The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-06

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I;ouor tn warm me: but IL wine and ham and
ch'..o froze i'm an air in which q fire had
been burning. why not | in my sleep, wher
tberp was no fire, and life beat weakly, as II
docs in sumter, Those figures in the cabir
were dismal warnings and assurances; they
had been men perhaps stouter and heartiei
than ever was in their day, but they had
been frozen into stony images, nevSthe
less. under cover, too, with the ma
ter,als 10 make a fire, and as much strong
waters in their lazlrctte as would serve their
schooner TO float i'll.
II strangely and UNFORTUNATELY entered my
head To conceive that though those men wer,
frozen and stirless they were not dead as
corrses are. Int as a stream whose current
checked low ice. will Aow when the ice l.
melted NN.ht not life in them bo suspended
by the cold. not ended. There Is vitality IL
the seed. though it lies dead thing III TIC
hand. Those men arc corpses 10 my eye,
bur. said | - myself, they may nave inc
principles Of life in them, which heat mlght
call into b,ing Putrefaction IS natural
law. but it is baked by frost and just rs
decay is hinderel by cold, might not tile
ororcrtv Of life DO left unaffected in body.
though il should he numbed in marble
form for fifty years.
This was terrible fancy TO possess man
etuated rs ! was, and it so worked IN me
that again and again caught myself look
ing first forward. then aft, as though, heaven
help me- nv secret instincts foreboded that
nj any moment should behold some form
from the forecastle or one OF those figures III
the cabin stalking In. and coming to my side
and silently seating himself. pshawed and
pished. and ENORMOUSLY asked Of myself what
manner Of English sailor was TO suffer such
womanlv terrors TO visit me; but IL would
not do: could not smoke; GOODNESS OF the
heart fell upon me, and set me trembling
above any sort Of shivcrs which the frost OF
the air had chased through me- and presently
n hollow creak sounding out of the hold,
caused by some movement of the bed Of lee
on which the vessel lay, was seized with
panic terror and sprang to my feet, and Ian
| tern in hand made for the companion ladder,
with a PRAYER in me for the sight of star!
! burst not look Al the figures, but setting
the light down at the foot Of the ladder
squeezed through the companion door on to
the deck ny fear was fever in its way,
and did not feel the cold. There was no
star 70 be seen. but the whteness of the ice
was flung out in wild, strange glare by the
blackncss OF the sky. and made light OF It's
own. II was the most savage and terrible
picture Of solitude the invention Of man
could reach 70. vet blessed it for the relief
il gave 10 my ghost enkinded Imagination
Presently, when the cold was beginning TO
pierce me. my courage was SO much the let
ter for this excursion into the hOarse and
black and cleaning realities Of the night,
that my heart beat a. its usual measure as
passed through the hatch and went again 10
the cook room.
was, however, sure that if | sat here long
listening and thinking, fear would return
81, raking ont tha fire, picked up the lantern
and was abou. - 20, then halted, considering
whether | should not stow The frozen proyis
ions away II was natural thought, seeing
how precious food was To me. But, alas IT
matterel not where they lay; they We're as
secure here as il they were as snugly hidden
in the bottom of the hold II was the white
realm Of death, if ever a rat had crawled in
this ship it was, in its hiding place, as stiff
and idle as the frozen vessel SO ] let the
lump Of wine, the ice ham, and 50 forth, res
where they were, and went to the cabin had
chosen, involuntarily peeping at the figures
rs passed, and hurrying the faster because
OF the grim and terrifying livelness put into
the man who sat starting from the table by
the swing Of the lantern in my hand.
| shut the door and hung the lantern near
the cot, having the flint and box in my pocket.
There was, indeed, an abundance OF can
dies in the vessel; nevertheless, il was my
business u husband them with the utmost
nLeardliucss. How long ] was 90 bo i'm
prisoned here, if indeed was ever to bc de
liyered, Providence alone knew; and TO run
shor. Of candle, would add 10 the tcrrOrs Of
my existence by forcing mo either to open
the hatcht, and ports for light, ana 50 filling
the ship with the deadly mir outside or living
II darkness. There were u cloak and coat
Il TIE cot, bdt they would not suffice. there
was, however, plenty Of apparel in the cor
ner - serve AS wraps and having chosen
enough 70 smother me / yaultel into the cot,
and 50 covered myself that the clothe, were
above the level Of the sides OF the cot.
left III, lantern burning while | made
sure my bed was all right, and lay musing,
feeling extremely melancholy; the hardest
part was the thought Of those two men
watching in the cabin. The most fantastic
alarms possessed me. Suppose their ghosts
came 70 the ship at midnight, and entering
their bodies quicSened them into walking
! caught myself listening, and there was
enough to hear, too, what with the sub1ucd
roaring Of I'll, wind, the splintering Of ice,
the occasional crcaking unlike heavy
booted treai-of the fabric o. the schooner
TO the blasts OF the gale against her masts,
or to a movement in the bed on which she
repo,ed.
But PLAIN sense came TO my rescue at las.
] resolved % have no moro of these night
fears, 80, blowing o., the candle put my
head on the coat that formed my pillow, res
ou.ely KEEP. my eyes shut, and after a while
tei! asleep.
CHAPTER Kill
EXP-JsE tn. HOLD AND FORECAsTIE.
1, was pi.ch dari, when ! awokc, and
conceived IL must le the middle Of the night
bat, 10 M establishment, on lighting the
lantern and boxing at tho watch, which had