Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-28


low through her frame. 1t was only at in
tervals, however, that water fell upon the
decks, for the ice broke the beat of the mod
| Grating surge, and forced it To expend III
weight in spume, which there was moi
| strength OF wind enough 20 raise and heave
| Since the vessel continued to lie head TO sea
| my passionate hope was that these repeated
| washings of the waves would in time loosen
| the ice about her keel, in which case it would
not need much Of a billow, shifting
| her full bows fair, to slide her clean
down and of her bed, and so launch
| her. There were many clouds in the
heavens, but the blue was very pure between
| The morning Frightening with the rising oil
| the sun, | directed an earnest gaze along the
| horizon, but there was nothing to see but ice
| Some of the bergs, however, and more par
ticularly tho distant one, stole out Of the blue
| atmosphere to the sunshine with so complete
| resemblance to the lifting canvas of ships
that would catch myself staring fixedly, my
heart beating fast. But there was no de
lection in these disappointments; the ecstasy
that filed me on beholding the terrible island
the hideous frozen prison, whose crystal
bars had again and again believed were
never TO be broken-now lying at a distance
with its northern cape imperceptibly open
ing to our subtle movement, was so violent
that could not have found my voice for the
tears in my heart.
This, then, was the result Of my scheme; it
was no failure as Tassard had said; as he
owed his life to me, so now did he owe me
his liberty Nay, my transports were so
great that / would not suffer myself to feel
an instant's anxiety touching the condition
of the schooner mean whether she would
laal xxJla gha oil
how we two men were TO manage to navigate
so large craft, that was still as much spell
bound aloft in her frozen canvas and tackle
as ever she had been in the sepulcher in which
/ discovered her.
went below, and put the provisions we
needed for breakfast into the oven, and
entered Tassards cabin. On bringing the
lantern TO his face as he lay Hnder half
score Of coats upon the deck, perceived that
he was awake, and my heart being full 1
cried out cheeiily, "Good news good newsl
the gunpowder did its work. The ice is
ruptured, and we are afloat, Mr. Tassard-
atioat, and progressing northl"
He looked ut me vacantly, and giving his
head shake, exclaimed, "How can crawl
from this moundi My strength is gone"
If was amazed that the joyful intelligence
] had delivered produced no other response
than this querulous inquiry, was far more
astonished by the sound of his voice 1t was
the most cracked and venerable pipe that
ever tickled the throat of old age-a min
Cling of wailing falsettos and of hollow, gasp
ing growls, the whole very weak. l threw
the clothes off him, and said, "Do you wish
to rise' will bring you your breakfast here
if you wish"
He looked at me, but made no answer /
bawled again, and observed, by the dim lam
tern light, that he watched my lips with an
air of attention; and while waited for s
reply he said, 81 don't hear you"
Anxious to ascertain to what extent his
hearing was impaired, kneeled on the deck,
and, putting my lips to his ear, said not very
loud, "Will you come to the cook houseF'
which he did not hear; and then louder,
"Will you come to the cook house!" which he
did not hear either. | believed him stone deaf
till, on roaring with all the power of my
lungs, he answered, Yes"
1 took him by the hands and hauled him
gently on to his feet and had to continue
holding him, or he must have fallen. Time
was beginning with him when he had gone to
bed, and the remorseless old soldier had COM
petely finished his work while his victim
slept. l viewed the Frenchman while
grasped his hands, and there stood before me
a shrunk, lettering, deaf, bowed, feeble old
man. What was yesterday polished head
was now shriveled pate-as though the
very skull had shrunk and left the skin to rip
Pile into wrinkles, and sit loose and puckered.
His hands trembled excessively But his
lower jaw was held in its place by his teeth;
and this perpetuated in the aged dwindled
countenance something of the likeness of the
fierce and sinister yisage that had confronted
me yesterday. l was thunderstruck by the
alteration, and stood overwhelmed with awe,
confusion and alarm. Then, re-collecting my
spirits, supported the miserable relic to the
fire, putting his bench to the dresser, that he
might have back to lean against
He could scarce feed hinlself-indeed he
could hardly hold his chin off his breast. He
had gone to bed man, as l might take it,
of So, and during the night the angel of Time
had visited him, and there he sat 103 years of
agel
He looked it. Ha, thought I, was dread
ing yourtreachery yesterday; there is moth
ing more to fear. Besides that he was nearly
stone deaf, he could hardly see; and was
sure, if he should be able to move at all, he
could not stir leg without the help of sticks
was going to roar out to him that we were
@irift, but he looked SO imbecile that /
thought--to what purpose! If there be aught
of memory in him, let him sit and chew the
cud thereof. He cannot last long-the cold
must soon stop his heart And with that
went on eating my breakfast in silence, but
greatly affected by this astonishing mark of
the hand of Providence, and under a very
heavy and constant sense of awe; for the like
of such transformation am sure had never
before encountered mortal eyes, and it was
terrifying to be alone with it.