Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-08-19

one only did l discover a body, that
of child OF three or four years, flax
en-haired and bonny even in death.
Upon the deck at the foot of the mast
discovered the vessels log-book ly-
ing wide open, a quill pen beside 1t,
exactly as 1t had been dropped. l did
not take time to decipher the Spanish.
inscribed in a scrawling hand. but my
glance caught the date of that last
II, 1853"
The date rang in my head crazily. as
stood there staring at them. totally
unable to grasp or apprehend the
truth. One hundred and twenty-six
years,-Merciful God! And all that
time those men had been there at that
table; all through those days and
nights, those months and years, that
frozen image OF De Nova had been
smiling. his cold fingers clutching the
glass; all through those decades that
woman had been lying on the couch.
that haxen-haired baby in the bunk!
There, exactly as We found them,
during a century OF inky blackness.
tossed about by the sea, Graded in the
pitiless ice. smitten by the awful
breath of eternal Winter. those bodies
had remained rigid. motionless. even
as The souls left them. for 126 years!
1t was unthinkable. inconceivable.
miraculous. beyond all my power Of
apprehension. Blessed Mary! what
changes the world had witnessed
since these died! What wonders Of
discovery: what growth in faith:
what widening OF human knowledge;
what generations Of men and women
had been born. lived. loved. and died
since the deadly ice locked these into
this floating tomb!
Not until after / had explored the
last empty room and returned to the
group at the door did l regain my
senses and feel myself again living.
responsible being upon whose strength
Of will depended the future Of all on
board A glance into those Mortified
faces told me instantly that they were
ready for mad retreat to the boat:
that the slightest exhibition Of weak
ness on my part would set them into
a panic. stinened into resistance. all
memory Of the past blotted out utter
ly by the demands OF the present.
Men. we've come into a hard job
here. but II is one which must be at
tended to-" I said. gravely. However.
well wait until after breakfast before
tackling the worst Of II. Day is be-
ginning now, and We will need all the
light II gives us. Dade. get out some
provisions from the boat. start a fire
In the galley, and prepare q hot meal.
Sanchez. go along and help: you will
probably have to cut away some ice
before the fire will draw. Not word
to the women about what you have
seen aft. my lads"
The two started forward willingly
enough. and ! Immediately turned to
the others. marking their uneasy
glances, and fully assured that must
keep them also busily employed. or
else lose control altogether.
I'VE have too much to accomplish
here to waste any time while those
fellows are getting a meal ready" !
continued. quickly. Mcknight, you
tackle these front shutters. Kelly.
climb up on the poop and dig the ice
OF the skylight and out of the funnel.
We've got to have daylight and a fire.
son to help me. Come on, men: what
are you two afraid Of? These are all
dead
fairly drove them to It, but II did
them both good. although the manner
in which they advanced down the
cabin, their faces blanched under the
torch glare. their bodies shaking rs
with ague. made me nervous and irri.
table. / put them at the after.ports,
johnson with the cleaver. and De Nova
with his sheath-knife. and between
the three OF us We finally succeeded In
wrenching both stern-ports free Of
their Icy letters. As We burst thep:
open, through the wide apertures we
looked forth into the gray dreariness
Of the dawn. Satisfied with what had
thus been accomplished, we retraced
our steps back through the cabin, OBJ
serving that Kelly had made some
progress above. the faint daylight al
ready beginning to tinge that grim In
terror.
CTo BE coNTINUEDJ