Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-11-16
Mr.. NELSON'S WILL.
BY Fl. RIDER HAGGARD.

bIeL~STeG Dy Hcf arms anu the DAdhAe'
from the cold and penetrating spray. In
the bottom of the boat lay Mr.. Meeson, TO
whom Augusta, plying his condition-fo1
he was shivering dreadfully-had given
the other blanket, keeping nothing for her,
self except the wooden shawl.
At last, however, there came faint
glow in the east and the daylight began
to break over the stormy sea. Augusta
turned her head and stared through the
mist
What is it," she said lin voice trem-
bling with excitement TO the sailor Bill,
who was taking his turn at the tiller, and
she pointed to a dark mass that doomed up
almost over them.
The man looked, and then looked again;
snd then halloaed out joyfully, land
land ahead"
Up struggled Mr.. Meeson on to his knees
his legs were SO stiff that he could not
standard began TO stare wildly about
him
THANK Godn' he cried. "Where is it:
Is it New Zcaland2 II l ever get there
I'll stop there. III never get on n ship
1gainn
New Zealandn' grOwled the sailor.
Arc you q fool2 It's Kerguclen Land,
1hat's what it is-where it rains all day,
aud nobody liyes-not even Il Niger. It's
like enough that you'll stop there, though;
for don't reckon that anybody will come
to take you OF in a hurry"
Mr.. Meeson collapsed with groan, and
few minutes afterward the sun rose,
while the mist grew less and less, till at
last it almost disappeared, revealing q
grand panorama to the occupants of the
boat. For before them was line upon line
Of jagged and lofty peaks, stretching us
far rs the eye could reach, gradually melt
ing in tho distance into the cold white
CLEAN Of snow. Bill slightly altered the
boats course to the southwark, and, sail.
ing round q point, she came into compare.
lively calm water Then, duo north Of
them, running into the land, they saw The
mouth of a great ford, bounded on each
side by towering mountain banks 50 steep
as TO DO almost PERCEPTIONS, around whose
lofty aides thousands of sea fowl wheeled
awaking the echoes with their CiamOr
Right into this beautiful ford they sailed,
past line Of fiat rocks on which sat hugo
fantastic monsters that the sal Tors said
were sea lions, along tho line of bectling
cliff, till they came TO II spot where tho
shore, on which grew IA rank sodden-
looking grass, shclved gently mp from the
waters edge to the frowntng and precipit-
ous background. And here 10 their huge
delight, they discovered two huts, roughly
built Of old ships tlmber5, placed within a
score Of yards Of each other, aud at dis
tnnco Of some fifty PAGES from tho waters
edge.
We'll, there's house, anyway" said
the flat-nosed Johnnie, Though it don't
look rs though it Ind paid rates and taxes
lately
Let us land, and get out of this hOsrible
boat said Mr.. Meason, feebly; proposi-
ton that Augusta seconded heartily
enough Accordingly, the SAL was low
cred, ana, Ratbthg out the oars, the two
saiiota fo"eI inc po10 ihlo uttlc, natural
hafbor thaI opahod out oE tho mann creek
anu III Ten minutes her occupants were
ohce NOR 9gSo5chihR thtir legs upon dry
Iahdt thah u, II any lahd III herEucion Is
ihh4' Ih4' l5@"'' 81 p@rpetUil wet could
~ SUI - 'e' y
tleI' 1iS1 ''Ie WIS 10 Z" up 10 inc nuts
anu eAahttao thcIh. WIN result AhaI
cohla "eltSel5 ~ cHlio4 encouraging Inc
nuts iist4 o9eh R'LIIb some 5earS-WheJhcr
oE lhe eApcdlll"h WHICH, IN lo'tr came
.'i'tiet - observe III" lF,tilSlt OF venus or
~ lo'hlst p@itieS Oh Shlp"fecNoo MARI
hef". lho9 hoFeF b17-o'eFci -thl Wcfo
now IN state OF rum MosscSand HChens
grew ptentliully upon the beams, and
even on the iloor; while great holes in the
fooi 1875 IN the wet, which lay IN little
Shiny puddleS beneath stu, with all
Their drawbacks they were decidedly bet
Ter imam tho open beach; very short ex-
perence OF which, in that Indictment
climate, WU3liG certainly nave killed
lhe,h' ana tHey than"Luuy decided 10
make 'h' pG'S 81 Ihoh. Accordingly inc
aalaii"F o. taa TWO nuts was given up 10
augusta a'lo me BOY DICK Whlle MI Nee
son anu the sailors TOOK possession or the
larEe one. ihet next tJSk was to move
UP theT seahty he'onginEs' Qthe boat haV-
in% iif"t boon cafefHil y beached) ana TO
eleah cut tho nuts and mako them as hae-
iaolo ~ possible by Sttotchihg tho salls
% the boat over the damp floors ana Gov
erIn% up the holes ia the roof as best they
could with stones and BITS OF board from
the Bottom Of the BOAT The weatherwas,
fortunately, dry, aud rs they all with the
exception OF Mr. Meoson, who seemed to
be quite prostra ed) worked with will,
not excepting Master Dick-who toddlod
backward and forward after Augusta in
high CLEO ut finding himself on terra flrma
aud by midday everything that could DO
done was done. Then they made fire of
some ariitWood for, fortunately they had
few matches and Augusta cooked the
two fowls they had got ont of the floating
hencoop rs Well as circumstances would
allow Wluch, as matter OF tact, was not
very Welt-and they had dinner, of which
they all stood sadly IN nsed.
After dinner they reckoncd up their re-
sources OF water there was an ample
supply. for not fur from tho huts n stream
ran down into tho ford. For food they
had the best part of a bag of biscuits
Weighing about a hundred pounds. Also
there WAS the caSI OF rum, which the men
had moved into their own hut. Bat that
was not all, for there was plenty OF shell
fish about II they could find means to cook
them, while the rocks around were covered
with hundreds of pouguins, including
specimens of the great king penguin, D."
which only required to he knocked on this
head There was, therefore, little fear of
thcif perlshin@ OF starvation, as some
tunes happens 10 shpWrecked people. In
deed, immediately after dinner, the two
sailors Went oat and returned with as
many BIRDS. eggs mostly penguin-as
had theY got IN, however, when the rain,
Mh'Sn = ''e PfeNalin$ characteristic OF
lhtSe iatitudeS' set IN, IN the most pltlieSS
iaShloh; ana soon the great mountains
with which they were surrounded, and
those before them, were wrapped in dense
NetlS ot heeey vapnr. Hour after hour the