Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-24
CHAPTER VII.

AN STARTLED BY A DISCOVERY.
In this uneasy posture, despite the intense
cold, | continued to sleep soundly during the
greater part of the night. ! was awakened
by horrid dream of some giant shape stalk
ing down the slope Of ice so seize and devour
me, and sat up trembling with horror that
was not little increased by my inability to
| recollect myself, and by my therefore con-
ceiving the canvas that covered me to be the
| cropping of the ogre's hand over my face
pushed the sail away and stood up, but
had instantly to sit again, my legs being ter
ribly cramped. A drink of spirits helped
me; my blood presently flowed with brisk
ness
Tho moon was in the west; she hung large
red and distorted, and shed no light save her
reflection, that waved in the sea under her
| like several lengths Of undulating, red hot
wire
had no mind to lie down again. The
cold indeed was cruelty sharp, and the smoke
| sped from my mouth at every breath, as
| though held a tobacco pipe betwixt my
teeth. got upon the ice and stepped about
it quickly darling searching glances into
the gloom to left and right of the setting
| moon; but all lay bare bleak and black.
1t seemed as if the night had only just de-
scended, 50 tardy was the dawn. Outside
| the slanting wall of ice that made my haven,
| the swell swept past in gurgling, bubbling,
| drowning sound, dismal and CHASTITY, as
| though in truth some such ogre as the mon
| ster had dreamed of lay suffocating there.
| welcomed the cold coloring of the east as if
it had been a ship, and watched the stars dy-
| ing and the frozen shore darkening to the
dim and sitting dawn behind it, against
which the outline of the cliffs ran in a broken
streak of ink The rising of the sun gave
me fresh life.
made up my mind to climb as high as
could, taking the oar with me to serve as a
pole, that | might view the ice and the ocean
round about, and form a Judgment of the
weather by the aspect of the sky, of which
only the western part was visible from my
low strand. But first / must break my fast
| remember bitterly lamenting the lack of
means to make a fire, that might obtain
warm meal and a hot drink, and dry my
gloves, coat and brooches, to which the damp
of the salt chung tenaciously. Had this ice
been land, though the most desoate, gloomy,
repulsve spot in the world, l had surely
found something that would burn.
sat in the boat to cat my slender repast,
and when it was ended pulled the oar out of
the crevice and found it would make me a
good pole to probe my way with and support
| myself 10y up the slope. The boat was now
held by the mast, which shook and found
very firm. put an empty beer bottle in my
pocket, meaning to see if | could fill it, if
the snow up above was sweet enough to be
well tasted, and then with final look at the
boat started.
The slope was extremely craggy. Blocks
of ice lay about some on top of the others,
and | had sometimes to warily walk fifty or
sixty PAGES round these blocks to come at a
part of the slope that was smooth.
| had come to a stand to fetch a BREATH
and was moving ON afresh, when, having
taken not half a dozen steps, spied the figure
of n man. He was in a sitting posture his
back against rock that had concealed him.
His head was bowed, and his knees drawn
up to a level with his chin, and his naked
hands were clasped upon his legs. His atti-
tude was that of person lost in thought
very easy and calm.
| stopped as if / had been hot through the
heart. Had it been bear or sea lion, or
any creature which my mind could instantly
have associated with this white and stirless
desolation, | might have been startled indeed;
but no such amazement could have possessed
me as / now felt. 1t never entered into my
head to doubt that he was alive, so natural
was his attitude, as of one lost in a mood of
tender melancholy.
| stood staring at him, myself motionless,
for some minutes, too greatly astonished and
thunderstruck to note more than that he was
a man. Then | looked about me to see if
he had companions or for some signs of a
habitation, but the ice was everywhere
naked. fixed my eyes on him again. His
hair was above a foot long, black as ink,
and the blacker may be for the contrast of
the snow. His beard and mustache, which
were also of this raven hue, fell to his girdle.
He wore great yellow Tapping hat, such as
was in fashion among the Spaniards and
buccaneers of the South sea- but over his
cars, for the warmth of the protection, were
squares of flannel tied under his beard by
very fine red silk handkerchief; and this,
with his hair and pale cheeks and black
shaggy eyebrows, gave him terrible and
CHASTITY appearance From his shoulders
hung u rich thick cloak, lined with red, and
the legs to the height of the knees were in
cased in large boots.
| continued surveying him with my heart
beating fast Every instant / expected to see
him turn his head and start to behold me.
l coughed loudly, holding my pole in readi-
ness for whatever might befall, but he did
not stir; then holloaed, and was answered
by the echoes of my own voice among the
rocks. His stiffness persuaded me he was in
ono of those deep slumbers which fall upon
a man in frozen places; for | could not per-
s'iado myself be was dead, SO living was ibis
posture.
This will not do, thought |; SO 1 went
close to him and peered into his face.