Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22
CHAPTER VII.
lam STARTLED By A DISCOVER

I AM STARTLED By a DISCOVERY.
In this uneasy posture, despite the intense
cold, | continued to sleep soundly during tho
greater part of the night | was awakened
by holrid dream of some giant shape stalk
ing down the slope of ice SO seize and devour
me, and sat up trembling with horror that
was not a little increased by my inability TO
recolect myself, and By my therefore con-
ceiving the canvas that covered me TO be the
cropping of the ogre's hand over my face
pushed the sail away and stood UP, but
had instantly TO sit again, my legs being ter
ribly cramped A drink of spirits hGlpcd
me; my blood presently flowed with brisk
ness.
The moon was in the west; she hung large,
red and distorted. and shed no light save her
reflection, that waved in tho sea under nor
like several lengths of undulating red hot
wire
he'd no mind to lie down again. The
cold indeed was cruelty sharp, and the smoke
sped from my mouth at every breath, as
though l held a tobacco pipe bcLwixt my
teeth. | got upon the ice and stepped about
it quickly, darling searching gances into
the gloom to left and right OF the setting
moon; but all lay bare, bleak and black.
1t seemed as if the night had only just de-
scendcd so tardy was the dawn. Outside
the santing wall of ice that maJe my haven,
the swell swept past in q gurgling, bubbling,
drowning sound, dismal and CHASTITY, as
though in truth some such ogre as the mon
ster had dreamed of lay sutfocatng there.
/ welcomed the cold coloring of the east as if
it had been a ship, and watched the stars dy-
ing and the frozen shore darkening to the
dim and sitting dawn behind it, against
which the outlino of the cliff. ran in n broken
s+rcol, Of inI, The risira Of the sun cave
me fresh life.
T,ua,1a,n my, mind +o climb as Itch ms T
could. taking fhe oar with me TO serve as .
mole. that mirht view The ice and the ocean
round about. and form a Indictment of the
weather Inv tho nsnac+ of the sky. of which
onl,, tl,a western mart was visihle from, NV
,o,. Strand Ru+ drst 7 ,,,,e+ hreol NV fast
remember bitterly lauentinl, the lacl, of
means To make n fro that I MIGHT Obtain n
warm meal and y hot drink and DRY NV
gloves. cont and breaches ia which fine damn
or ,hn salt c,urcr tanor;nuslv ToI this ice
been lonl thouob fine most dcsolate. Gloomy.
rerulsi,-o s,,ot in the world had sureiv
iot,nd .on,a+hioc, that womb Irnn
sat IN the boat to eat my slender rcpast
and whom it was ended pulled the oar out of
the crcvicc, and found it would make mo
good pole to probe my way with and support
nlNSc!t by up the slope The boat was now
held by the mast, which shook and found
very firm. put an empty beer bottle in my
pocket, meaning to see if | could ill il, if
tic snow up above was sweet enough to be
well tasted, aud then with q final look at the
boat | started
The slope was extremely crargv. Blocks
OF tie lay about some On top of the others,
and had sometimes to warilv walk fifty or
sixty PAGES round these blocks to come at a
part of the slope that was smooth,
had come to stand to fetch breath,
and was moving on afrcsh, when having
taken not half n dozen steps. spied tho figure
of a man. He was in a sitting posture. his
back AGAINST q rock that had concealed him.
His head was bowed, and his knees drawn
ND to a level with his chin. and his naked
hands we're clasped upon his leas His atti-
tude was that of person lost in thought
very easy and calm.
| stoned as if had been shot through the
heart Had it been "a bear or q sea lion, or
any creature which my mind could instantly
have associated with this white and stirless
desolation. might have been startled indeed
but no such amazement could have possessed
mo as now felt. 1t never entered into nv
head TO doubt that he was alive. so natura
was his attitude, as of ore lost in a mood OF
tender melancholy
| stood staring at him. myself motionless
for some minutes, too greatly astonished anC