The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-07-27
&c E BOU N D.
By w. oLARK RussE11.

Author Of "TAs Wreck of the Grosuenons
'Jaeks Courtship,S my Watch Be
to,c, "'1hs Lady Maud Etc.
There was neither tea nor coffee in the ship.
I 50 pinned for these soothing drinks that
would have given all the wine in tho vessel
for a few pounds Of either one Of them--a
senseless, ungracious yearning, indeed, in the
face of tho plenty that was aboard! But IL
was tho plenty, perhaps, that provoked it
There was chocolate, which tho Frenchman
potted and drank with hearty enjoyment; he
also devoured handouts of succades, which
no would wash down with wine. These
things made mo sick, and for drink was
forced upon the spirits and wine, the latter
OF which was 50 generous that IL promised to
combine with the enforced laziness Of my
life under matches to make me fat; 50 that !
en- Of opinion, had he waited for the ice to
release us, should have become 50 corpulent
as to prove burden to myself.
mention this hero that you may find an
excuse In it for the only act Of folly in the
way Of drinking that can lay to my ac-
count while / was in this pirate; for must
tell you that, ON returning to the furnace,
we, to refresh us after our labor, made q
bowl Of punch, Of which drank 50 plenti-
fully that l began to feel myself very merry.
forgot all about the matches and my resolu-
ton to test them that night The French
man, enjoying my condition, continued to
pledge me till his little eyes danced in his
head. Luckily for me, being at bottom Of q
very jolly disposition, drink never served me
worse than to develop that quality in me.
No man could ever say that was quarrel
some in my cups My progress was marked
by stupid smiles, terminating in unmeaning
laughter. The Frenchman sang a ballad
about love and Picardy, and the like, and
gave him Hearts Of Oak, !" the sentiments Of
which song kept him Struggling his shoulders
and drunksnly looking contempt
BY this time was extremely excited and
extraordinarily merry, and losing hold Of my
Judgment began to indulge in sundry pleas
antries concerning his nation and country
msn-asking, with many explosions Of laugh
ter, how It was that they continued at the
trouble Of building ships for US to use against
them. and II be did not think the flower de
louseS q heater symbol for people who put
snuff into their soup and restricted their alb
buttons to their faces than the tricolor, being
too muddled to consider that he was ignor'
ant of that flag; and, in short, was SC
offensive, In spite Of my ridiculous merri
ment, that his savage nature broke out he
assailed the English with every injurious
term his drunken condition suffered him tc
recollect, and starting up, with his little eye
wildly rolling, he clapped his hand to hi:
side, as IL feeling for a sword, and, calling
me by very ugly French word, babe me
come on and he would show me the differ
ence between q Frenchman and beast of ar
Englishman.
laughed at him with all my might, which
80 enraged him that, swaying to right and
left, he advanced as IL to fall upon me-
started to my feet, and tumbled over tht
bench had jumped from and lay sprawling
and the bench overseeing close to him, ht
kicked against it and fell too, fetching the
deck very hard blow. He groaned heavily
and muttered that he was killed. ! tried x
rise, but my legs gave way, and then the
fumes of the punch overpowered me, for
recollect no more
When I awoke It was pitch dark Ny
hands, legs and feet seemed formed Of ice
my head Of burning brass. / thought wa,
In my cot, and felt with my hands till
touched Tassard's bald head, which so terri
fed me that uttered loud cry and sprane
erect. Then recollection returned, and
heartily cursed myself for my folly anC
wickedness. Good Godi thought /, that
should be % mad as to drown my sense.
when never was any wretch in such need o.
| all his reason as II
The boatswain's finder box was in my
pocket; I groped, found candle, and ightet
it It was $40 in the morning. Tassard Lay
on his back, snoring hideously, his legs over
hanging the capsized bench. pulled anG
hauled at him; but he was too drunk Il
awake, and that he might not freeze Il
death, I fetched q pile of clothes out Of hi
cabin and covered him up, and put his heaG
| on O coat
Ny head ached horribly, but not worsl
than my heart went to my cabin and go
into my hammock, but my head was SO no
and ached 30 furiously, and was so vexeC
with myself besides, that could not sleep
The schooner was deathly still; there was no
apparently the faintest murmur Of air Il
awaken an echo In her; nothing spoke bu
the near and distant cracking Of the fee. I
was miserable wolk lying in the cabin sleep
less and reproaching myself, and as my burn
| ing head robbed the cold Of its formidable
ness, resolved to go on deck and take
brisk turn or two.
| The exercise improved my spirits; steppei
the length Of the little raised deck briskly
| my thoughts very busy. On o sudden tn,
ice split on the starboard hand with q nois
louder than the explosion Of O twenty fou1
| FOUNDER. The schooner swayed to a leve
keel with 80 sharp rise that I lost my bal
ance and staggered recovered myself
trembling and greatly agitated by the nois.
and the movement coming together without
the least hint having been given me, and
| grasping backstay, waited, not knowing
what was to happen next Unless It be tn,
heave Of an earthquake, can imagine M
| motion capable Of giving one such swoon
| ing, nauseating, terrifying sensation as th,
rending Of ice under fixed ship. In few
moments there were several sharp cracks, al
/ on the starboard side, Like the swapping O
| muskstry, and falt the schooner yer,
| slghtly hsave; but this might have been
deception OF the senses, for though set {
star against the masthead and watched I
there was no movement. looked over tn,
side and observed that the split had notices
| on the face Of the elf had by this new rupt
urc been extended transvsrsely right acros
the schooner's starboard bow, the thithel
side being several feet higher than on this
| It was plain that the bed on which the ves
sci rested had dropped 30 a. to bring her up
right, and was convinced by this circum
stance alone that If used good Judgment II
| dispoing Of the powder the weight of tn,
mass would complete its own dislocation
The shock did my head good; went below
| ond got into my cot, and after tossing fol
half an hour or 30 fell asleep. I awoke q
| 8 and went to the cook house, where founS
Tassard preparing the breakfast and grea
| fire burning. hardly knew what reception
he would give me, and was therefore not {
little agreeably surprised by his thanking
me for covering him up.
"You have a stronger head than mine
said he; ''ths punch used you well 70,
made me laugh, though. You were yer,
divsrting."
cay, much too diverting TO please myself,
said I; and / sounded him cautiously to re
mark what his memory carried Of my In
suits, but found that he recollsoted nothine
more than that danoed with vigor and SAM
| we'll
! said nothing about my contrition, m,
| going on deck, and ths hike, oontenting my
salt with asking IL he had heard the explosion
in the night
"No," e4sd he, staring and looking eagerly.
"Well, them" said ], ''there has happened 9
mighty crack In the tce, and do soberly be
hsvs that with The blessing Of God we shall
b sble By blasts Of powder TO free the bloch
on which the schooner rests"
"Goodi" cried he; "come, let rs hurry Will
this meal How II the weather.
"Quist, believe ! have not been on dech
- L. 80