Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-06
ICE BOUN D.
By w. CLARK RUSSELL.
Author Of "7ne Wreck Of the Grosreaor." "
Jack: Comrtshtp," my Watch Be-
(ooETIHuIp.)
CHAPTER XVI.

-.
CHAPTER XVI
HEAR OF A GREAT TREASURE. *.
lighted pipe, and sat pondering hks
story little while. There was no doubt he
had given mo the exact truth % far a hin
relation OF IL went. As II 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 IL was carried 10
the antarctic main Of ice, where Il lay com.
pacted; after which, through stress Of
weather or by the agency Of Q particular
temperature, a great mass Of 10 broke away
and started on that northward course which
bergs Of all magnitude take when they are
ruptured from the frozen continent. :,
Now that I had a companion should be
able to escape from this horrid situationi He
had spoken Of chests Of silver. Where was
the treasure-in the runi There might be
booty enough in the hold to make Q great
man, a fine gentleman, Of me, ashore. 10
would be noble ending to an amazing ad-
venture to come Of with a. much money a.
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 we'd him. rrx
OF such were the faneies which hurried
through my mind. Y
I wished to see how the schooner Law, and
what change had befallen the ice in the
night, and went on deck. II was blowing O
whole gale Of wind from the northwest.
The sea was swelling very furiously, and I
could divine its tempestuous character by
clouds Of spray which spread like volumes Of
steam under the sullen dusky heavens high
over the mastheads. The schooner Law with
list Of about Is degs., and her bows high
cooked. looked over the stern and saw
that tho ice had sunk there, and that there
were twenty great rents and yawnine seams
where had before noticed but onA A vast
block Of ice had fallen on the starboard side.
and lay SO close on the quarter that I could
have sprung on to 1t. No other marked
changes were observable
was about to 60 below again, when nv
eye was taken by the two figures lying upon
the deck. No dead bodies ever looked more
dead; but after the wondrous restoration Of
the Frenchman could not view their forms
without fancying that they were but as he
had been, and that IL they were carried to the
furnace, and treated with brandy and rub
bing and the like, they might DO brought to.
Full OF thoughts concerning them stepped
into the cabin, and going to the cook room
found Tassard still heavily sleeping. The
coal in the corner was low, and as 1t wanted
an hour Of dinner time took the lantern and
a bucket and went into the fore peak, and
after several journeys stocked up a good pro-
vision Of coal in the corner. made noise
enough, but Tassard slept on. When this
was ended I boiled eome water to cleanse
myself, and then set about getting the dinner
ready. =.
The going into the fore peak had put my
mind upon the treasure, which, as had
gathered from the Frenchman's narrative,
was somewhere hidden in tho schooner-iR
the run as I doubted not; mean in the hold,
under the lazarette-for you will recollect
that, being weary and half perished with the
cold, had turned my back on that dark part
after having looked into the powder room.
All the time I was fetching tho coal and dress
ing the dinner my imagination was on fire
with fancies Of the treasure in this ship. The
Frenchman had told me that they had been
veil enough pleased with their hauls in the
South SEQ to resolve them upon heading
round the Horn for their haunt, wherever il
might be, in the Spanish Main; and had too
good an understanding of the character Of
pirates to believe that they would have
quilted rich hunting field before they had
handsomely lined their pockets. What, then,
was the treasure in the run, if indeed 1t were
therel
l was mechanically stirring the saucepan
full Of broth l had prepared, lost In these
golden thoughts, when the Frenchman sud-
denly sat up on his mattress.
"Hal" cried he, shifting vigorously, 81
smell something good-something am ready
for. There is no physc like sleep;" and with
that he stretched out his arms with great
yawn, then rose very agilely, kicking the
clothes and mattress on ono side, and bring
ing bench close to the furnace. "What
time is it, sirf'
Something after 10 by the captains
watch, /" said ], pulling it out and looking at
it. "But tits guesswork time"
"The captains watchl' cried he, with q
short loud laugh. "You are modest, Mr.
paul Rodney" said I, seeing he stopped
for my name.
"Yes, modest, Mr.. Paul Rodney. That
watch is yours, sir; and you mean it shall be
yours"
"Well, Mr.. Tassard," said I, coloring In
spite Of myself, though he could not witness
the change in such light as that, ~ felt
this, that if left the watch in the captains
pocket it was bound to 60 to the bottom ul-
timately. andn---
"Bah" he interrupted, with a violent
flourish Of the hand. "Let us save the
schooner if possible; there will be more than
one watch for your pocket, more than one
doubloon for your purse. Meanwhile, to din
nerl Ny stupor has converted me into an
empty hogshead, and it will take me fort
night of hard eating to feel that have broken
my fast"
With blow Of the chopper he struck of
lump Of the frozen wine, and then fell to
eating perhaps as a man might be expected
to eat who had not had meal for eight and
forty years.
There are two Of your companions on
deck" said I.
He started =
"Frozen," continued; "they'll be the
bodies of Trentanoye and joan Barrosf'
He nodded.
"Tbere is no reason why they should be
deader than you were. 1t is true that Barros
has been on deck while you have been be-
low; but after you pass a certain degree Of
cold fiercer rigors cannot signify"
"What do you proposef' said he, looking
at me oddly.