The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-07-20

sort of talk to nauseate him, and said: DO
you propose that we should remain on board,
or watch tho effects from a distancep
SWhy, remain on board, Of course" an
swered. Suppose the mines liberated the
ice on which the schooner lies and 1t Heated
away, what should we, watching at dis
lance, dor
"True," cried he, "but 1t is cursed perilous.
The explosion might blow the ship up"
"No, it will not do that. We shall be bad
engineers il we bring such a thing about.
The danger will be-providing the schooner
is released-in her capsizing, as have before
pointed out"
"Enoughl" cried he, charging his panni-
kin for the third time. ave must chance her
capsizing."
"1f had crew at my back" said l, 81
would carry an anchor and cable to the Shout
der of the cliff at the end of the slope to hold
the ship il she swan. / would also put a
quantity of provisions on the ice along with
materials for making us shelter and the whole
of the stock of coal, so that we could go on
| supporting life here il the schooner cap
sized"
"Then," said he, "you would remain ashore
during the explosions"
Most certainly. But as all these prepare
tions would mean u degree Of labor imprac-
ticable by us two men, am for the bold ven
ture-prepare and fire the mines, return to
the ship, and leave the rest to Providence"
He made another ugly face, and INDUCED
himself in a piece Of profanity that was in
expressibly disgusting and mean in the mouth
of q man who was used to cross himself when
alarmed and swear by the saints. But per
haps he knew, even better than /, how little
he had to expect from Providence. He filed
his pipe, exclaiming that when he had smoked
it out we should fall to work.
Now that had settled a plan, was eager
| TO put it into practice-hot and wild indeed,
with the impatience and hope of the cast
away animated with the dream Of recovering
his liberty and preserving his life; and was
| the more anxious to set about tho business at
once, on account of the weather being fair
and still; for il it came on to blow q stormy
wind again we should be- forced, as before,
under matches. But / had to wait for the
Frenchman to empty his pipe. He was SO
complete n sensualist that 1 believe nothing
short Of terror could have forced him to
shorten the period of a pleasure by a second
Of time. He went on putting SO deliberately,
with such leisurely enjoyment OF the flavor
of the smoke, that expected to see him fall
asleep; and, my patience becoming exhausted,
| jumped up, but by this time his bowl held
oothing but black ashes.
Now" cried he, ito work"
And he rose with prodigious yawn and
seized the lantern. Our first business was to
hunt among the boatswain's stores in the run
for tackles to hoist the powder barrels up
with. There was good collection, as might
have been expected in pirate, whose COM
merce lay in singing goods from other ships
holds into her own; but the ropes were
| frozen as hard as iron, TO remedy which wo
carried an armful to the cook house, and left
the tackles to lie and soften. We also con-
veyed to the cook house quantity Of ratlino
Stuff-a thin rope, used for the making Of
steps in the shroud ladders; this being line
that would exactly servo to suspend the
smaller parcels of powder in the splits. Be-
fore touching tho powder barrels we put q
lighted candle into tho bulls eye lamp over
tho door, and removed the lantern to a safe
distance. Tassard was perfectly well &C
quainted with tho contents Of this store
room, and on my asking for the matches put
his hand on one of several bags of them.
They varied in length, some being six inches
and some making a big coil. There was
nothing for it but to sample and test them,
and this l told Tassard could DO done that
evening. The main hatch was just forward
OF the gunroom bulkhead; we seized a hand
spike each and went to work to pry the cover
open. 1t was desperate tough labor-as bad
aS trying to open an oyster with soft blade
Tho FrenchmIn broke out into many strange
old-c2shiOned oaehs in his own tongue, imag-
in!ns tho hatch to be frozen; buS though
don't doubt the frost had something to do
VITA it, its obstinacy was mainly owing to
time, that had soldered it, SO to speak, with
ITO stubbornness that eight and forty years
r:u communicate to a fixture which ice has
cherished and kept sound.
We got the hatch open az lest-be pleased
10 know that ain speaking of tho hatch in
tho lower deck, for there was another imme-
o!i2tely over it on the upper or main deck
aud returning 10 the powder room, rolled tho
barrels forward ready for singing and hoist
ing away when we should have rugged O
t.cklo aloft. Wo had not done much, but
wat We had done had eaten far into tho
afternoon.
Il am tired and hungry and thirsty" said
tho Fronchman. Let Us knock OFF, We
have made good progress. No use opening
the main deck hatch tonight; tho vessel il
cold enough when Theoretically corked."
Every we'll" said l, bringing my watch to
the lantern and observing tho time to be
shutdown; so, carefully extinguishing the
candle in the bulls eye larnp, We took each Of
Us bag of matches and went to the cook
room.
ha