The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-27
Ice Bound.
By w. CLARK RUSSELL.
Autsor of"TM WreA Of tie Grossenor,
"Jack's Courtship," My Watch be
lor," "TM Lady Mdsd," Etc.

antries concerning his nation and country
men-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 if he did not think the Flower do
)ouse, n neater symbol for people who put
snufr into their soup and restricted their all
lutions 10 their faces than the tricolor, beng
TOO muddled 70 consider that he was ignor-
ant If that flag: and, in short, | was so
offensive. in spite of my ridiculous merri-
mcnt. that his savage nature broke out. lie
aSsailed the English with every injurious
term his drunken condition suffered mn 70
recollect and starting up, with his little eyes
wildly rolling, he capped his mana 10 ms
side, as if feeling for "A sword, ana, calling
me by very ugly French word, babe me
come on and he would show me the differ
epce between q Frenchman and beast OF an
Englshman
laughed at him with all my might, which
70 enraged him that, swaying to right ana
left. he advanced as if 10 fall upon me. l
started 20 my feet, and tunbled over the
bench had jumped from and lay SPRAYING;
and the bench overseeing close to him, he
kicked against it and fell too, fetching the
deck a very hard blow. He groancd heavily,
and muttered that he was killed. i tired TO
rise, but my legs gave way, and then the
fumes Of the punch oyerpowercd me, for l
recOllect no more
When ] awoke it was pitch dark. My
hands, legs and feet seemed formed Of ice,
my head of burning brass. j thought was
in my cot, and felt with my hands tall l
touched Tassard's bald head, which 50 terri
\ 4 Il
erect Then recollection returned, and i
heartily cursed myself for my folly and
wickedness. Good God thought ], that /
should be so mad as TO drown my senses
when never was any wretch i'll such need of
all his reason as ]!
The bOatswain's finder box was in my
pocket; groped, found a candle, and lighted
it. 1t was 800 in the morning TaSSard lay
ON his back, snoring hideously, ms legs over
hanging the capsiDed bench. / pulled and
hauled at him; but he was too drunk TO
awake, and that he might not freeze to
death, fetched pile of clothes out OF his
cabin and covered him up, and put his bead
on a coat.
My head ached horribly, but not worse
than my heart. l went to my cabin and got
and ached SO furiously, and ! was so vexed
with myself besides, that | could not sleep
The schooner was deathly still; there was not
apparently the faintest murmur of air 10
awaken an echo i'll her; nothing spoke but
the near and distant cracking of the ice IL
was miserable work lying in the cabin sleep
less and reproacbing myself, and as my burn
ing head robbed the cold of its formidable
ness, / resolved TO 60 on deck and take a
brisk turn or two.
The exercise improved my spirits; stepped
the length of the little raised deck briskly,
my thoughts very busy. On a sudden the
ice split on the starboard hand with noise
louder than the explosion Of a twenty four
FOUNDER. The schooner swayed to a level
keel with so sharp rise that lost my bal
ance and staggered. l recovered myself,
trembling and greatly agitated by the noise
and the movement coming together without
the least hint having been given me, and,
grasping a backstay, waited. not knowing
what was to happen next Unless it be tho
heave Of an earthquake, / can imagine no
motion capable Of giving one such swoon-
ing, nauseating, terrifying sensation as the
rending of ice under fixed ship. In a few
moments there were several sharp cracks, all
on the starboard side, like the swapping of
musketry, and | felt the schooner very
slightly heave; but this might have been a
deception of the senses, for though set q
star against the masthead and watched 1T
there was no movement looked over the
side and observed that the split had noticed
on the face of the cliff had by this new rupt-
ure been extended transversely right across
the schOoner's starboard bow, the thither
side being several feet higher than on this.
1t was plain that the bed on which the YES
sci rested had dropped so as to bring her up
right, and was convinced by this circum-
stance alone that if used good judgment in
disposing Of the powder the weight of tho
mass would complete its own dslocation.
The shock did my head good; / went below
and got into my cot, and after tossing for
half an hour or so fell asleep. / awoke at
s and went to the cook house, where found
Tassard preparing the breakfast and great
Ere burning. hardly knew what reception
he would give me, and was therefore not o
little agreeably surprised by his thanking
me for covering him up.
"You have stronger head than mine"
said he; "thc punch used you well. You
made me laugh, though. You were very
diverting"
"Ay, much too diverting to please myself"
said /; and sounded him cautiously TO re-
mark what his memory carried Of my in
suits, but found that he recolected nothing
more than that danced with vigor and sang
we'll
! said nothing about my contrition, my
going on deck, and the like, contenting my
self with asking if he had heard the explosion
in the night.
"No," cried he, staring and looking eagerly.
"Well then" said !, ''there has happeneda
mighty crack in the ice and do soberly be-
lieve that with the blessing of God we shall
be able by blasts Of powder TO free the block
on which the schooner rests"
"Goodl' cried he; ''come, let us hurry with
this meal How Is the weather.
"Quiet, believe. | have not been on deck
since the explosion aroused me early this
morning"
While we ate he said, Suppose we get tho
schooner afloat, what do you proposeY
"Why," | answered, "if she prove tight
and seaworthy, what but carry her home"
\ a.