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millLTNGTON Filing I'KKRS would bo frozen ns stiff as tho Uguro on tlio rocks; but, though It vtaa very conceivable thnt I might perish ol cold In tlio cabin by rittlnj; still, 1 wns suro tlio tttnjicrnturn bo low had not tho severity to stouify mo to tho grnnlto of tho men ut tho tnblo. Still, though n printer dogreo of cold cold as killing ns If tho world hnd fnllen sun less did unquestionably exist in thoso lati tudos, whence this ico with tho schooner in its htiR had floated, it was ko bitterly bleak in this interior that 'twas senrco imaginable is could bo collier elsewhere; and as 1 roso from tho cask, shuddering to tho heart with tho frosty, motionless atmosphere, my mind naturally went to tlio consideration of n lira by which 1 might sit and toast myself. I put n bunch of candles in my pocket the" wero ns hard ns u parcel of marlino spikes and took tho lantern into (ho passago aiul inspected tho next room. Hero was a cot buns up by hooks, and h largo black chest, stood in cleats upon tho deck; some clothes rtaiiflod from phis in tho bulkhead, and upon a l.ind of truy fixed upon short logs und serving as a thelf wero a miscellaneous bundlo of Ivoots, laced waistcoats, thrco corner hats, a couplo of swords, thrco or four pistols, und other objects not very readily distinguishable by tho candlo light. Thiro wns a port which I tried to open, hut iound it so hard frozen 1 1 hould netfra handspiko to start it. There woro thrco cabins besides this tho last cabin, that is, the ono in tho stern, being tho biggest of tho lot. Each had its cot, and each also hud its own special rmidillo and litter of boxes, clothes, firearms, swords and tho like. Indeed, by this timo I was beginning to see how it was. Tlio suspicion that tho watch s and Jewelry I had discovered on the bodies of Hiomenhad excited was now conlirnicd, and 1 w.is satisfied that this srln i.incr had been a piralu or buccaneer, of what nationality I could not yet divine methought Spanish from the costumo of tlio first figure I had encountered; and I was also com meed, by the brief glanco I -directed at th things in the cabin, particularly tho wear ing npparel, and the make-mid nppcnranro of the firearms, that sho must have been in this position for upward of fifty years. Th thought nwed mo greatly twenty years before I wns born tho-e two men wero sitting dead in the cabin! lie on deck was keeping bis blind mid silent lookout; boon tho rocks, with hi-, bunds locked upon his knees, sat sunk in blank and frozen contem plation! livery cabin had its port, and thero wero ports in tlio vessel's side opposite; but on re llectiou I con-idvrrd that the cabin would to tho wanner for their remaining closed, trad i.o I canto uwny and entered tho i;reat cabin afrc.Ii, bout on exploring the inrward purr. I must tell you that tno mainmast, pierc- I ing the upper deck, came down close against ' tho bulkhead that formed tho forv-a rd wall I of tho cabin, and on approaebiug this pm ti- j (Inn. tho daylight b"ins broad enough now that tlio hatch lay open on top, I remarked a r.lidir. door on the larboard side of the mast. 1 put my slinulder to it and very easily ran it along its grooves, nnd then found myself, in the way of a direct communication with . all th.' fore portion of tlie schooner. Tii" nr raugi nit tit indeed was so odd that I sus- poe'ed a piratie.il device in this uncommon method of opening out at will tin wliolo ! range ol deck. The air lmre was as vilo as ill the cabiiis, and I had to wait a bit. On entering I discovered a little compart ment with r.ieks on either hand filled with small arms. I ulterward counted 11:' muskets, blunderbusses and fusils, all of an antique 1. id, . l.ilo till' sides ol the vessel welo bun: v.-u i pisiolsgrcnt and little, hoarding pike ,r lasses, h, ulcers and other sorts of swoid. This armory was a sight to set mo walking v y caul iously, for it was not likely tint powder should bo wanting in a ship ilius dp ,id; and where u.is it slowed? 1'in was unoth'T sliding door iu'tho for w, rd partition; it stood open, and I passed 1 .n m ;h it into what I immediately saw was t1' cook house. I turned tho lunlorn about nil 1 di-'sii.-rcd every convenience for dress ing to ji I. Th- furnaces wero of brio's, and th mi :i w.is a p,re.it one great , 1 miaii, for tin-MZ" of Hie ves.el. Thero wer p its, pans uud kettl.s in plenty, a dre-scr witli drawer.-, itishi of t u and earthenware, u nuii-U clock in -h i't, such an eoiiipm -nt ol kitchen fur nitttr as jo.i would not expect to find in the gall ' of an ludlitum.i built to carry two or tap- lrtndred p.c-.sejgei-.s. About half n oh ili'.r in of small co:.l lay heaped ilia wooden an ,u ii' fence (ii oil lo the ship's side, for tho sunt of which 1 thanked Coil. I held tho la', era to tho furnace, and observed a crooned chimney ri-ing to the deck and pass ing through it. Tii" mouth or head of it was iiu doubt covered by the snow, for I had not notice 1 any mcii obj 'et in tho survey I had taken of i ho ves-'l above. Strange. I thought, tha, tl.o-umen slmiud have li uze.i to death w ' h tic mutcriiil in tho ship for keeping a fir i;omg. lint then my whole discovery I revrPdns one of tho-e Keeivts of tin, deep, wlneii defy tiio utmost imagination and ex ) nenee of man to explain them. Ihiough that h-ro was a so'io mer v, inch hud been iu ti' i 1 in a sepuHicr of ice, as I miht ra tionally conclude, for near half a century; that thero were d'ud ni"M in her, who looked to Inn o b."ii lrozai to death; that sho was u iparnnUy store 1 with miscellaneous booty; tnat