The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-27
CHAPTER XXI.
went belol

4 CHANGE COMES OVER THE FRENCHMAN.
TasSard was logged and scowling Such
was his temper that had | been a small or
weak man. or person likely 10 prove sub
missive. he would have given loose rein 20
his foul tongue and may be handled lne very
roughly But my demeanor was cold and
resolved. and not of n kind TO improve his
courage | leveled a deliberate, scmicon-
temptuous gaze at his own fiery stare. and
puzzled him, too, | believe, n good deal by
my cool reserve. He muttered while ~ ate,
drinking pcntifully of wine and garniSAing
his draughts with OathS aud 10 spare. and
then, after falling silent and remaining 80
for the space Of twenty minutes, during
which ! lighted my pipe and sat with my
feet close 10 the furnace, listening with
eager ears TO the sounds of the ice and the
dull CRYING Of the wind be exclaimed sulk-
ily: your scheme is failure The schooner
is fixed. What's 10 be done nowN
II don't know that my scheme is a fail
ure.n said |. What did you suppOse-that
the blast would blow the ice, with the
schooner on it. into the ocean clear Of tie
island. II the ice is 50 shaken as 10 enable
the swell ~ tttdCu D t'AAi' " AAs nav
accomplished oil PROPOSED"
"Ifr' he cried, scornfully and pas5lonatcly
"if will not deliver US and save the treasure.
| tell you the schooner is fXed-as fixed as
the damned in everlasting fire. Be 1t SOL be-
cried clenching his fist But goa w,st
NEEDLE no more The Boca del Dragon is
mine-mine dye see, now that they're oil
dead and gone but me'-smi,ing his Oo,om-
"and if ever she is 10 float, let nature or -ho
devil launch her: no more explosion, VIII
the risks your failure has made Der and He
rum
His voice sank: he looked at me in silence,
and then, with wild grin Of anger, be ex-
claimed: What made you awake me- |
was at peace-ncither cold, hungry nor hope
less! What demon forced you to bring me
10 this-to bring me back TO this"
"Mr. Tassard,1 said ], coldly, II don't ask
your pardon for my experiment; | meant
well. and to my mind II is no failure yet.
But for disturbing your repose do sincerely
beg YOUR forgiveness, and solemnly promise
YOU. if YOU will return TO the state in which
/ found you, that will not repeat the Of
fensen
He eyed me from top to toe in silence,
filed and lighted his hideous pipe, and
smoked with his back turned upon me
Had there been another warm place in the
schooner should have retired 10 it, and left
this surly and scandalous savage TO the en-
iovment of his own company.
After sitting long while sullenly smok-
ing in silence, he fetched his mattress and
some covers, lay down upon it, and fell fast
asleep. | admired and enyied this display OF
confidence in me, and heartily wished myself
as safe in his hands rs lie was in mine. The
afternoon passed. | was on deck Il half
dozen times, but never witnessed the least
alteration in the ice. Ny spirits sank very
low
sat before the furnace extremely detected,
while the Frcnchman Snored on his mattress.
could no longer hatter myself that the ex
plosions had made the impression l had ex-
pected on the ice and my mind was utterly
at a loss. How to deliver myself from this
horrible situation could not imagine.
The sole rcy of hope that gleamed upon me