man would VIII
surveys some prodigy of his own creation. l
was yet to be learned how long he hat
been in this condition; but was perfect.
sure he had formed one of the schOoner's PEG
pie; and as had guessed her to have beel
here upward of fifty years, the notion of tina
man having lain torpid for half a centur.
held me under perpetual spell of astonish
ment: but there was no more horror in m
nor fright. He followed me about with hi
eyes, but did not offer to speak; perhaps b
could not. l put a lump of ic
into the kettle, and when the waite
boiled made him a pint of steamini
brandy punch, which / held to his lips in
pannikin, while supported his back with m.
knee; he supped it slowly and painfully, bu
with unmistakable relish, and fetched a sigI
of contentment as he lay back. But he would
need something more sustaining than brandy
and water; and as 1 guessed his stomach
after so prodigious fast, would be too veal
to support such solids as beef or pork o.
bacon, unused little, turning over in my
mind the contents of the larder las call it)
all which time he eyed me with bewilder
ment growing In his face; and then though
l could not do better than manufacture hin
broth of oatmeal, wine, bruised biscuit anC
piece Of tongue minced very small.
This did not take me long in doing-th,
tongue being near the fun mace, and sof
enough for the knife, and there was nothing
to melt but the wine. When the broth wa
ready kneeled as before and fed him. H,
ate greedily, and when the broth was gont
looked as IL he would have been glad fol