lie was powerfully armed for a emit of her sii-e, and had manifestly gone crowded w. h ni..:i. All this was plain, and 1 say it was enough for me. Uei ire I could niako a firo tho chimney li.ii .t be cleared. Among tlio furniture in tho anils room w on; a nimi'oor of spado headed spears tho spade an w ide as tho length of a tiui'is thumb und about a foot long, mounted on III lit, thin wood. Armed with ono of tlie-e weapons, I passed into tho cabin to pro ceed on deck, 1 spoe.lity pied the chimney, which showed n heel ol two lei'taliovo tho deck, and made fhori work of tlio snow that was frozen in it, us nothing could have been fitter V) cut ico with than tho spado shaped weapon I carried. This don", I returned to tho cook room, and with a butcher's nx that hung against tlio bii lk I ii -ml 1 knocked away ono of the boards that routined tlio coal, split it into biuall pic -cs and in it short time had kindled a good fire. When 1 wus thoroughly warm and com forted I took tho lantern und went utt to tho btcivard's room and brought the.ico a cheese, a ham, somo biscuit and ono of tiio jars of spirits, all of which I carried to tho cook room and placed the wholo of them in tho oven. I was extremely hungry und thirsty, ami tho warmth mid cheerfulness of tho llio sot mo yearning for a hot meal. Hut how wais I to muko mo u bowl without fresh water) I went on deck and scratched up bonio snow, bat tho salt in it gavo it a sickly taste, and I was not only certain it would spoil and mako disgusting whatever I mixed it with or cooked in it, but it stood as a drink to dis order my stomach and bring on an illness. .So, thought I to myself, thero must bo fresh waiter about casks enough in thu hold, I diiro say; but tho hold was not to be entered and explored without labor nnd diflleulty, und I mtp.s weary mulfumishrd, nnd in no temper for hard work. In nil ships it is tho custom to carry ono or more casks called scuttlebutts ovi deck, into which fresh water is puuqil for tho uso of tho crow, I stepped along, looking enrnestly ut tho several shapes of guns, coils of riggin;;, hatchways, and the like, upon which the snow luy thick and solid, hutp-'recived noth v inK-Uiat uiuswcrtd-to tho shape of u cask. At last 1 eumo to tho well In tlio head, passed tho forccastlo deck, and, on looking down, spied, among other sluq , thrco bulged nnd bulky forms. I seemed by instinct to know that theso wero tho scuttlebutts, and went for tlio chopper, with which 1 returned and got into this hollow, that was four or llvo feet deep. Tho snow hail tho hardness of iron; it took mo n quarter of an hour of sovero labor to mako suroof tho character of tho bulky thing I wrought nt, and then it proved to bo a cask. Whatever might bo itscontcnts it was not empty, but I was pretty nigh spent hv tho timo I had knocked olT tho iron bands and beaten out staves enough to eunblo mo to gotnt tho froen body within. There woro three-quarters of a cask full. It was spark ling clear ice, und, chipping oir n piece and sucking it, 1 found it to bo very sweet fresh water. Thus was my labor rewarded. I cut off as much ns, when dissolved, would make a couplo of gallons, and returned to tho cook room. Tho firo burned brightly, and Its ruddy glow was sweet as human companionship. I put tho ico into a saucepan and set It upon the lire, nnd then pulling tho cheeso and ham out of tho oven found them warm nnd thawed. On smelling at tho mouth of tho J-ir, I discovered Us contents to bo brandy. Only about an inch depp of it was melted. I poured this into a pannikin nnd took a sup, and a liner drop of spirits I never swallowed in all my life; its elegant perfumo proved it (imazli ly choico and old. I fetched a lemon and some sugar, and speedily prepared n small smoking bowl of punch. The ham cut readily; I fried a couplo of stout rashers, nnd fell to tlio heartiest and most delicious repast I over sat down to. At any timo thero is something fragrant and appetizing in tlio smell of fried ham; conceive, then, tho relish that tho uppetlto of a starved, half frozen, shipwrecked man would find in itl Tho cheese was extremely good, and was as sound us if it had been made a week ago. Indeed, tho preservativo virtues of tho cold struck mo with astonishment. Here was I making a UiHMuc.il oil' stores which, in all probability, had lain in this ship fifty years, nnd they uto ns choicely as likeiood of u similar quality ashore. Possibly some of t lie -j days seienco may deviso a means for keeping the stores of n ship frozen, which would bo ns great a blessing as could befall tlio mariner, and a Euro remedy for the scurvy; for then us much fresh meat might be cairied us salt, besides' other articles of a ierishablB kind. CHAPTER XII. A I,OXi:t,Y NIOIIT. I had a pipe of my own in my j.ocket; I fetched a small block of tho black Uincco that was in tho pantry, and with somo trouble, for it was as hard and ery as glass, chipped olfa bowllul nnd fell a-pulllng with oil the s.-' sinctlnn of a hardened lover of tobacco who has long been denied Ins favorite relish. My x being emptied, I threwsome nioro coals iumi the furnace, and putting a candlo in tho lantern went aft to tan another view of the littlo cabins, in ono of which I re solved to sleep; for thou'.h the cook room would have served mo best while tho Ilro burned, I reckoned upon it making a colder habitation when the furnace was black than those small compartment.