The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-02


Where had failSn . pcrtf6n II ne
port buiWatk sInashea lat nun
mock 81 Ice IoBc ne 8 great Inn nom
abatt the butt 81 TIE ioreInast. which
stuck mp maybe 80 feet clear over The
torecastle deck, leaving everything
Shapeless and grotesque. Where tho
slope was steepest, the wind aadsWept
away the snow leaving the ice beneath
clear; and there, frozen completely
In, like painted picture, was the fully
revealed body Of q man. never saw
any sight more greRSome than that
ics-shrcuded figure; The arms out.
stretched, the short, black beard rem.
dering more ghastly the white, dead
face. gripped my hands onto John
sons shoulder, and be was shaking
like an aspen, his own face colorless
In the moonshine. wheeled him
about savagely.
Don't lose your nerve, man. You've
seen dead men before. Come, there's
nothing to do here; well try how she
looks aft"
He followed me like a dog, casting
uneasy glances backward over his
shoulder. The deck was clearer Of
rattle beyond the foremast, a great
gap In the port.buwarks amidships
showing where the wreckage had
probably been swept overheard. The
mainmast had been ripped out, leav-
ing great, ugly cash In the deck
plank, and in falling had SO smashed
fiat one corner of the cooks galley that
we could look in through the jagged
opening thus left. All the front por-
ton was snow and ice, but the further
extremity appeared dry enough, re.
vealing brick oven, table screwed
ito the wall, and an overturned scuttle
of Goals littering the deck. 1t was not
desirable spot, yet would afford pro.
lection from the frosty night wind,
and be much better than the open
boat. Besides, ! realized how those
others must feel down there, bobbing
up and down against those ice-caked
sides.
Johnson" said, my eyes wander.
ing toward the dimiy revealed front of
the after-cabln, which appeared utter.
ly shapeless under Its mantle. We've
got quite a job ahead Of us to break
through this wreckage. I'm for hav-
ing the rest OF the crew up to help
us. Climb over into the maIn-chains
and cut out some steps with your
knife. Well have them drop back
there and unload. Then the women
won't be obliged 10 see that dead man
forard."
He was some minutes at the task
aside some of the litter in the galley
and making the dreary interior bit
more decent, having the men pass up
some spare blankets, and spreading
them out on deck. Finally Kelly and
the negro scrambled up, and between
us we succeeded In lifting Lady OAR
lingtOn and Celeste over the Icy bull
warks. The latter chung sobbing 10
De Nova, but my lady gazed about her
wonderingly, her eyes full OF ques.
lions. Without speaking We slowed
them away under shelter.
She is certainly relic" paused
long enough 10 say, "one of the old.
timers In these seas. From the look
Of her she must have been locked up
in the ice south there for century"
DO you expect 10 sail her north.
ward?"
Il hardly know yet what to expect;
that remains to be seen She seems
to ride the water stanchly enough and
there is fully 80 feet of mast standing
yonder. Anyhow, this deck at pres.
ent is better than an open boat
"But-but 1t is all SO CHASTITY, so
ghost-like-Celeste is fairly crazy from
the horror"
1T is merely the effect of the moon.
light gIimmering on the ice: every.
thing is ice wherever your eyes turn.