Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-11-29
eco.

had been thrown out.
| watched them roll the man over into
the trench and shovel the snow quickly
upon him. He watched them, silent in
his terror but when his head only was
uncovered he gave a shrek of agony,
which rose like the great cry or man
going before his God, and ceased not to
echo from height to height until long min
utes had passed. Black gave a great
start, and shivering as a man struck
down with a deadly chill, he passed from
the grave to the beach.
CHAPTER XVIII.
1t was on the next afternoon, near to
the setting of the sun. that Doctor Osbart
came to my room with great news for me.
This business with the men has COM
pletely upset our plans" said he. BLACK
hoped to winter here; and to let the hub
bub in Europe quite subsde before he
put to sea again. Now he can't do that.
There's only one thing that will keep the
hands quiet and that's excitement. He
has determined to sail tonight; but. be-
fore we talk of that, we must have the
conditions
What have you to ask?" said I.
Simply this" he answered "You
shall give your word, as a man of honor,
that you will make no attempt to leave
the ship without permission"
81 accept"
Then slowly the great engines began
their work, and we swept out to the open
sea. We dined that night in the saloon
upon the deck, a commodious place light
ed by electricity, and in every way luxuri-
ously fitted. The walls of it were paneled
in white and gold, and were covered with
curious designs, old heroes fighting, old
gods drawn by lions at their chariots
Jason seeking the fleece in golden
barque; Orestes fleeing the Furies. The
long seats were covered in leather of
deep crimson, and there was a small
piano. The dinner itself was admirably
served, and was partaken of by the deaf
and dumb engineer, by the doctor, the
Scotsman and myself. Black talked with
out reserve before me, knowing we'll that
| could do him no injury. He relied
mostly on the doctor for advice, and dis
cussed everything with him in the best of
tempers.
"My plan is this" he said; we're short
of oil, and Karl here is beginning to get
uneasy. l shall knock over a couple of
whalers in these seas and fill the tanks.
Then, as they're looking for us in mid
Atlantic, we'll get south of Madeira, and
run against two or three of the big ones
making for Rio or Buenos Ayres. We
shall pick up a good bit of money; and
it'll be a month before they get on our
course that way, for / mean to let 'em
down light when it's not a case of saving
our own skin"
We passed the Danish settlement of
Godthaab early on the next morning.
though so far out at sea that | could
make nothing of it; while we lost the
coast of Greenland altogether before the
day had passed. hazy shower of dust
like snow greeting our coming to the
Atlantic and to a perceptibly warmer lat
itude. During this day, and until we
sighted the Shetlands, the small screw
tender kept our course, and we exchanged
signals with her every morning.
Finally we sighted the coast of Ireland
and | know not if | have ever had a
greater pleasure than that distant view
1t was as though l had passed from a
dead land to the land of man, from the
silent ways of night to the first break
ing of the day.