The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-06-01

which would enable me TO haul mysel
| ~. Everything | touched was ice. ST
thick as 10 render objects shapeleSs.
Give me a lift. Kelly; easy. now
until get handhold. There. tina,
will do. my lad"
IL was slippery. dangerous perch
the vessel plunging somewhat. but the
| upper ice WAS slightly powdered with
| snow. yielding a little purchase. and
! finally discovered a brace for my feet
! which enabled me to reach down and
/ assist Johnson To scramble up beside
! me. Fortunately the bulwarks were
! not so high prOportionately as wide
| and we succeeded in sliding over
them. coming down rather heavily on
the solid deck. Here the snow made
| walking possible. although underneath
tie ice was thick and smooth, com
polling caution. All forward was a ter
rible rattle of wreckage. n jumbled
mass of tangled SparS. with the great
topmast and all its hamper right
where it had fallen. portion of the
port bulwark smashed fiat. 4 hum
mock of ice rose like a great hill from
abaft the butt of the foremost. which
stuck up maybe 80 feet. clear over the
forecastle deck. leaving everything
shapeless and groteSque. Where the
slope WAS steepeSt. the wind had swept
away the snow leaving the ice beneath
clear: and there. frozen completely
in, like painted picture. was the fully
revealed body of a man. | never saw
any sight more SrewSome than that
lcc-shrouded figure: the arms out
stretched. the short. black beard rem
derinS more CHASTITY the white. dead
face. | cripped my hands onto John
sons shoulder, and he was shaking
like an aspen. his own face colorlesS
in the moonshine. wheeled him
about SavaSely.
Don't lose your nerve. man You've
seen dead men before. Come. there's
nothing 10 do here; We'll try how she
looks aft
He followed me like dog. casting
uneasy SlanceS backward over his
shoulder. The deck was clearer OF
rattle beyond the foremost. a great
gap in the port bulwarks 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
an,.ll in oh, hA 4
opening thus left. All the front por-
tion was snow and ice. but the further
extremity appeared dry enough, re-
veallng a brick oven, A table screwed |
TO the wall. and an overturned Scuttle |
of Goals littering the deck. Ii was not |
lection from the frosty night wind, !
and be much better than the open ;
boat. Besides. l 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 dimly revealed front of
the after-cabin. which appeared utter
y ShapeleSS under its mantle We've
cot quite a job ahead of US 10 break
through this wreckage. I'm for hay-
ing the rest of the crew up TO help
us Climb over into the main-chains
and cut ont some steps with your
knife. Well have them drop back
here and unload. Then the women
won't be obliged 10 see that dead man
.Or' ard"
He was some minutes at the task.
and l occupied the time in kicking
aside some of the litter in the galley
lnd making the dreary interior a bit
more decent, having the men pass UP
some spare blankets. and spreading
hem out on deck. Finally Kelly and
he negro scrambled up. and between
Is We succeeded in lifting Lady Oar
ington and Celeste over the lev bull
Tarks. The latter chung sobbing to
De Nova. but my lady gazed about her
Eonderinsly. her eyes full OF Ques-