-, in the stern. Tlio coli! on deck gir-hcd down so bit ingly through the upon eoiiipnni'in hatch that 1 was fain to closo it. I mi unted the steps, anil with mm h ado shipped the cover and shut tho door, by which of course the great ouinii, as I call tho room in which tho two men were, was plunged in dinkne-s; but tho cold was not tolerable, and the parcels of candles in tlio larder rendered me indifi'eri'it to the gloom. Co entei-in.- tlio passage in which wero the door.- of the berths, 1 nnlicod an object that had before escaped my observation I menu ' a small trap hatch, no bigger than a ninu 1 hole, witli v. rile; for lifting it, midway down the lane. I siispei ted this to lio the entrance to tlio lazan tte, und putting both hands to tho ring pulled the hutch up. 1 sniffed cau tiously, fearing loul air, and then sinking the lantern by the length of inv arm I peered down, and observed tho outlines of casks, bales, cases of wl .to wood, chests, and so I forth. I dropped tluough the hole on to a j cask, which lift my Imnd and shoulders above the deck, mid then with the utmost caution stooped and threw the lantern light around nw. lint tho casks wero not powdu , barrels, which perhaps a littlo lcllection i might have led me to suspect, since it was not to be supposed that any man would stow 1 his powder in tho lazaretto. As I was in thn way of settling my mis j givings touching tlio stock of tood in tho schooner, I resolved to push through witli ! tins business nt once, and (etching tho chop i per went to work upon these barrels end chests; nnd very brieiiy I will tell you what I 1 found. First, I dealt with a tierco that proved lull ot salt Heel, there was a wliolo row -f these tierces, and one -ulllced to ex-pros-, the nature of tho rest; thero wero up ward ot thirty barrels of pork: ono canvas b-.le I ripped open wns full of hams, and of tl'csi bales I counted liall'a score. Tho wluto ca-"i held biscuit. Thero were several sacks of peas, a numlicr of barrels of Hour, cases of candles, ehocfos, a quantity of tobacco, not to mention a variety of jars of several simp's, somo of which I nft"rward found to contain marmalade and suecadoes of diifer ent kinds. On knocking tho head oil' ono cask 1 found it held a frozen body that by the light of tho Inutern looked us black ns ink; 1 chipped oil' a bit, sucked it, nnd found it wine. 1 was so transported by tho sight of this wonderful plenty that I fell irpon my knees in mi outburst of gratitude, nnd gavo hearty thanks to God for his mercy. There was no further need tor ino to dismally wonder whether I was to starve or no; supposing tho provisions sweet, hero wns tood enough to last mo three or lour years. I wns so over joyed and withal curious that I forgot nil about tlio time, and ilourishing tho chopper made the round of the lazaretto, sampling its freight by indhiilual instances-, mi that by tho timo I was tired I had enlarged the list I havo given bv discoveries of brandy, beer, oatmeal, oil, lemons, tongues, vinegar, rum and eight or ten other matters, all stowed very buuglingly, and in so many different kinds of casks, cases, jars and other vessels, as disposed mo to bellow that several pirati cal rummagings must have gone to tho crea tion of this handsome and plentiful stock ot good things. Well, thought I, oven if there bo no more coal in tho ship than what lies in tho cook house, enough fuel in hero in the shapo of casks, boxes nnd tho like to thaw mo pro visions ior six months, besides what I may i-uino across in tins hold, along w ith tho hum mocks, bedding, boj.es, nnd mi forth, in the forecastle, all which would bo good to feed my firo with. This was u most comforting relleetiou, und I recollect of i printing out through tho lazaretto hatch with inspirited aiaqier us ever I had cut at any timo of my life. I replaced tho hatch cover, and having re solved ujion the uftmost of the four cabins as my bedroom, entered it to wo what kind of accommodation it would yield me. I hung up tho lantern, and looked into tho cot that was slung nthwartships, and spied a coupio of rugs or blankets, which 1 pulled out, hav ing no fancy to Ho under them. Tho dock was II I.o an old clothes thop or tho wurdrobo of u traveling troop of actors. 1'rom tin confusion in this and tho adjoining cabins I concluded that thero lind been a rush at tho last a wild overhauling and flinging nboufc of clothe! for articles of more vnhio hidden among them. Hut just ns likely as not tho disorder merely indicated tho slovenly Indif ference of plunderers to tho fruits of n pillago that had overstocked them. Tho first garment I picked up wns a cloak of a sort of silk material, richly furred and lined; nil tho buttons but ono hud been cut oil', and that which remained was silver. 1 spread it in tho cot, est It was a rott thing to lio upon. Then I picked up a coat of tb'i fashion you will Keo in Hogarth's engravings tlm coat collar a broad fold, ami tho cutis to tho elbow. This wns ns good ns a rug, an.) I put it into the col with the other. I swept thu huddle ot things with my foot into a corner, and lifting tho lids of the boxes saw more clothes, somo hooks, a collection of small nrms, n couplo of quadrants, and sundry rolls of paper, which proved to bo charts of tho islands of tho Antilles nnd tho western Kotith American coast, very ill di gested. Thoro wero no papers of any kind to determine the vessel's character, nor journal to ncqunlnt mo with her story. I was tired in my limbs rnthcrthan sleepy, nnd went lo thn cook room to warm myself nt tho Hi o and get mo somo supper, meaning to sit there till the lire died out nnd then go to rest; but when I put my knifo to th" ham I found it ns hard frozen ns when I had first met with it so with tho cheese, nnd this though thero had been u firo burning for hours! 