Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-25


A CHANGE COMES OVER THE FRENcuMAN.
Tassard was logged and scowling. Such
was his temper that had been a small or
weak man, or person likely to prove sub
mssive he would have given loose rein to
his foul tongue and may be handled me very
roughly. But my demeanor was cold and
resolved, and not of n kind 10 improve his
courage. / lGyeled a deliberate, semi-con-
temptuous gaze at his own fiery stare, and
puzzled him, too, believe, a good deal by
my cool reserve He muttered while we ate,
drinking plentfully of wine and garnishing
his draughts with oaths and TO spare; and
then, after falling silent and remaining so
for the space of twenty minutes, during
which j lighted my pipe and sat with my
feet close to the furnace, listening with
eager ears TO the sounds Of the ice and the
dull crying Of the wind, he exclaimed sulk-
lily: your scheme is a failure. The schooner
is fixed What's to be done now"
~ don't know that my scheme is fail
urcn said /. "What did you suppose-that
the blast would blow the ice, with the
schooner on IL, into the ocean clear Of the
islandi If the leo Il so shaken as to enable
the swell to detach it, my scheme will have
accomplished all proposed"
"Ifw he cried, sc0rntully and passionately (;
''if will not deliver rs and save the treasure
tell You the schooner is tiNed-as fixed as
the damned in everlasting fire, BE it sol" he
cried ccnching his fist. But you must
NEEDLE no morri The Bocn del Dragon is
mine-mine. dye sec, now that they're all
dead and gone but me'-sniting his BOSOM
land if ever she is TO font let nature or the
devil launch her; no more explosions, with
the risks your failure has made her and mo
rum
His voice sank; he looked at me in silence,
and then, with n wild grin of anger, he ex-
claimed: What made You awake met
was at pcaco-neither cold, hungry nor hope
less! What demon forced you to bring me
TO this-to bring me back to this,n
"Mr. Tassard," said /, coldly, II don't ask
your pardon for my experiment; l meant
well, and to my mind it is no failure yet,
But for disturbing your reposc do sincerely
beg your forgiveness, and sOlemuly promise
you, if you will return to the state in which
/ found you, that l will not repeat the Of
fense.n
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 TO it, and left
this surly and scandalous savage to the en-
joyment Of his own company.
After sitting a long while sullenly smok-
ing in silence, he fetched his mattress and
some covers lay down upon it, and fell fast
asleep ! admired and envied this display of
confidence in me, and heartily wished myself
as safe in his hands as be was in mine. The
afternoon passed. | was on deck a 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 Frenchman snorod on his mattress
could no longer fatter myself that tho ex-
plosions had made the impression had ex-
pected OH the ice, and my mind was utterly
at loss How to deliver myself from this
horrible situation | could not imagine.
The sole ray OF hope that CLEANED upon me
broke out of the belief that this island was
going north, and that when we had come to
the height of the summer in these seas, the
wasting of the coast or the dislocation of the
northern mass would release us.
Yet this was but poor comfort too; it
threatened II terrible long spell of waiting,
with perhaps disappointment in the end, and
months of enforced association with wretch
with whom should have to live in fear of
my life.
When I was getting supper Tassard
npolIe, quilted his mattress and came to his
.ench
"IIas anything happened while | slept7"
said he.
"Notbing,n l answered.
"The ice shows no signs of giving'" he
asked
II see none said T.
"Well," cried he, with a sarcastic sneer,
shave you any more fine schemes:'
"Tis your turn now" l replied. "Try
your hand If you fail promise you shall
not be disappointed"
But you English Sailors" said he, wag-
ging his head and regarding me with great
deal of wilduess in his eye, ''speak of your
selves as the finest seamen in the world.
Justify the maritime reputation of your
nation by showing me how we are to escape
with the schooner from the ice"
'Mr. Tassard," said l. approaching him
and looking him full in the face, 81 would
advise you to sweeten your temper and
change your tone. l have borne myself very
moderately toward you, submitted to your
insults with patience, and have done you
some kindness l am not afraid of you. On
the contrary, look upon you as swagger- |
ing bully and hoary vii lain. Do you UNDER
stand mei am desperate man in des- |
perate situation. But if don't fear death, |
depend upon it don't fear you: and I take |
God to witness that if you do not use me
with the civility I have the..right to expect, |
will kill your
My temper had given way; meant every |
word / spoke, and my air and sincerity |
rendered my speech very formidable. l APP |
preached him by another stride he started |
up, as l thought, to seize me, but in reality |
to recoil, and this he did so effectually as to |
tumble over his bench, and down he fell, |
striking his bald head so hard that he lay |
for several minutes motionless