The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-26

encouraging her to swim, to tread
water. to float on wreckage. and to an
swsr him. until he came TO her. There
was no response. and when his voice
had grown hoarse and futile. and his
feet numb from the cold OF the thaw-
ing ice. he returned to the wreckage,
weighed down and ell but crushed by
the blackcst desolation that had so
far. come into his unhappy life. The
little girl was crying and he tried to
scothe her.
IL want Mamma she walled.
, Hush. Baby, hush" he answered
YEARLY and bitterly go do more
than Heaven. But think our chances
are about even now. Are Won cold. HIT
tie one? Wei go inside, and I'll make
n house for u.s."
He removed his coat. tenderly wrap
ped the little figure in It. and with the
Injunction: Don't he afraid. now"
placed her In the corner Of the bridge.
which rested on its forward side. As
he did so. the bottle of whiskey fell
out OF the pocket. II seemed an age
since he had found II there. and II re-
ruired a strong effort Of reasoning be-
fore he remembered its full signifi-
canoe. Then he raised 1t. to hurl II
down the incline OF ice but stopped
himself
I'm keep It," he muttered; 1T may
be safe in small quantities, and Wen
need 1t on this ice" He placed 1t in
q corner; then, removing the canvas
cover from one of the wrecked boats.
he hung 1t over the open side and end
OF the bridge. crawied within and
donned his coat--a ready made. STOP
chest garment, designed for larger
man--and buttoning 1t around him
0fr1
the hard woodwork. She was still
crying, but soon. under the influence
of tho warmth OF his body. ceased and
vent to sleep. -sfA.
Huddled in a corner, he gave him
self up to the torment of his thoughts.
Two pictures alternately crowded his
mind: one, that of the woman of his
dream, entreating him to coma back
which his memory chung to As an
oracle; the other, of this woman,
cold and iIfeless. fathoms deep in the
.,sa., He pendered on her chances
She was close TO. or on the bridge
steps; and boat twenty-four. which
no was almost sure was being cleared
away as he looked, would swing close
IN and be saved--nnless the SWIM
riers from doors and matches should
swamp the boat And. in his agony Of
feIring to see her, mentally, the only
passenger In the boat, with the
watc deck to pull her to safety.
The potent drug he had taken was
| still at work. and this. with the mu-
steal swash OF the sea on the icy
| beach, and the muffleo creaking and
/ era cking belxath and around him
| the voice Of the icebers-overcamo
him finally, and he slept. 10 waken at
| daylight with limbs stiffened and
| ddmb-almost frozen,
I And all night, as he slept, boat
With the number twenty-four on her
/ bow, pulled by sturdy sailors and
| steered by brass buttoned officers, was
making for the Southern Lane--the
! highway Of spring traffic. And. cruch-
! ed in the stern sheets OF this boat
! was moaning, praying woman. who
/ cried and screamed at intervals. for
| husha nd, and baby. and would not be
comforted, even when one OF the
brass-buttoned officers assured her
that her child was safe in the care Of
John Rowland. a brave and trusty
| sailor. who was certainly In the other
boat with 1t. He did not tell her. Of
course, that Rowland had hailed from
the berg as she lay unconscious, and
that IL ne still had the child 1t was
with ~, there--desrted.
CHAPTER VIII.
Rowland, with some misgfvinge,
drank "a small quantity of the liquor.
and wrapping the still sleeping child
In the coat. stepped out on the ice.
The fog WAS gone and blue. sailless
! sea stretched out to the horizon. be-
hind him was ice--a mountain Of II,
! He climbed to the elevation and looked
at another stretch Of vacant view
| from n precipics q hundred feet high.
TO HIS left the Ice sloped to a sleeper
beach than the one behind him. and
| to the right pile of hummocks ard
] tailed neaks, ,nterspersed with numer-
Gus eanons and caves. and glfstening
! with Waterfalls. shut out the horizon
In this direction. Nowhere was there
Il sail or steamers smoke TO cheer him.
and he retraced his steps. When but
half way to the wreckage, he saw a
! moving white object approaching from
the direction OF The peaks.
His eyes were not yet in good con.
titton, and after an uncertain scruntty
he started nj run, for he saw that
the mysterious hite object was near
the bridge than himself, and rapidly
lessening the distance. hundred
yards away. his heart bounded and the
blood in his veins felt cold as the ice
under foot. for the white object proved
to be traveller from the frozen North,
loan and famished-a polar bear. who
had scented food and was seeking It
coming on at n numbering rum with
great red Jaws half open. and yellow
fanss exposed Rowland had no weap-
OH but strong tack-knife. but this he
pulled from hts pocket and opened az
he ran. Not for an instant did he
hesitate at conflict that promised
almost certain DEATH for the presence
OF this bear involved the safety of a
child whose life had become %. nrars
Importance to him than his own. To
his horror: he saw II creep out Of the
opening In it's white covering. Just a.
the bear tusned to the corner of the
bridge
"Go back. Baby. go back" he shout
ed. as he bounded down the slope. The
hear reached the child frst. and with
seemingly no effort, dashed 1t. with
blow OF its massive paw. dozen rect
away, where 1t lay quiet. Turning to
follow the brute was met by Rowland.
The bear rose to hfs launches.
sank down. and charged; and Row
land felt the bones Of hts left arm
thrushing under the bite OF the Dig
yellow -fanged jaws. But. falling. he
buried the knife blade In the shaggy
hide. and the bear, with an angry
snarl Rpat out the mangled member
and dealt him a sweeping blow which
cent him farther along the Ice than
the child had gone. He arose, with