1 put tho things into tlio oven to thaw, ns belore, nnd sitting down fell very pensive over this soverity of cold, w hieh had power to freeze within u yard or two of thu turnace. to ho sure, tlio tire by myabsenco had shrunk, and tho sliding door lieing open admitted the cold of tho cabin; but tho con sideration was, I low was I to resist tho killing cnfoldment of this atmosphere? I had slept in tlio boat, it is true, and was none the wore, und now I was under shelter, w ith tho heat, of a plentiful b.'.ljful of meat and liquor to warm ino; but If wine and ham and cheese froze in tin air in which a fire had boon burning, why not I in my sice), when thero was no .-fro, and life beat weakly, us it does in sluiiiberi Those figures in tho cabin were dismal warnings and assurances; they had been men perhaps stouter and heartier than ever I was in their day, lint they had been frozen into stony images, neverthe less, under cover, too, with tlio ma terials to mako a tire, and as much strong waters in their lazaretto us would servo their schooner to float iu. It strangely und importunately entered my head to conceive that though those men wero frozen and stirlcss they wero not dead as corpses are, but us a stream who i current, cheeked by ice, will flow when tho ico i.) melted. Might not l ie iu them lie suspended by the cold, not ended ( Thero is vitality in tlio seed, though it lies a dead tiling in tho hand. Those men urn corpses to my eyo, but, said I to mvsclf, thev mnv havo tha jirin-iplesof life in them, which heat might call into being. Putrefaction is a natural j iaw, '.ut it is balked by frost; and just as , decay is hindered by cold, might not tho ' propert'- of life bo lolt iinalTe.aeil iu a body, though it should be numbed iu a marble form for fifty years? This was a terrible fancy to possess a man situisd as I was, und it worked in mo that again and axain I caught myself look- ing first forward, then aft,. as though, heaven j help me! my secret instincts foreboded that , at any moiuenr. 1 shoul 1 behold somo form irom the forccastlo or one of those figures in tho cabin stalking in, and coming to my sida nnd silently seating himself. I pshawed and pished, and querulously asked of myself what ( manner of I'uglNh sailor wa.i I to sulfer such womanly terrors to visit me; but it would not do; 1 could not smoke; a coldness of tho , heart fell upon mo, and .set me trembling above any sort of shivers which tho frost ot the nlr had chased through me; nnd presently a hollow creak so'uuling out of the hold, caused by some movement of the bed of ica on which tiio vc-mI lay, I was seized witli a panic terror and sprang to my feet, and lan i tern in hand made for tiie companion ladder, ' with a prayer iu mu for tho sight of a star! I durst not look at the figures, but setting 1 tho light dowai at tho foot of tho ladder 1 squeezed through tho enmpnni. m door on to I th" deck. My lour was a t ever in its way, ! and I did not feel tho cold. Thero was no ! star to bo s.;eu; but the wluteaes, of tho ico was (lung out in a wild, strange glaro by tho blackness of the sky, nnd made a light of its own. It was tlio most sjvao nnd terrible picture of solitude tho invention of man I could reach to, yet I bie.s-.ed p tor tho relief . it gave to my ghost enkindled imagination. ' Presently, when tho cold was beginning to pierce me. my coarucre was so much the bct j tor for this excursion into tho bourse and I b!ac:; und gleaming realities of the night, i that my heart beat at its usual measure us I passed through tho hutch and went ngain lo tho cook room. I was, however, suro that if I sat hero long, , listening and thinking, fear would return. Ho, raking out the fire, I p.oke.l up the lantern and was about to go, then haltod, considering whether I sliou!. not stow the frozen provis- ions away. It was a natural thought, seeing how precious food was to inc. lint, alas! it mattered n-jt where t!rv lay; they wero as ! secure hero ns if they woro us snugly hidden j in tie; bottom of the hold. It was tlio w Into realm of denth; if over a rat had crawled in this ship it was, in its hiding place, as still' nnd idle as the frozen vessel. So I let tlio lump of wine, tho ice, hum, and so forth, rest j where they were, mid went to the cabin I had cho-en, involuntarily peeping at the figures us I passed, and hurrying tho faster becuuso ( of tho grim and torriljing liveliness put into f.ie man w ho sat starting from tlio tub.'o by t tho swing of tlio lantern iu m) band. I shut th" door and hung thu lantern near I tho cot, liavmgthefiiutuixibox in my pocket. Thei 'o was, indeed, an abundance of can dles iu tho vessel; nevertheless, it was my I business to husband them with tho utmost niggardliness. How h,.. I was to bo im pn..oneil here, if indeed I was over to lio de- iivrrcd, Providence aloiio know; and to run I shoi t ot candies would add to tho terrors of j my existence by forcing mo cither to open tho hutches and ports for light, und so filling tlio snip witli tlio deadly air outside, or living m darkness. There wa re a cloak and a coat in tho cct, but they would not sullice; thero wns, however, plenty of apparel in tho cor ner to servo us wraps, nnd having chosen enough to smothi r mo I milled into tho cot, nnd m coveied myself that the clothe.) wero nbovo tho level of tho sides of tho cot. I left tlu lantern burning while 1 iiiado suro my bed was all right, and lay musing, tooling extremely melancholy; tin hardest part was tho thought of thoso two men watching iu the cabm, Tho nio.t funtiutie alarms possi .sod me. Suppose their ghosts eunio to the iiup ul midnight, and entering their bodies qmckcnul them into walking? 