Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-11
CHAPTER XIV.
THE PIRATES STORY.

lighted my pipe and sat smoking, think
ing he would presently awake; but his slum-
Der was us deep as the stillnes had thawed
him ont Of had been, and he lay so motion
less that, but for his snoring and harsh breath
ing, should have believed him lapsed into
his former ifelessness
At O'Clock tho fire was very low. Ma
turo was working out her own way with
this Frenchman, and determined to let him
sleep where he was, and take my chance Of
the night.
The gale made great roaring. The ships
stern lay open to the gorge, and but for her
steadiness | might have supposed myself at
sea. | snugged me down amid the coats and
cloaks in my cot, and, obstinately holding
my eyes closed, ultimately fell asleep,
1t was u little after when | awoke
/ lighted the lantern, but upon entering the
passage that lead to the cabin | observed by
my own posture that the schooner had not
only heeled more to larboard but was far
ther 'down by the stern" to the extent of
several feet. Indeed, the angle Of inclina-
ton was now considerable enough to bring
my shoulder lin the paSsage) close against the
starboard side when | stood erect. The noise
of the gale was still in tine air, and the boom
ing and boiling of the sea was uncommonly
loud. | walked straight to the cook room,
and, putting the lantern to tho Frenchman,
perceived that he was still in a heavy sleep,
and that he had lain through the night pre-
cisely in the attitude in which had left him.
His face was so muifled that little more than
his long hawks bill nose was disccrnible. 1t
was freeaingly cold, and l made haste to
light the fire. There was still coal enough
in the corner to last for the day, and before
long the furnace was burning cheerfully. l
went to work to make some broth and fry
some ham, and melt little block of ruby
colorcd wine; and while thus occupied, turn
ing my head moment to look at the French
man, found him half started up, staring in
tently ut me.
This sudden confrontment threw me into
such confusion that | could not speak He
moved his head from side to side, taking a
view of the scene, with an expression of the
most inimitable establishment painted upon
his countenance. He then brought the fiat
of his hand with a dramatic blow to his fore
head, the scar on which showed black as ink
to the fire glow, and sat erect
"Where have | beenp he exclaimed in
French.
"Sir," said I, speaking with the utmost
difficulty, II do not understand your Ian
guage. am English. You speak my tongue.
VIII you address me in itp
"Englishln he exclaimed in English drop
ping his head on one side and peering at me
with an incredible air of amazement "How
came you here9 You are not of our COM
panyl Let me seen- Here he struggled
with recollection, continuing to stare at me
from under his shaggy eyebrows as if was
some frightful vision.
81 am sRpwrecked British mariner, " said
/, "and have been cast away upon this ice,
where found your schooner
''Han he interrupted, with prodigious
vehemence, Certainly; we are frozen up-I
remember. That sleep should serve my
memory so.n He made as if to RISE but sat
again 1.-THE cold is numbing; it would
weaken a lion. Give me a hot drink, sir"
filled pannikin with the melted wine,
which he swallowed thirstily.
"More!" cried he. 81 seem to want life"
Again filed the pannikin.
"Good!n said he, fetching a sigh, as he re-
turned the vessel; ''you are very obliging,
sir. II you have food there we will eat to-
gether."
| give the substance of his speech, but not
his delivery of it; nor is it necessary that l
should interpolate my rendering with the
French words he used.
The broth being boiled, gave him a good
bowl of it along with plate OF bacon and
tongue, some biscuit and pannikin of hot
brandy and water, all which things | put
upon his knees as he sat upon the mattress;
and to it he fell, making a rare meal. Yet
all the while he ate he acted like man be-
witched, as well he might, staring at me and
looking round and round him, and then drop
ping his knife to strike his brow, as if by
that kind of blow he would quicken the ac-
tivity of memory there.
"There is something wrong said he, pres
emily. what rs it, sirl This is the cook
room How does it happen that l am lying
heref'
/ told him exactly how it was, adding that
If it had not been for his posture, which
obliged me to thaw in order to carry him, he
would now be on deck with the others, await
ing the best funeral l could give him.
"Who are the othersm asked he.
II know not, )" said l. "There were four in
all, counting yourself; one sits frozen to death
on the rocks | met him first, and took his
watch from his pocket that l might tell the
time
He took the watch in his hands, and asked
me to bring the lantern close.
"Ha" cried he "this was Mendozas-the
captains. l remember; he took it for the
sake of this letter upon it. He lies dead on
the rocks9 We missed him, but did not know
where he had gone" Then, raising his hand
and impulsively starting upon the mattress
he cried, while he tapped his forehead, at
has come back! l have it! Giuseppe Tren-
tanove and l were in the cabin; he had fallen
blind with the glare of the ice-if that was
it. We confronted each other On sudden
he screamed out. had put my face into my
arms and felt myself dying His cry aroused
me. looked up and saw him leaning back
from the table with his eyes fixed and horror
in his countenance l was too feeble to speak
too languid to rise watched him while,
and then the drowsiness stole over me again,
and my head sank and l remember no more.
He shuddered, and extended the pannikin |
for more liquor. l filled it with two-thirds |
Of brandy and the rest water, and he supped |
IL down as If it had been tnlmblerul OF wine. |
by the holy cross" cried he, "but this is
very wonderful, thought How long have
you been here, sir2n
Three days.
"Three daysl and have been in stupor
ingf"
"You will have been in a stupor longer I
than that, 1 expect" said l.
"What is this month"; he cried.
July replied.
"July-Juy!' he muttered "Impossiblei
Let me see"-he began to count on his fingers
tive fell in with the ice and got locked in
November. We had six months of it; recol-
lect no more. Six months of it, sir; and
the stupor came upon me then, the
month at which my memory stops would be
April Yet you call this July-that is to say,
four months of oblivionl ImpossibleW
"What was the year in which you fell in
A.. L u