Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-30
CHAPTER XXv.-YERMAC'S EXPERIENCES.


CHAPTER XXv.-YERMAC'S EXPERIENCES.
Yermac was hungry. For several days
mis- means of Sustenance had been limited
to two Jennings "a species of small rat)
caught in the traps he had set on the marshy
plain which bordered upon the shore of the
sea. The foxes and gluttons obstinately
kept away from the traps.
He had also discovered several hiding
places in which foxes had collected numer-
Gus Jennings slain by them, as one might
Judge from the fact that their skulls had
been pierced by the canine teeth of those
animals. In one of these hiding-places,
Yermac found hall of a white hare. But
the flesh of all these creatures, spoiled by
its long stay in the earth, could only be used
by him as bait for his traps.
He was hungry, but would accept nothing
from his companions. He did not regret,
despite the tOrtures of his stomach, having
voluntarily stepped aside from the common
life. Nevertheless, he comprehended that,
if he did not take some energetic resolution
he would run the risk of perishing from i
anition.
The fall of the temperature augmented
the sharpness of his wants. His limbs grew
numb and his sight became extremely faint
His skin grew dry, discolored and earthly;
it seemed glued to his bones, SO prompt had
been the emaciation of the muscles. His
pulse was scarcely perceptible; his body lost
all warmth and it seemed to him that his
very breath was frozen. He dragged himself
along like a man who is slowly recovering
from a severe illness.
His sleep became light, and, when he
strove to summon Slumber as a restoring
agent, the lethargy which took possession
of him frightened him-he saw in it pre-
cur7or Of death. He felt himself subjected
to the lnost terrible trial he had yet under
Cone in d ne fill of painful incidents. And
yet he was not aid of weakening in his
resolution, of being forced to ask favors OF
of placing himself anew at the mercy of the
fugitives. What he feared was that death
might compel him to abandon the pursuit
of them, that he might not be able to re-
turn from one of his nocturnal walks, in
yhe midst of which moral Encouragement
and physical weakness seized upon and
overthrow him.
These walks, in company with hunger,
across the ice or through the snow, amid in.
tense cold and beneath the pale light of
enormous proportions to distant heaps Of ice
blocks, were rapidly wearing him out.
Sometimes the moon hid itself; a thick fog
came from the sea, and the snow fell beaten
by violent gales.
Armed with stick, he looked about hin
with eyes enlarged by fever and the hallu
cin2tion of disord"",d brain; his teeth
chartered, and MS tongue, with unconscious
Id; ~, I,r-
were gathering up food chewed and pre-
pared for swallowing. With empty stom-
ach he sought a prey, forgetting that he
himself, feeble as he was, might fall into
the clutches of some polar bear in search of
a feast. He sought and found nothing with
which to satisfy his hunger, now became 8
sort of madness. If there had been grass.
he would have swallowed it like pasturing
beast. OH that the recently fallen snow
had in something resembled the mamma OF
the Israelites but it was not even capable
of quenching his terrible thirst
Wide awake, he had epicurean dreams.
He, who all his life had been frugal, saw
blocks of ice suddenly cover themselves
with white cloth. upon which We're spread
out in abundance, beneath the chandeliers
Of orgies, savory victuals and succulent
preparations brought from every portion OF
the globe; and thus he renewed without the
power to shake it off, the punishment OF
Tantalus At other times, his wandering
imagination led him to banquets Of canni-
balls, devouring human flesh!
And when, broken but indomitable, with
out regret for having exposed himself tc
death from inanition, he threw a sad look
over the desolate solitudes, hunger, terri
BILE personifcation, identifying itself with
himself, seemed to him to be their sole
guest.
Yegor had restored him his gun, but he
knew not what had become of his munitions
during the rapidly-made sledge Journey
Would it be too humiliating to ask his com.
panions 10 furnish hun with a new supply!
he resolved to do so. He had no other re-
source. Without munitions, all was over
with him and he knew it.
He wished to live; he wished, when the
nartas should return to the camp, to resume
with the Yakoute Chort those stimulations
and seductions which had nearly succeeded.
If he could fee, altogether relieved of obi
cations as he now felt himself IN regard tc
Yegor Semenof and his companions. the
game would become equal. The winter had
scarcely commenced. Nijni-Kolimsk, that
is to say the power Of the law, was not SO
very far away! What matter how he suf-
fered if, in the end he succeeded in his at
tempt, repulsive, even perilous, bat for that
reason worthy Of furnishing an example tc
all those who allow themselves to capitu-
late with their consciences.
The next day-he was forced to hasten
for the moon would soon abandon the nights
to their obscurity, like that of the days
Yegor and NJ Lafeur saw him start out,
scarcely able to drag himself along but
ready to venture afar. Singular hunter
leaning upon the butt of his gun as he walk
ed, staggering over the snow. and so thin
in his furs, so bent, that he seemed to be
posing for some funereal allegory!
He walked to the east, in the direction of
Cape Chelagsk, across abrupt earthly hills
and frozen boys. He was fortunate enough
to meet two deer, belonging to that peculiar
--'-'nh inhabits the shores of the