1 caught myi-elf listening; cud thero wns enough to hear, too, whit with the subdued roaring of the wind, tlio sp'intorhig of ico, tho occasional creaking not uullk.) .. heavy booted tread of tho f ibric o' tho schooiu-r to the bkiiitbof tho galo against her musts, or to a movement in tlio bod on w hieh sho reposed. liut plain senso onmo to my rescue nt last. I rmohodto linvo tin more of theso night fenni; so, blowing urn the candle, 1 put my bond on tlio coat that formed my pillow, res olutuly kept ray eyes shut, mi l nftor uwhilu fell mileep. ClIAFTKR XIII. i r.xrt.oun Tttn ltot.D and i-onr.cABTt.c. It wna pitch dark when 1 awoko, nnd I conceived it must bo the middle of tho night; but, to my astonishment, on lighting the lantern and looking at tho wntch, which 1 had tnken the precaution to wind up over night, I saw it wanted but twenty minutes to eight o'clock, so that I hnd parsed through cloven hours of solid sleep. However, it was only needful to recollect where I was and to cost a glaiico nt tho closed door nnd port, to understand why it was dnrk. I had slept faitly warm, mid awoko with no tensalton of cramp; but tlio keen nlr hud earned tho steam of my breath to freeze upon my mouth in such a maimer that, when feeling tho sticky hiconvenleiico I put my linger to it, it fell like n littlo mask; nnd I likewise felt tlm pain of cold in my fnco to such an extent that had I lieen blistered there, my cheeks, noso and brow could not havo smarted more. This resolved mo henceforward to wrap up my head nnd fnco before going to rest. I opened tho door nnd passed out, nnd oli rerved an amazing difference between tho temperature of tho air in which 1 had been sleeping and that of thoutniophero in tlm passage a happy discovery, for it served to assure me that, if 1 was careful to lio under plenty of coverings nnd to keep the outer air excluded, tho heat of my body would raise tho teuiporaturo of the littlo cabin; nor, pro viding tho compartment was ventilated throughout the day, was there anything to bo feared from tho vitiation of tho air by my own breathing. My first business was to light tho firo nnd set my hrcokl'n t to thaw, and boil mo a l;et tlo of water: and whllo tins was preparing I wont on deck to view tlio weather nnd to re olvo in my mind tho routine of the day. On opening the door of the companion hatch I was nearly blinded by tho glorious brilliance of the sunshine on tin! snow; after tho black ness of the cabin it was liko looking at thu sun himself, nnd I hnd to stund a full thrco minutes witli my hand upi my eyes before I could accustom my sight to tho dazzling glare. It was (Ino weather again; tho sky over tho glass like musts of the schooner was a clear, dark blue, witli a few light clouds blowing over it from tho southward. The wind hnd shitted nt lust; but, pure as tho heavens were, tho breeze was piping briskly with the weight and song of a small gulo, and its fair's of frost, even in tlio compara tive quiet of tho sheltered deck, bit with a fierceness that had not been observablo yes terday. Tho moment I had tho body of tlio vessel iu my sight I perceived that she had changed her position since my last view of lor. Her lows were more raised, und she la;.' wer fur ther by tho depth of a plank. 1 stared tar uestlv nt the i ocky slopes on cither hand, buS co'tld not havo sworn their figuration was changed. An eager hopo shot into my mind, but ir quickly faded into an emotion (f np prohnson. It was conceivable, indeed, that on a sv.d-len somo earlv day I might find the sehixiner liberated and nlloat, and this was tho li.'st inspiriting Hush; but then camo the fear that tlw dl-ruptioii and volcanic throes of the ice mirltt crush her a fear rational I enough wl-s'i i saw tho height she lav above " i i i . . ... .i " , the sea, and how bv pressure those slopes I which formed her cradlo might bo jammed j nnd welded together. The change of her poi.turo then tell upon me with a kind or shock, and ik'termined nm, when I had broken my fast, to search her hold for a boat or for materials for constructing some ark by which I might float out to sea, should tlio ice grow menacing und for?e mo from tho schooner. 1 made a plentiful meal, filling tho need of ubuiidaiice of food in such a temperature n this, and heartily gratctul that there wus no need why I should stint myself. While I ato my mind wus so busy with i considerations of tlm change in the ship's posture during tho night, that it ended iu do terminiiig me to taken survey of her Irom i tlio outside, and the.i climb tho cliffs und look around before I fell to .any other work, i Arniug myself with a boarding piko to serve j as a pole, 1 dropped into tho lore chains mid I theneo stepped on to the ice, and very slowly ! and carefully walked round tho schooner, examining her clo-ely und boring into i'.io i snow upon her side w ith my piko wherever I ! suspected a hole or indent. I could fin I ! nothing wrong with her in tins way, though what, a thaw might reveal I could not know. Her rudder hung lrozen upon its pintles, and looked at it. should. Homo littlo ihst.aivo abaft her rudder, wln.ro tho hollow or chasai sloped to the sea, wus u great split three or four feet wide; tliis had certainly happened In the night, and I must have slept u3 sound us the dead not to hear tho uoiso of it. Kueb a rent ns this suliieed to ncconnt for tho sub sideir.si of tlio nfter part of the schooner and her farther inclination to larboard. Indeed, the hollow w.n now coining to resemble the "ways" on whioh ships uro launched; unci