Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-28


LAM STARTLED BY A DISCOVERY.
In this uneasy posture, despite the intense
cold, continued TO sleep soundly during the
greater part of the night. l was awakened
by n horrid dream of some giant shape stalk
ing down the slope of ice so seize and devour
me, and sot up trembling with horror that
was not n little increased by my inability to
recollect myself, and by my therefore con-
ceiying the canvas that covered me 10 be the
cropping of the ogre's hand over my face.
pushed the sail away and stood up, but
had instantly to sit again, my legs being ter
ribly cramped. A drink of spirits helped
me; my blood presently flowed with brisk
ness.
The moon was in the west. she hung large,
red and distorted, and shed no light save her
reflection, that waved in the sea under her
like several lcngths Of undulating, red hot
wire.
had no mind to lie down again. The
| cold indeed was cruelty sharp, and the smoke
sped from my mouth at every breath, as
though held tobacco pipe bctwixt my
teeth | got upon the ice and stepped about
it quickly darting searching glances into
the gloom to left and right of the setting
moon; but all lay bare, bleak and black.
1t seemed as If the night had only just de
the slanting wall of ice that made my haven,
the swell swept past in gurgling, bubbling,
drowning Sound, dismal and CHASTITY, as
| though in truth some such ogre as the mon
ster had dreamed Of lay sutfocating there.
| welcomed the cold coloring Of the east as if
it had been n ship, and watched the stars dy-
| ing and the frozen shore darkenng to the
dim and sitting dawn behind it, against
which the outline of the cliffs ran III a broken
streak of ink. The rising of tho sun gave
ME fresh life.
made up my mind to climb as high as
could, taking the oar with me to serve as
pole, that might view the ice and the ocean
| round about, and form IA judgment of the
weather by the aspect of the sky, of which
only the western part was visible from my
low strand But first must break my fast.
| remember bitterly lamenting the lack of
means to make fire, that | might obtain II
warm meal and a hot drink, and dry my
gloves, coat and breeches, to which the damp
of the salt chung tenaciously. Had this ice
been land, though the most desolate, gloomy,
repulsive spot in the world, l had surely
found something that would burn.
| sat in the boat to eat my slender repast,
and when it was ended pulled the oar out of
the crevice, and found it would make me a
good pole 10 probe my way with and support
myself by up the slope The boat was now
held by the mast which | shook and found
very firm. | put an empty beer bottle in my
pocket, meaning to see if | could fill it, If
the snow up above was sweet enough to DO
well tasted and then with Il final look at the
boat started.
The slope was extremely craggy. Blocks
of ice lay about, some On top of the others,
and had sometimes to warily walk fifty or
sixty PAGES round these blocks to come at II
part of the slope that was smooth,
| had come to u stand to fetch n breath,
and was moving on afresh when, having
taken not half a dozen steps, spied the figure
of a man He was in a sitting POSTURE his
back against a rock that had concealed him.
His head was bowed, and his knees drawn
up to "a level with his chin, and his naked
hands were clasped upon his legs His atti-
tude was that of person lost in thought
very easy and calm.
l stopped rs if | had been shot through the
heart Had it boon bear or a sea lion, or
any creature which my mind could instantly
have associated with this white and stirless
desolaton, might have been startled indeed;
but no such amazement could have possessed
me as | now felt. 1t never entered into my
head to doubt that he was alive, SO natural
was his attitude, as of one lost in a mood of
tender melancholy.
| stood staring at him, myself motionless,
for some minutes, too greatly astonished and
thunderstruci to note more than that he was
a man. Then l looked about me to see if
he had companions or for some signs of a