Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-31
(ooNrIsUnp.l
CHAPTER xuf.


It was pitch dArk when I swoke, and I
conceived it must be tho middle Of the night;
but, to my astonishment on lighting ths
lantern and looking a the watch, which I had
taken the precaution to wind up over night, \
I saw it wanted but twenty minutes 10 eight |
O'Clock, SO that I had passed through eleven
hours Of solid Sleep However, it was only
needful- to recollect where was and TO cast
a glance at the closed door and port, 70
understand why it Yves dark. had slept
fairly warm, and awoko with no sensation of
cramp; but tho keen air had caused the steam
OF my breath to freeze upon my mouth in
such manner that, when feeling the sticky
Inconvenience l put my finger to il, II fell
like a little mask; and likewise felt the pain
of cold in my face to such an extent that had
] been blistered there, my cheeks, nose and
brow could not have smarted more. This
resolved me henceforward to wrap up my
head and face before going to rest.
opened the door and passed out, and OBJ
served an amazing difference between the
temperature Of the air in which had been
sleeping and that Of tho atmosphere In tho
passage-a happy discovery, for IL served 70
assure me that, II I was careful to lie under
plenty Of coverings and to keep the outer air
excluded, the heat Of my body would rAiso
the temperature Of the little cabin; nor, pro-
viding the compartment was ventilated
throughout the day, was there anything to
be feared from tho vitiation Of the air by my
own breathing.
My first business was to light tho fire and
set my breakfast to thaw, and boil me ket-
tie of water; and while this was preparing
went on deck to view tho weather and to re.
volve in my mind the routine Of the day. On
opening the door of the companion hatch
was nearly blinded by tho glorious brillihnce
of the sunshine on the snow; after the black
ness of the cabin it was like looking at the
sun himself, and had to stand full three
minutes with my hand upon my eyes before
could accustom my sight to the dazzling
glare 1t was fine weather again; tho sky
over the glass like masts of the schooner was
a clear, dark blue, with few light clouds
blowing over it from the southwark. The
wind had shifted at last; but, pure as tho
heavens were the breeze was piping briskly
with tho weight and song Of a small gale,
and its fangs of frost, even in the compara-
tive quiet of the sheltered deck, bit with
fierceness that had not been observable yes
terday.
The moment had the body Of the vessel
I'm my sight perceived that she had changed
her position since my last view Of her. Her
ther by the depth of plank. I stared ear
nestly at tho rocky slopes on either hand, but
could not have sworn their Aguration was
changed. An oager hopo shot into my mind,
but it quickly faded into an emotion Of ap-
prehension. 1t was conceivable, indeed, that
on q sudden some early day might find tho
schooner liberated and aAoat, and this was
the first inspiriting flush; but then came the
eoa,. xbotx xha nd MI
of the ice might crush her-a fear rational
enough when saw the height she lay above
the sea, and how by pressure those slopes
whick formed her cradle might be jammed
and welded together The change OF her
posture then fell upon me with kind Of
shock, and determined me, when I had
broken my fast, to search her hold for O boat
or for materials for constructing some ark
by which might float out to sea, should the
ice grow menacing and force me from the
schooner.
I made plentiful meal, feeling the need Of
abundance of food in such O temperature as
this, and heartily grateful that there was no
need why should stint myself. sEEa
While ate my mind was SO busy with
considerations Of the change in the ships
posture during the night. that it ended in de-
termining me to take a survey Of her from
tho outside, and then climb the cliffs and
look around before fell to any other work.
Arming myself with boarding pike to serve
as pole l dropped into the fore chains and
thence stepped on to the ice, and very slowly
and carefully walked round the schooner,
examining her closely and boring into the
snow upon her side with my pike wherever
suspected hole or indent I could find
nothing wrong with her in this way, though
what thaw might reveal could not know.
Her rudder hung frozen upon its pintles, and
looked as it should. Some little distance
abaft her rudder, where tho hollow or chasrp
sloped to the sea, was great split three or
four feet wide; this had certainly happened
In the night and must have slept as sound
as the dead not to hear the noise Of it. Such
q rent as this sufficed to account for the sub
sidence Of the after part Of the schooner and
her farther inclination to larbcard. Indeed,
the hollow was now coming to resemble tho
ways on which ships are launched; and
you would have conceived by tho appear
ance Of it that if it should slope little moro
yet, OFF would slide the schooner for the sea !;
: and in the right posture, too--that Is, stern
on. But prayed with all my might and
main for anything but this. 1t would havo
been very well had tho hollow gono in gen.
tic declivity to tho wash Of the sea-to tho
water itself, In short; but it terminated at
the edge Of a cliff, not very high, indeed, but
high enough to warrant the prompt founder
ing of any vessel that should launch herself
off it. Happily the keel was too solidly
frozen into the ice to render passage Of this
description possible; ind the conclusion ar
rived at, after careful inspection, was that
the sole chance that could offer for the de-
livery of the vessel to her proper element lay
in the cracking up and disruption Of tho bed
on which she lay.
Satisfied as to the state of the ice and the
posture Of the schooner, viewed from with
out. sent a slow and piercing gaze along ths
ocean line, and then returned to the ship.
The strong wind, the dance of the sea, the
grandeur Of the great tract Of whiteuess,
vitalized by the flying Of violet cloud shad-
ows along it, had fortified my spirits, and
being free for a while) Of all superstitious
dread, determined to begin by exploring
the forecastle and ascertaining if more bodies
were in the schooner than those two in the
cabin and the giant form on deck. ] threw
some coal on the fire, and placed an OF
tongue along with the cheese and a lump Of
the frozen wine in pannikin into the oven
for had mind to taste the vessels stores
and thought the tongue would make an agree
able change, and then, putting candle into
the lantern, walked very hravely to the fore
castle and entered it,
was prepared for tho scene Of confusion
but must say it staggered mo afresh witt
something of the force Of the first impression
Sailors chests lay open in all directions, ant
their contents covered tho decks. There wa
the clearest evidence here that tho majority
of the crew had quilted the vessel in q vic
lent hurry, turning out their boxes to Gran
their money and jewelry into their pockets