The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-04-17
'TWIXT ice AND SEA
Told by FREDERICK MARTIN and Set
Down by J. MAYNE BALTIMORE.


tin concluded he would go out fishing
in his dory alone, never considering
the freaks of a treacherous climate.
BY a singular oversight, he took
no matches with him, thus omitting
any means of making a fire. He
thought about it later, but merely
said to himself, "Oh, well, shall be
gone only few hours. I'll just go
around the land corner, and be back
in time for my dinner"
So away he pulled to look for cod
fish. 1t was several miles to the
"land corner"-the high point that
jutted sharply out into the sea, but
the water was quite smooth and the
fisherman made good progress.
Scarcely, however, had Martin
rounded the abrupt point, when tre-
mendous gale sprang up from the
northwest, scourging the hungry seas
into foaming fury and hurting the
dory this way and that like mere
chip.
Not a ghost of a chance was left
Martin to return to camp in the teeth
of the gale; he was compelled to run
for such shelter or landing place as
the fierce winds and fearful seas per-
mitted.
Just ahead of him he sighted
narrow bay or inlet. II will run for
that and get ashore" Martin NUT
tered, through his clenched teeth. No
sooner said than done; the thing was
simple enough. He knew he was not
five miles from camp, and he was sure
he could easily make his way back
overland
Presently the inexorable thrust of
the raging sea cast him helpless upon
the beach of the little bay. Judge of
Martins CONSERVATION and horror,
however, when, on making brief
exploration, he discovered that he
was shut up in a veritable prison of
ice, whose only gateway was the
hungry, deYouring sea.
. Backed by sheer cliffs rising 500
feet high, coated with narrow film
of ice, the narrow crescent of the
beach made prison as hopeless as
the ancient Bastille, and further re-
moved from human aid or sympathy.
Martin saw at a glance that he was
face to face with death-a slow, ling
gering, inch-by-inch death from cold.
Now, the strange thing is that this
man, reduced to the most desperate
straits, began gravely to record with
stump of pencil, on fragments of
paper and strips of wood cut from
Ms dory, his sensations from hour to
hour.
Nothing was omitted in this terri
BILE record of his sufferings-hise ex-
pedients, his despair, and his re-
course to Gevouring his raw fish-bait
Tor food, after two days starvation.
Then follow notes of his desperate
light to keep the blood moving by
savagely beating his feet with the
handle of gaff-hook, his final perse-
verance, and his wonderful escape,
after hope had deserted him, by
climbing the ice-coated rocks.
Strange tancies often pursue a man
IN dire extremity. His record Of fear
full sufferings and dangers during
those three terrible days seems to
have afforded Martin companionship
almost consolation.
Again and again the prisoner ex-
plored the beach and scanned the
towering cliffs for an avenue of es-
cape, but entirely without success.
Then he prepared to pass the night
rs best he could.
Pulling the battered dory farther
up the beach he turned 1t over,
wrapped himself in piece of old sail,
and crawled under the miserable
shelter. 1t was bitter cold, the gale
was furious, and the sea tumultuous.
Martin dared not go to sleep, even
with sleep were possible. He spent
a night full of indescribable suffering
and horrors, crouching on his hands
and knees, and cruelty beating him
self with the gaff-handle to prevent
himself freezing to death.
The horrors of that fearful night
were repeated next day. For two
days Martin had no food and no fire,
with the temperature ranging below
zero. His voice died in his throat,
he lost the power of speech, his mind,
it seemed, was giving way under the
awful strain.
The weary hours dragged along in
slow, horrible suspense. He must do
something to keep his mind from
madness, and accordingly he whitfield
chips of wood off his dory and wrote
messages. more or less incoherent,
that might be found after he was
dead. Some of the sentences he
scribbled in pencil were: To-day,
If the wind don't change, is my last
day"
"Give my best regards to G.
echmaiz."