yen would have conceived by tlm appear anco of it that if it should slope a Iittl- more yet, oft' would slido the schooner for the n ; und m tho right posture, too that is, stern on. But I prayed with nil my might ami -lain for anything but this. It would huo been very well had tho hollow gone in a gen tle declivity to tho wash of the sea to tho water itself, in short, but it terminated at the edge of a clitT, not very high, indeed, but high enough to warrant the prompt founder ing of any vessel that should launch herself olf it. Happily tlm keel was too solidly frozen into tie' ice to render a passage of this description possible; nnd tho conclusion 1 ar rived at, after card ill inspection, was that tho solo chaueo that could oll'er for tho de livery of tho vessel to her proper element lay lit the clacking up and disruption of tho bed on which sho lay Satisfied us to tho stato of tho ico nnd tho posture of tlm schooner, viewed from with out, 1 sent a slow and piercing guzu nloug th i ocean line, mid then returned to the ship. Tlio strong wind, th. danco of tlio sea, th) grandeur of the gnat tract of whiteness, vitalized by t!m (lying of violet cloud shad ows along it, had fortified my spirits, and being free (for awhile) of nil superstitious dread, I determined to begin by exploring tho forccastlo nnd ascertaining if more bodies wero in the schooner than thoso two iu tlm cabin and the giant form on deck. 1 lliiew somo co.il on tho firo, ana placed ivi ox tonguo along watli tlie cheese and a lump of tho frozen whm in a pannikin into tlw oven (tor 1 had a mind to tusto tho vessel's stores, und thought the tongue would m.akoa:i agree ubldohange), and then, putting a eaudlo into the lantern, walked very bruvcly to tho fore castle und entered it. I was prepared for tho scene of confusion, but I must say it staggered mo afresh with something of tho force of tlu first impressiou. KalloiV chests luy open in till directions-, and their contents covered tha decks. Tnere was the clearest evidence hero fiat tho majority of thu crew had quitted thu vessel in a vio lent hurry, turning out their boxes lo cram their money and jew ilry into their pockets, nnd heedlessly flinging down their own mid tlu clothes which had fullen to their share. This I had oicry right to suppose from tlio ) character of the nuiddlo on the lloor; for, j passing tho light over a part of it, I wi;nes.sed . a great variety of attiru of a kind which cer tainly tin bailor iu any agu ever went to sea with not so fine, perhaps, ns that which lay ' in tho cabins, but very good, novcrt hehw., particularly tho linen, in many places, glittering among tho ciotnes, wero gold nlul bitter conn, a low sil ver crnnments, s-ueh ua buckles, and watchos things lint mined by tho pirates in tho transport of their High'., In kicking n coat iioldo I discovered a couplo of silver cruci fixes bound together, nnd closo by wero a silver goblet and tho hilt of a sword broken short oir for tho sake of theinctul itwusniado of. Nothing ruder than this interior is Im aginable. Tho men must havo lucn mighty put to It for room. There was a window iu tile bead, but th'j snow veiled it. May bo tho rogues mossed together aft, and only used this forecastle to lio in. ltlght under tho hatch, whero tho light win strongest, was a dead rat. 1 slopped to pick it up, meaning to illng it on to the deck, but its tail hroko oir nt tho rump liko a pi pa stem. UIoso against tho after bulkhead that sep arated tho lorcciu.tlo from thu cook room wits a littlo hatch. Thero was a quantity of wearing apparel upon it, und I should havo missed it but for catching sight of somo thrco inches of tho dark lino tho cover iiiado in tlio deck. On clearing away tho clothes I perceived a ring similar to that in tho laza retto hatch! nnd it roio to my first drag and lelt mo tho hold yawning black beliw. I peered down, and observed a stout stanchion traversed by iron pins for tho hands and feet. Tho atmosphere was. nasty, and to givo it timo to clear I went to tho cook houso und warmed myself before tho tiro. Tho fresh air blowing down tho forccastlo hatch spoedily sweetened tho hold. 1 lowered tho lantern and followed, and found myself on top of somo rum or spirit casks, which on my hitting them returned mo a solid note. Thero wus a fore peak forward in tho buws, nnd tho casks went stowed to tho bulkhead of it. Tho top of this bulkhead was open four feet from tho upper deck, und on holding tho lantern over nnd putting niy head through I saw a quantity of coals. If tho forealc went us- low as tlio vessel's floor then I calcu lated thero would not bo loss than fifteen tons ot coal in it. This was a noblo discovery to full upon, nnd it mado ino feel so happy that 1 do not know that tho assurance of my being immediately rescued from this island could havo given a lighter pulso to my heart. Tho candlo yielded a very small light, and it was ditllcult to sec above a yard or so uhead or around. I turned my fnco uft, nnd crawled over tho casks and camo to under tho main hutch, whero lay coils of hawser, buckets, blocks and the liko; but thero was no pinnace, though here shu had beenstowed, as a sailor would havo promptly seen. A lit tlo way boyond, under the great cabin, was tlio powder magazine, u small bulkheaded compartment witli a little door, atop of whicli wns asmall bull's eyo lamp. I peered wairily enough, you will suppose, into this place; and made out twelve barrels of pow der. I heartily wished them overboard; and yet, after all, they were not very much more dangerous tha tho wins and spirits in th6 lazaretto ana l'orchold. The run remained to bo explored tbonftor part, I mean, under the lazaretto deck to tho rudder post iMt 1 hadsecn enough; crawling nUiut that black interior was cold, lonesome, melancholy work, nnd it wns rendered pe culiarly nrduous, by tho obligation of caution imposed, by my having to bear n light uinid r. !..;,. l.f ...nil,- r..... .....I ..