The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-09
THE MAN ON THE ICE.
(By M. Quad.)

! We were whaling down in the South
| Sea in the bark Wanderer when a
| four days gale drove us down among
the ice fields and held US fast for a
| week. When we were finally released
from the grip of the ice and had start
ed to work north again the weather
was so bitterly cold that the men cried
as they moved about. We had to lash
the wheel and let the ship drift as she
would, while every one crowded into
the cabin to keep warm. None es-
capped frostbites and two men were
of no use for the next three months
to come. On the third day of this
weather 1 went on deck at ten o'clock
in the morning to have a look about
We took turns at this, from the cap
tain down, during the day, although
we realized that if the bark had been
driving straight for an iceberg we
would have been helpless to do any
thing.
To starboard and a mile away was
a large ice field. 1t was probably NOV
ing with the sea, as we were, but not
so fast The ice was piled up twenty
feet thick, and here and there was a
small berg. 1t was a clear day, and
the field did not look half as far away
as it really was. 1 was scanning it
with a careless eye, having made out
that we had nothing to fear from it's
presence. when all of a sudden a man
stepped into view. After a moment of
astonishment1I srapAfor the glass, and
L
could even tell the color of his eyes.
He was a man six feet high and
dressed entirely in furs. But for the
glass 1 might have taken him for an
Eskimo. With it it was easy to make
out he was European. He stood with
arms folded and looked into my face,
and 1 saw smile on his. He did not
so much as lift hand.
Naturally I. was considerably excited
and ran down to the cabin and shouted
several
the mon came on deck, and we shout
ed and waved our arms at the man on
the floe. He made no signal. The
gripes of the boats were frozen fast,
and it would be a half hours work to
get one afloat, but we had begun op-
erations when the man, who seemed to
know what we were at, turned his
back, walked away and was hidden by
a small berg We stared after him
for while, and then retreated to the
cabin.
Ibid we see a live man on the ice,
or was it one of the many strange IL
lusions of these frozen seas?" asked
All of us insisted that we had seen
man. There was no possibility of
mistake.
Then what is he doing on the ice?"
continued the captain. He saw us
more plainly than we did him. He had
but to stay where he first appeared to
be rescued, but he did not want to be
taken off He has shelter of some
sort behind that berg. If he wants to
stay there instead of being rescued,
that's his lookout
We would make no attempt at res
cue, but you may be sure the mystery
was one to puzzle ssus for many days.
If the man had a shelter. he had no
fire, and dressed as warmly as was pos
sible, it did not seem that any human
being could stand that cold for half a
day. We had the cabin stove red hot,
and yet six feet away water was freez-
ing in a DISH To thrust your face
through the cabin doors was like sub
hitting it to cuts and slashes from a
razor. 1t was so for two days more,
and then the weather moderated. As
near as we could estimate, the field on
which we had seen the man was ten
miles long by half as many broad. We
were far out of sight of it when the
weather broke and we lowered for a
whale. A week later, after we had
killed whale, we got another bad
gale, and were driven to the west. AT
the end of two days we had ice in
sight in every direction but one. We
were fighting our way through 1t, and
it was three o'clock in the afternoon
when a man who had been aloft cried
out that we had come upon the
stranger again.. So we had His field
had been broken up by the gale and
he was left on an area not over half
a mile in extent. with a berg forming
lane and within a stones throw of
him. He stood surveying us as be-
fore, a grim sort of smile on his face,
and every man of our crew had him
fairly under his eye. At the nearest
point the captain shouted at him:
"Ahoy. you! What are you doing
on the ice? Who are you, and where
is your ship? Do. you want to be tax
en- off ?"
For answer the man stared at us
for half a minute, and then with
gesture signifying contempt, he turned
his back and walked away, the berg
hiding him as before.
1.-The man is crazy. and should be
brought aboard, whether or no." said
the mate to the captain.
1--WE will leave him where he is.
answered the other. II am not quite
sure yet whether he is a man or
ghost. If he is a man he doesn't want
to be rescued; if he is ghost we don't
want him aboard
During the next three days we spoke