San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-30

,wnICn were lncased IN no less TN :S,if pairs
| of thick wooden stockings, so that l thought
when l came to the third pair 1 should find
| his legs made of stockings, and after bathing
| his feet in hot water, of which there was a
| kettleful, rubbed them with hot brandy as
| hard as could chafe then dealt with his
| hands in the like manner, having once been
| shipmate with a seaman who told me he had
seen a sailor brought to by severe rubbing of
| his extremities after he had been carried
| below supposed to be frozen to death, and
| continued this exercise till could rub no
| longer. Next opened his lips and finding
| he wanted some of his front teeth, very
| easily poured dram of brandy into his
mouth. Though l preserved my astonish-
ment all this while, 1 soon discovered myself
working with enthusiasm, with a most pas
sionate longing indeed to recover the man,
not only because it pleased me to think of my
being an instrument under God of calling
human being, so to speak, out of his grave,
but because yearned for a companion-some
one to address, to tighten the hideous solitude
of my condition, and to assist me in planning
| our deliverance.
l built up a great fire, and with much
trouble, for he was very heavy, disposed him
i'll such manner before it that the heat was
reflected all over the front of him from his
head to his feet l likewise continued to
chafe his eXtremitieS, RENTING this work
only to rest; and finding that the brandy had
stolen down his throat, l poured another
dram in, and then another, till think he had
swallowed pint. This went on for an hour,
during which time he never exhibited the
least signs of life; but on a sudden he sighed
deep; tremor ran through him; he sighed
again, and partly raised his right hand, which
| fell to the deck with blow; his lips twtched,
and a small CONFUSION of his face compelled
the features into the similitude of a grin
that instantly faded: then he fetched a sue
ceSsion of signs, and opened his eyes full upon
me.
| was warm enough with my work; but
when / observed him looking at me turned
of death like cold, and felt the dew of an
intolerable emotion wet in the palms of my
hands. There was no speculation in lis stare
at first-hiS eyes lay as coldly upon me as
those of fish; but as life quickened in him
so his understanding awoke; he slightly knit
ted his brows and very slowly rolled his gaze
| off me to the furnace, and SO over as much of
the cook room as was before him. He then
started as if to sit up, but fell back with q
slight groan and looked at me again.
|
very hollow, feeble voice.
| knew enough of his language to enable
me to know he spoke French, but that was
all l could not speak syllable of that
tongue.
you'll be feeling better presently; you
must not expect your strength to come in q
minute" said l, taking my chance of his I'M
derstanding me, and speaking that he might
] think a OrhCSt I Doubt 7
as white us One-since, to be plain the mere
talking to figure that had got to consider
as sheerly dead as anybody in a grave yard
was alarming enough; and then, again, there
was the sound of my own voice, which had
not exerted in speech for ages, as it seemed
| to me.
! He family nodded his head, by which 1
| perceived he understood me, and said very
family in English, but with a true French
accent, ''This is hard bed, SIR"
| I'm speedily mend that" said /, and at
once fetched mattress from the cabin next
mine; this placed beside him, and dragged
him on to it, he very weakly assisting.
then brought clothes and rugs to cover him
with, and made him high pillow; and as he
lay close to the furnace he could not have
been snugger had he had wife to tuck him
1
l was very much excited; my former ter
rors had vanished, but my awe continued
| great; for felt as if had wrought a mir
acle, and l trembled as a man would who
surveys some prodigy of his own creation. 1t
was yet to be learned how long he had
been in this condition; but was perfectly
sure he had formed one of the schooner's peo-
| pie; and as l had guessed her to have been
here upward of fifty years, the notion of that
man having lain torpid for half a century
held me under perpetual spell Of astonish.
ment; but there was no more horror in me
nor fright He followed me about with his
eyes, but did not offer to speak; perhaps he
could not. l put a lump of ice
into the kettle, and when the water
boiled made him a pint of steaming
brandy punch, which 1 held to his lips in a
pannikin, while supported his back with my
knee; he Supped it slowly and painfully, but
with unmistakable relish, and fetched sigh
OF contentment as hel lay back. But he would
need something more sustaining than brandy
and water; and as l guessed his stomach,
after so prOdigious fast, would be too weak
to support such solids as beef or pork OF
bacon, unused a little, turning over in my
mind the contents of the larder las call it,,
all which time he eyed me with bewilder-
ment growing in his face; and then thought
l could not do better than manufacture him
a broth of oatmeal, wine, bruised biscuit and
a piece of tOnO1sa '.i-HA~s' 49, ----'N