( 1..... i , " , . t , , i , V ' combustible matter. I hnd found plenty of coal, and that suliieed. So 1 returned by tho sumo roail I had entered, and sliding to tho bulkhead door to keep tho cold of tho fore custlo out of tho cook room, I stirred tho firo iuto a blaze and sat down beforo it to think. CHAPTER XIV. an r.XTKAOiiiu.VARV occuuttn:,ci:. While 1 sat smoking my pipe it entered my head to presently turn those twosilenl gentle men iu the cabin out of it. It was a task fiom which I shrank, but it must bo done. To bo candid, 1 dreaded tho effects of their dismal companionship on my spirits, lint how w.is I to dispose of them? I meditated this matter while I smoked. First I thought 1 would drag them to tlm fissure or rent in tlm ice ju .t beyond tho stern of tho schooner and tuinblo them into it. I!ut oven then they would still bo with me, so to speak I mean they would be neighbor.-, though out ot sight; and my eagerness was to get them away from this Hand altogether, which was only to be demo by casting them into tlie sou. I settled my scliemo thus: First, 1 was to j haul the figures as be-t I could on to til's 1 dc"k; then, tin ro being three, to get them i over th- side, und afterward, by degrees, to . transiKi.t tlio four of them to some stoop, ' wlieuco they would slide of theni-elves into I tha (jcpan. Yet so much did I dread tho undertaking, nnd abhor tho thought of th- tedious til. to I foresaw it would occupy me, , that I cannot iuiagino any other sort of painful and distressing work that would not ! have seemed actually ugrceablo as compared with this. My pipo being smoke.? out, I stepped into the cabin, nnd u-ccudiug the bidder throw- oil' tho companion cover and opened thu doors, and then went to tho man that had his luck to tlu steps but my courage failed mo; ho was so life like, thero was so wild ami tierce nu earnestness in tho expression of his face, so inimitable a picture of horror iu his starting posture, thnt my hands fell to my side and I could not lay hold of him. I will le t stop to unalyzo my fear or ask why, since 1 knew that this man was dead, ho should have terrified me ns surely no living man could. I can only repeat that tho pros pect of touching him, nnd laying him upon the deck and then dragging him up tho lad der, was indescribably fearful to mo, und I turned away shilling as if 1 had tho ague. Hut it had to lie done, nevertheless; and after a great deal of reasoning nnd self-reproach I f-cized him on a sudden, und kicking away the bench let him fall to the dec!:. Ho was frozen as hard ns stone and fell like stone, nnd I looked to seo him break, ns a statue minht that fnlls luiupishly. His nrun remuining raised put him iuto an uttitudo of entreaty to mo to lemo him in peace; but I had somewhat mastered myself, and the hurry and tumult of my spirits wero a kind of hot temper; so catching him by the collai I dragged him to the foot of tho companion steps, mid then, with infinite labor nnd n number of sickening pauses, hauled him up the ladder to tho deck. I let him lie, nnd returned weary nnd out of breath. He had been a very lino man in lifo of beauty, too, as was to bo seen in the shapo of his features and the particular ele gance of hii chin, despite the distortion of hi.i last imipeakablo dismay; nnd with his clothes I guessed his weight camo hard upon t!00 pounds no mean burden to haul up a ladder I went to the cook houo for a dram and to rest myself, und then camo back to the cabin und looked nt tho other man, His posture has boon already described. He made a vi ry burly figure in his co.it, and if his weight did nut exceed tho other's jt was not likely to bo less. Nothing of his head was visible but tho baldness on tho top and the growth of hair thnt ringed it, and the Uniting up of his beurd about Ins units, in w hieh his lueo w as sunk. 1 touched his beard with a shuddering finger, and uoted that tho frost had made every h.ir of it as stiff as wire. It would not do to ftand idly contemplating him, for nlrendy thero was slowly creeping into mo a dread of seeing his face; so 1 took hold of him nnd swayed him from tho table, anil ho fell upon tho deck sidownjs, preserving his posture, so thnt his fnco remained hidden, I dragged him u littlo way, but ho was so heavy unci big attitude rendered him us a burden so surprisingly cumbrous, th:;t I wus sure I could never ot my own trcngta lr' u nni up 1 10 ladder. Yi t ncillr..'r was it tolerable that I.o should be there. Then, thought I, if 7 wns to put him br;. ra the fire, ho might jiriMintly thaw into i-'.hm sort of suppleness, nnd so prove not h.uj.-r thn n tho other to get on deck I hlo-d Cue idea, and with mt mor-i ado drugged h.m la bor! nisiy into the ex ' room nnd laid h.m closo o tlm ft.'i ami throwing lit a littlo pile of ooal to malt th" fire ronr. l.llh ' .s-ri.-.'f Dragged him latmrionahj into the cools roopu I then went on deck, and ea-ily enough, the deck being slippery, gd, my first inun to wl.ero tho lingo fellow was that hnd sentineled thu ve-scl when i first looked down upon her. but when I viewed tho slopes, broken into i" i ks, which I, though unburdened, had lound li.rd enough to a-eend, I was perfectly cor tain I should never In able to transport tho bodies to tlio top of tho cliffs. I must eituer let them fall into tho great split astern of the ship, or lower them over the sido aud leave tho hollow iu whicli tho schooner lay t ba their tomb. It woi mighty comforting on returning to tho cabin 1 1 find it vacant, to bo freed from tho scar.