Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-06-14
ICE BOUND.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL,
Author Of 1.-THE Vrecl; Of The Grosuenor,
Jacks Coasrtship," my Watch Be-
toto, The Lady Maud Etc
CHAPTER XIV.

AN EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.
While sat smoking my pipe it entered my
head to presently turn those two silent gentle.
men in the cabin out Of it. It was a task
from which | shrank, but it must be done.
To be candid, dreaded the effects of their
dismal compapionship on my spirits. But
how was | to dispose of them! | meditated
this matter while | smoked First thought
would drag them to tho fssure or rent in
the ice just beyond the stern Of the schooner
and tumble them into it. But even then
they would still be with me, So to speak,
mean they would BE neighbors, though out
OF sight; and my eagerness was to get them
away from this island altogether, which was
only to be done By casting them into the sea
l settled my scheme thus: First, | was to
haul the figures rs best l could on to the
deck: then there being three, to get them
over the side, and afterward, by degrees, to
transport the four of them TO some steep.
whence they would slide Of themselves into
the ocean. Yet so much did | dread the
undertaking, and abhor the thought of the
tedious time [ foresaw it would occupy me.
that | cannot imagine any other sort of
painful and distressing work that would not
have seemed actually agreeable as compared
with this.
My pipe being smoked out, | stepped into
the cabin, and ascending the ladder threw
of The companion cover and opened the
doors, and then went to tho man that had his
back to the steps-bat my courage failed me !;
he was 30 life like, there was 20 wild ana
fierce an earnestness in the expression Of his
face, so inimitable picture of horror in his
starting posture, that my hands fell to my
side and | could not lay hold Of him. | will
not sop to analyze my fear or ask why,
since | knew that this man was dead, he
should have terrified NE as surely 10 living
man could: l can Only repeat that the pros
pect Of touching him, and laying him upon
the deck and then dragging him up the lad
Ger, was indeacribably fearful 60 me, and
turned away shaking as if had the ague.
But it had to be done, nevertheless and
after great deal Of reasoning and self-re-
preach | seized him on a sudden, and kicking
away tho bench let him fall to the deck. He
was frozen IS hard rs stone and fell like
stone, and | looked TO see him break. as 4
statue might that falls lumpishly His arms
remaining raised put him into an attitude Of
cntrcaty TO INC to leave him in peace but
had somewhat mastered myself, and the
hurry and tunut OF my spirits were a kind
Of hot temper; so catching him by the collar
l dragged him to the foot Of the companion
steps, and then, with infinite labor and
number of sickening pauses, hauled him up
the ladder to the deck
let him lie and returned weary and out
of breath. He had been q very fine man in
Hfe-of beauty, too as was to be seen in the
shape OF his features and the particular ele-
gance Of his chin despite the distortion of his
last unspeakable dismay; and with his clothes
| guessed his weight came hard upon 200
pounds-no mean burden to haul up a ladder
| went to the cook house for a dram and to
rest myself, and then ca,ac back to tha cabin
and looked ct the other man His posture
has been already described. He made very
burly figure ii his coat, and if his weight did
not exceed tho Others tt was not likely to be-
less. Nothing Of bis head vas visible but
the badness on the top and the growth Of
hair that ringed it, and the tiufIing up of his
beard about his arms, in which his face was
SINK. touched his beard Witha shuddering
finger. and noted that The frost had made
every hair of it as sdT as wire 1t would
not do to stand idly contemplating him, for
already there WAS slowly creeping into me
dread OF seeing his face: so | took hold of
him and swayed him from the table, and he
fell upon the deck Sideways preserving his
posture, 50 that his face remained hidden |
dragged him little way, but he was so heavy
and his attitude rendered him as burden SO
surprisingly cumbrous, that | was sure could
never OF my own strength haul him up the
ladder Yet neither was it tolerable that he
should he there.
Then, thought |, if / was to put him before
the fire, he might presently thaw into some
sort of suppleness and so prove not harder
than the other to get on deck liked the
idea, and without more ado dragged him la
boriously into the cook room and laid him
close 70 the furnace, throwing in q little pile
of coal TO make the fire roar.