Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-22

4
speak ef it later, after closer look"
The breakfast was ready, and We fell to
In hurry, the Frenchman gobblipg like
hog in his eagerness to make IN end.
When we were finished he wrapped him
self up in three or four coats and cloaks,
warming the under ones before folding
them about him, and completing his pre-
parations for the excursion by swallowing
half pint of raw brandy. babe him
srm himself with short headed spear TO
save his neck, and thus equipped We went
on deck.
He stood stock still with bis eyes shut
on emerging through the hatch, crying out
with number of French oaths that he had
been struck blind. This did not believe,
though l readily supposed that the glare
made his eyeballs smart so as to cause him
q good deal Of agony. Indeed, all along, ]
had been surprised that he should have
found his sight so easily after having sat
in blindness for forty eight years, and 1t
was not wonderful that the amazing bril-
Lib nee on deck, shifting his sight on sud
der, should have caused him to cry out as
if ne had lest the use OF his eyes forever.
waited patiently, and in about ten
minutes he was able to look about him,
and then it was not lopg before he could
see without pain. He stood minute gsz-
ing st the glories upon the rigging, and in
that piercing light ! noticed the unwhols-
some color Of his face. His cap hid the
scar, and nothing Of his countenance was
to be seen but the cheeks, eyes and nose.
he was much more wrinkled than ! had
supposed, and methought the spirit Of
cruelty lay visible in every line. / had
never seen eyes 80 full Of cunning and
treachery-so expressive, ! should say, of
these qualities; yet they were no bigger
than mere pupctures. / was sensible
| o q momentary fear Of the marriott,
let me- say, an emotion Of cowardice, but q
sort of mixture Of alarm and awe, such as
O ghost might inspire. This put down
to the searching light in which ! watched
him for moment or two-an irradiation
subtle enough to give the sharpest form 10
expression, to exquisitely define every
meaning that was distipguishable in his
graveyard physioguomy. l left him to
share and judge for himselfof the posture
in which the long, hard gale had put the
schooner, and stepped over the two bodies.
They were shrouded in ice from head to
foot, as though they had each man been
packed in glass case cunningly wrought
to their shapes. Their faces were hid by
the crystal marks. Tassard Joined me.
Small chance for your friends now"
said I, ''even if you were agreeable to my
proposal TO attempt t, revive them"
''So~ cried he, touching the body of the
~, q - nth HE foot. SAND fhio 10 tha end IF
the irresistible Trentanove! for what con-
quests has Death robed him so bravely?
See, the colors shine in him like fifty diff
ferent kinds Of ribbons. Poor fellow! he
could not curl his mustaches now, though
the loyeliest eyes in Europe were fixed in
pa sionnte admiration on him. He'll
never slit another throat, nor hiccough
Petrarch over a gobletful, nor demonstrate
with me for my humanity. Shall we tOss
the bodies over the side.?'
They are your friends" said /; "do as
you please"
But We must empty their pockets first
Business before sentiment, Mr.. Rodney"
He stirred the figure again with his
foot.
"Well, presently" said he, "this armor
Will WduL LILO uttCucS. NU",
to view the work OF the gale"
The increased heel OF the ship brought
the larboard fore channel low, and we
stepped without difficulty from it on to the
ice. The rent or assure that have before
spoken of went very deep-it was nearly
two feet wide in places; but though the
light poured brilliantly upon it, i could
see 10 bottom.
"Ifonly such another split "a this would
happen tother side" said the FrenchmaD,
81 believe this block would go ajrift."
"Well," said l, musiug little while, as
l ran my eye over the hollows, "Tn tell
you what was in my mind Just now. There
is a great quantity Of guppowder in the
hold-ten or dozen barrels. By dropping
large parcels of it in the creyices ON the
right there, and firing it with slow
matcdes''--
He interrupted me with cry: by st.
Paul, you have ii! What creVices have
your"
We walked Sriskly roInd the vessel;
and all about her beam and stsrboard quar-
ter found, in addition to the seams had
before noticed, many great cracks and ifs
sures, caused no doubt by the fall of the
shoulder of the slope. pushed on farther
yet, going down the ravine, as ] have
called it, until came to the edge; aud
here looked down from height of some
twelve OF fourteen leet-so greatly had
the ice sank or been changed by the wealth
er-upon the ocean. called TO Tassard,
He approached warily. firmly believe
he feared might be tempted to give him
friendly ehoye over the edge.
"0bserye this hollow" said I; "the split
there goes down to the water, and you may
take it that the block is wholly discon-
nected on that SIDE Now look at the face
of the iee," said /, pointing to the star
board or right-hand side; that crack goes
rs far as the vessels quarter, and the
weakness is carried on TO past the bows
by the other rents. Mr.. Tsssard, If We
could burst this body of ice by an explo-
sion from it's moorings ahead of the bow
spirit, where il is all too compact, this era
die with the schooner in ii will 20 free of
the parent body"
He answered promptly, "Yes, it is the
one and only plan. That crack to star
board is like telling us what to do. 1t is
well you came here. We should not have
seen it from the top This valley runs
steep. You must expect no more than the
surface to be liberated, for the foot of the
cliff will go deep"
81 desire no more"
evil the ship stand such launch, sup
posing we bring itsbout?" said he.
responded with one of his own shrugs.
and said, Nothing is certain. We have
one of two courses to choose; TO venture
this launch, or stay till the ice breaks up,
and take our chances Of floating or of being
smashed"
'.You are rightn he exclaimed. "Here
is an opportunity. If we wait, bergs may
gather about this point and build us in
As to this island dissolyiDg, We are not to
know which way tits heading. Suppose IL
should be travelling south, hey?
He struck the ice with his spear, and we
toiled up the slippery rocks with difficulty
to the ship. We walked past the bows to
the distance of the vessels length. Here
were many deep holes and cracks,
and, as il we were to be
touoht hnU .fho0a anna ohauk