- of the sight of thotwo silent figures. I drew lr.y breath moro easily and stopped to glanei fiii'md. It was the barest cabin I was ever in .inoarpcted, with no other seats than tho l.itlo benches. Ilookrdat tho cru cifix, and guessed from tho sight of it that, whatever might bo tho vessel's nation, sho hnd not been sailed by Ihiglishnien. I peeix-d Into poor l'oiiys cage ir n parrot it was I and tho s'-,ht of tho rich plumage carried my I imagination to skies of "brass, to tlm mysto I rious green solitude of tropic forest -, to islands fringed witli silver surf, in whoso sunny (lashing sported nudo girls of fault- i less tonus, showing their teeth of pearl in merry laughter, w inding amorously witli tho blue billow, and filling tlio aromatic bit 70 with the melody of their languago of the sun. Ha! thought I, sailors seo some changes ill their time; and with a hearty sigh I stepped , into tho cook room. I started, stopped, and fell back a pace with a cry. When I had put the figure i o foro the fire ho was in the same posture in which he had sat at tho table that i'., lean ing forward with his face hid in his aril's, I , had laid him on his side, with his taee t . -. ho furnaee.and in that attitude you would Im o supposed him u man sound asleep with 1 nrms over his face to snield it from the hi .. lint now, to my unspeakable astonishim n., he lay on his back, with big arm- sui.I. !- ' is side, and resting on tho deck, and his 1 ico upturned. I stared nt hini from tho door as i C 1 vns the fiend liiui-elf. I coul 1 senree'y cied.t , ,; senses; and my const mat ion was . ,-. ,.o that I cannot conceive of nnyinnn c . er I: . -ing labored under a greutcr iiaV lit. Ilai.e. ejaculated "Ciood Coil''' -"Veral time-, r u could hardly prevent i.iy h g- from . .. '. ; avvny with me. You siv, it wu.s eert.i.n tl. ,t ho must linvo moved of his own me it i get upon his back. I was prepare 1 i. t..i fire to thaw him into hmbernes-, and hilt found him straightened somewhat I '" d I not liavo been surprised, liut thero t) power in file to stretch hii.i to hi- full le. . Ji and turn him over on hii bc"k. What!., ' or ghostly hand had done this thing? lit spirit walk tin-schooner tiftir all.' Had I missed of something moro tt rrible than any i number of dead men in searching the cs.-i-l. 1 had made a groat lire, and its light v,as btioug, und tlmro was al-o tho light of tha lantern; but tho furnace (lames playi d v.ry , livfly, completely overmastering the steady I illumination of tho candle, and tho man's g 1 lire was nil a-twitch with moving tb.id"ws, nnd n hundred fanta-tic shades sei ik.I to steal out of tho side and bulkheads and disnp , pear upon my terrified gae. Then, thought; I, sitpposo after nil that man should be alive, 1 the vitality in him ret (lowing by tho heati i I minded myself of my own simile of tlio , current chucked by frost, yet retaining umui ' paired the principle of motion; and, gett.ng ! my ngitutiou under some small control. 1 ap ' proached the body on tiptoe and held the lan tern to its face, j lio looked a man cf CO years of age; his beard was gray und very long, and lay upon hit breast liko n aloud of smoke. Hisives wero dosed; the brows shaggy, and tliodarlc scar of a sword wound ran ucro-s hi for head Irom the comer of tho lelt eyo to tho tup I of the right brow. His msu wns long and hooked; but the repose in his countenance, ! backed by tho vnguo character of tho light in. which I inspected him, lelt his face almnsS ' expressionless, 1 was too much alarmed to I put my cur to his mouth to mark if ho 1 bteathed, if indeed the nuiso of tlm burning lire would havo permuted me to distinguish, his re.-plration. I drew back from him, nud. put down the lantern and watched him. Presently his left leg, that was slightly ' bent toward the furnace, stretched It -i If out to its full length, and my car caught a faint sound, as of n weak und melancholy s g!u I Crucious heaven, thought I, lu is uhvi I and I with less of terror thnii of profound aw ', now that I saw there was nothing of a ' ghostly or preternatural character in this busiucss, I approached nnd bent over him. Ills eyes were still -hut, and I could not b r i that ho breathed; there was not the faint st motion of respiration iu his breast nor stir in , tho hair, that was nowsott, nbout his nu uth. ' Yet, to fur us tlio light would sufi'cr m to judge, there was a con(ilexum iu his taeo such as could only come with flowing blood, however languid its circulation; und putt ir j ! this and the sigli and tlu movement of t I.o leg together, 1 felt convinced that the man was ulive, and forthwith fell to work, very full of awo und umazement, to be sure, to help nature, that was struggling iu him, My first step was to heat some brandy, and while this was doing 1 pulled open his coat and freed his neck, fetching a coat from tlm cabin to servo aaa pillow for his head. I next removed his boots mid laid bare his foet (which wero incased iu no less thnii four pa i i of thick woolen stockings, so thut 1 thoiuht; when I came to the third pair 1 should (in his legs made of stockings), and after bathing his feet iu hot water, of which thero was a kettleful, I rubbed them with hot brandy .is hard as I could chafe. I then dealt with ! is hands in thu liko manner, having om-o bee.i 1 shipmate, with n seaman w hu told me ho had