Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-31

tam and l swlnglng, with set teeth, at the tlller, that was hard a-lee. She came round, put With such way upon her that she took long shelving beach of ice, and ran up it to the distance of half her own length, and there she lay, with her rudder within touch of the wash of the water. The men, regarding the schooner as lost, and concluding that if she went to pieces her boats would be destroyed, and with them their only chance to escape from the ice, fell frantic, and lost their wits altogether They roared, To the boatsl to the boatsr The captain endeavored to bring them back to their senses; he and an,l the mate, and Joam Barros, the boatswain-a Portuguese-went among them pistols in hand, entreatlng, cursing, threatening. 'Ihlnk of the plunder in this holdl Will you abandon it without an effort to save it? What think you are your chances for life in open boats in this seas The schooner lies protected here; the weather will moderate presently, and we may then be able to slide her off, But reason we would, the cow ardly dogs refused to listen. They had broached a spirit cask aft, and passed the liquor along the decks while they hoisted the pinnace out of the hold and got the other boats over. The drink maddened, yet left them wild with fear too. They would not wait to come at the treasure in the run-the fools believed the ship would tumble to pieces as she stood-but entered the forecastle and the officers cabins, and routed about for what ever money and trinkets they might stuff into their pockets without loss of time; and then provisioning the boats, they called to us to join them, but we said, "No"-on which they ran the boats down to the water, tunl- bled into them, and pulled away round the point of ice We lost sight of them then, and l have little doubt that they all per ished shortly afterward."
 He ceased I was anxious to hear more.
 "You had been six months on the ice when the stupor fell upon you?"
 "Ay, about six months The ice gathered about us and built us in. recollect it was three days after we stranded that, going on deck, saw the bay las l term it) filled with ice. We drew up several plans to escape, but none satisfied us. Besides, sir, we had treasure on board which we had risked our necks to get, and we were prepared to go on imperiling our lives to save it. Twas natu- ral We had great store of coal forward and amidships, for we had faced the Horn in coming, and knew what we had to expect in returning We were also richly stocked with provisions and drink of all sorts. There were but four of us, and we dealt with what we had as if we designed it should last us fifty years. But the cold frightful; it was not in flesh and blood to stand it. One day we had been locked up about five months Mendoza said he would get upon the rocks and take view of the sea. He did not re- turn. The others were too weak to seek him, and they were half blind besides; went, but the ice was full of caves and hollows, and the like, and could not find him, nor could look for him long, the cold being the hand of death itself up there. The time went by; Trentanove went stone blind, and I had to put food and drink into his hands that he might live. A week before the stupor came upon me I went on deck and saw Joan Bar ros leaning at the rail. I called to him, but he made no reply. Iapproached and looked at him. and found him frozen. Then hap pened what I have told you. We were in the cabin, the mate seated at the table, wait ing for me to lead and support him to the cook room, for he was so weak lie could scarce carry his weight. A sudden faintness seized me, and l sank down upon the bench opposite him, letting my head fall upon my arms. His cry startled mel looked up saw him. as I have said; but the cabin then turned black, my head sank again, and I re- member more."
 He paused, and then cried in French, ''That is all! They are dead-Jules Tassard lives! The devil is loyal to his own!" and with that he lay back and burst into laugh ter.
 "And this," said I, twas in 1753."
 ''Yes," he answered, land this is 19O1- eight and forty years afterward, hey?" and he laughed out again. five talked so much," said he, "that, dye know, think an- other nap will do me good. What coals have you found in the shipy'
 told him.
 ''Good!' he cried; five can keep ourselves warm for some time to come, anyhow"
 And, so saying, he pulled a rug up to his nose and shut his eyes.