The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-01-29

came from the sea- and the snow fell beaten
by violent gales.
! Armed with a stick, he looked about him
with eyes enlarged by fever and the hallu-
cination of a disordered brain; his teeth
chartered, and his tongue, with unconscious
movements, worked in his mouth as II 1T
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
feast He sought and found nothing with
which to satisfy his hunger, now became
sort of madness. If there had been grass,
he would have swallowed it like pasturlng
asst. OH that the recently fallen snow
ID in something resembled the mamma Of
4e 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 were 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 cannl-
balls, devouring human flesh!
And when, broken but indomitable, with
out regret for having exposed himself to
death from inanition, he threw 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 to furnish him with new supply?
he resolved to do Sc. He had no other re-
SQUIRE Without munitions, all was over
with him and he knew it.
He wished n live: ne wished, when the
nartas should return to the camp, to resume
with the Ya1zoute 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 to
Yegor Semenoff and his companions, the
game would become equal. The winter had
scarcely commenced. Niini-KOlimsk, that
is to say the power of the law, was not so
very far away What matter how he sui
fered if, in the end, he succeeded in his at
tempt, repulsive, even perilous, but for that
reason worthy of furnishing an example to
all those who allow themselves to capltu-
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 M. Lafeur saw him start out,
scarcely able to drag himself along but
ready to venture affair. 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
species which inhabits the shores of the
Arctic Ocean, and does not retire into the
forests in winter. He fired at one of them
and killed it,
All his confidence returned to him. The
only difficulty was to convey the animal to
the encampment. Full of ardor and proud
of himself, he seized the deer by the ant
lers and found strength to drag it as far as
the hut At last he had food enough for
many days.
The chief of police rapidly recovered. He
resumed his position of unfriendly observer,
living as little as possible among the fugi-
tives. Despite the cold, he remained with
out, returning to go to bed when everybody
was asleep, and, in the morning, stealing
away the first from the hut.
On one occasion, Yegor assured himself
that he had not returned the night before.
and became very anxiols about him; some
misfortune must have happened to his tor
mentor At an early hour he set out to hunt
for him, taking the direction Of the sea, while
M Lafeur went to look in the vicinity OF
Yermac's traps
Yegor advanced, slowly and cautiously,
through darkness somewhat dissipated by
the brllliancy of the stars. He listened.
sepulchral silence reigned, broken only by
the groaning of the wind.
! Suddenly, on passing around an enormous
block of ice, he perceived Yermac sunk to
the belt in hole in the midst Of newly
formed ice
The chief of police was keeping himself
above the ice with his elbows. but could not
extricate himself without help. He was
waiting with a calm and resigned air-for
what?
what are you doing there?" cried Yegor,
ST am looking for deliverance or death J"
answered Yermac. II have fallen into
assure of the ice"
'sTalxe hold of this and will pull you out"
said Yegor, and he extended the butt of his
! gun towards Yermac.
1t was with great difficulty that he extri-
Gated the chief Of police, whose body was
incrusted in the ice as in a sheath.
again owe my life to you!" murmured
Yermac. Everything conspires against
me-"
''Why should contracting such debt cost
you so much?" observed Yegor.
! Yermac was silent
Without word, they returned to the
hut M Lafleur entered an instant after
wards.
s'This is, indeed, day of accidents !"
cried Yegor, on perceiving the latter. my
good Monsieur Lafeur, your nose is frozen"
On hearing these words, Ladislas ran out
of-doors to procure some snow and, a minute
later, M. Lafeur, paler than his nose, began
to rub it to restore to it heat and life He
warmed up at this work, got out of breath,