Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22
CHAPTER XIII.
EXPLORE THE HOLD AND FORECAST


1t was pitch dark when l awoko, and
conceived it must be the middle Of tho night:
but, TO my establishment, on lighting tho
lantern 0nd looking at tho watch, which had
taken the procaution to wind up over night,
] saw il wanted but twenty minutes to eight
o'clock, so that had passed through eleven
hours OF solid sleep. However, it was only
necdful to recollect where l was and TO cast
a glance at the closed door and port, to
understand why it was dark / had slept
fairly warm and awoke with no sensation of
cramp; but the 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 it, it fell
like little mask; and likewise felt the pain
of cold in my face to such an extent that had
J been blistered there, my cheeks. nose and
brow could not have smartcd more. This
resolved mo hcnceforward TO wrap Up my
head and face before going to rest
/ opened the door and passed out and OBJ
served an amazing difference between tho
temperature Of the air in which had hccn
sleeping and that of the atmosphere in tho
passnge-a happy discovery, for it served to
assure me that, if | was careful to lie under
plenty OF coverings and to keep the outer air
excluded. tho heat of my body would raise
the temperature of the little cabin; nor, pro-
viding tho compartment was ventilated
throughout the day, was there anything to
be feared from the vitiaton of the air by my
own breathing.
Ny first business was to light the fire and
set my breakfast to thlw, and boil me ket-
Ito of water: and while this was preparing |
went on deck to view tho weather and TO re.
vovc in my mind the routine Of the day. On
opening the door of the companion hatch |
was nearly blinded by tho glorious brillianco
of the sunshine on the snow; after the black
ness of the cabin it was like looking at tho
sun himself, and had to stand full three
minutes with my hand up'Si my eyes before
could accustom my sight to the dazzling
glare. 1t was fine weather again: the sky
over the glass like mnsts of the schooner was
clear, dark blue, with a few light clouds
blowing over it from the southwark. The
wind had shifted at last; but, pure as the
heavens were, the breeze was piping briskly
with the weight and song of a small gale,
and its fanys of frost. even i'll the compare
tive quiet of the sheltered deck, bit with a
fcrceness that had not been observable yes
terday.
The moment had the body of the vessel
in nv sight perceived that she had ch.nged
her position since my last view Of her Her
bows were more raised, and she lay over far
Their by the depth OF Il plank. ! stared ear
nestlv at the rocky slopes on either hand, but
cogld not have sworn their fEuration was
changed. An eager hope shot into my mind,
| but it quickly faded into an emotion Of APP
prehsusA)n. It was conceivable. indeed. that
on n S.d'len some early day ! might find tho
schooner liberated and aloat, and this was
the fist nspriting flush; but then came tho
fear that tho disruption and volcanic throes
of the ice might crush her--a fear rational
enough w. - saw the height She lay above
the sea, and how by pressure those slopes
which formed her cradle might be jammed
and welded together. The change Of her
/ posture then fell upon Inc with a kind OF
shock, and determined me- when | had
broken my fast, to search her hold for boat
or for materials for constructing some ark
| by which might float out to sea, should the
ice grow menacing and force mo from the
schooner.
| made plentiful meal, feeling the need of
| abundance of food in such "A temperature Is
this, and heartily grateful that there was no
need why | should stint myself.
While | ate my mind was so busy with
| considerations of the change in the ship.
| posture during the night that it ended in de
I
the outside, and thea climb the cliffs and
/ look around before fell to any other work.
ArutuG myself with u boarding pike to serve
as pole, 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 tic
snow upon her side with my pike wherever
| suspected holo or iudont. | could fiui
nothing wrong with her in this way, though
what II thaw might reveal ! could not know.
| Ter ruddcr hung frozen upon its pintlos, and
looked az it should. Some little distance
aUatt her ruddcr, where the hollow or chasp
stopped 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
rent as THIS suiiiced to account for the sub
sidcnce OF the after part of the schooner md
/ her farther inclination to larbCard. Indeed
the hollow was now coming to resemble the
ways on which ships are launched: and
YOU would have conceived bv the appear
ance Of it that il it should slope a ittl- more
yet, OIL would slide the schooner Tor he ,ea
and III the right posture, too--that is, stern
on. But | prayed with all my might ana
"lain for anything but this. II would have
been very well had the hollow gone IN gen
lie uccIiVHN to the wash OF the sea-tO tho
water itself, in short but ii terminated a,
the edge OF q cliff, not very high, indeed. but
high enough to warrant the prompt founder
ing of any vessel that should launch herself
OF it. Happily the keel was too solidly
frozen into the ice to render passage of TIL.
description possible; and the conclusion AZ.
rived at, after careful inspection was that
tho sole chance that could offer for the de
livery of the vessel TO her proper element lay
IN the cracking up and disruption of the bed
on which she lay.
Satisfied as 10 the state of the ice and the
posture of the schooner, viewed from with
out sent Il slow and piercing gaze along th
ocean line, and then returned TO the ship
The strong wind the dance of the sea, thu
grandeur of the great tract of whtencss
vitalized by the flying Of violet cloud shad
ows along it, had fortified my spirits, and
being free for while OF all Superstitious
dread determined t. begin by exploring
The torccaStlc and asCertaining II more bolic-
were in the schooner than those two in thC
cabin and the giant form on deck. l threw
some coal on the fire, ana placed az oS
! tongue alOup with the cheese and 81 Iur,n al