The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_—————— eS SE 20 THE FROZEN And vow from those deeps where the coral is grow- ing, Whose silvery streams round my grottoes are flow- in I Ae to conduct thee, those vows to renew, Where eternity’s joys are all hoarded for you. So come to the ocean and with me descend, And share in my fortune till time hath an end.” Feeling there was sorcery blent with the song of the temptress, who had artfully twined her scarf around Paul Jones while chanting her mystical spell, he recoiled from her embrace, and finally determined to reject her profer, be the hazard what it might. “No,” he cried; “evil though I be, I will not league myself to one who bends the knee to the powers of darkness. “ Providence,” continued the pirate, “has sent you to me as a warning, and from this moment Paul Jones renounces his former life, and will confide only on one who, alike on shore and ocean, is ever nigh.” ‘‘- You have alrrady given yourself up to me.” ‘A rash vow will never deliver the truly penitent to perdition.” “You must go with me,’’ said the spirit, “ deep and deeper yet, even where the purple waters rill, where the ocean world is set a thousand fathoms below the surface of the main.” - Paul Jones heard no more; he felt himself sinking, and a hot breath was upon his face, as he clutched the crucifix from his breast to aid him in invocation to the supreme being in the extremity. Whether the holy relic acted as a charm or not he could never tell, but of a surety from the moment he raised it, he passed, as it were, into a pleasing reverie, and remembered nothing till he found himself, some hours after, reclining in his cabin, watched by the faithful and vigilant Gonzalvi. ‘‘Tt is now necessary to recount the events follow- ing upon the late mysterious encounter. Paul Jones had been found by the crew, on the fol- lowing day, lying upon the deck, covered with blood, and to all appearance dead. This circumstance was at once attributed by them to the fiend, whom they supposed had ensnared their captain, and not to the real cause, a breaking open afresh the wound he had lately received. It was first decided, living or dead, to throw tke body overboard, but on a further consideration it was deemed a more prudent plan to let it remain, in fear of offending their supernatural enemy, who, had he fo led would have buried it in the waters him- self. The inanimate form of Paul Jones was no sooner conveyed to a cabin than Rotaldo, for a second time, took command, and, with the consent of one and all, altered the course of the vessel by taking a southerly instead ot a northerly tack. ; This action seemed to bring a judgment upon the conduct of the men who had so cruelly deserted their commander, for they had hardly proceeded on their way two hours when the tempest of the previous day returned with two-fold fury, and they were compelled for safety literally to dismantle the ship. This state of things served as a signal and led to greater evils. An inordinate drinking bout ensued, ending in riot, quarrelling and bloodshed. The noble vessel was left for a time under no guid- ance, and tossed about, having lost both rudder and compass, floated whither no one could tell. It was a miracle that she outlived the night and was not engulphed in the raging deep. Morning again dawned, and with it came calm and tranquillity. The winds and the waves were nearly hushed. The El Malachor glided lazily along without a spar CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP. i EE Se Ln Se ee eee standing, while the pirates, becoming sobered, began to reflect upon their late and present dangers. There was one among these desperate men who had not participated in the orgies, that one was Rotaldo. It was he who had distributed the draught. _ He had slept ’tis true, but not soundly; his head had been at work, and as he awoke and encountered the fearful and wild looks of the mutineers, a fiendish laugh of triumph broke from his lips. — - ‘Ha, ha! By the cinders of Saint Anthony, cried the Spaniard, “your faces, messmates, bear such a rueful aspect that you might well set them to frighten crows from a corn-field.”’ “Your lingo, Rotaldo, is like a reefer’s orders,” re- plied Black Bill—‘ big words on a weak stomaoh. Come, bear a hand, and confess that things are look- ing ugly with us.” “ With us, I grant you,” replied Rotaldo, hastily, ‘“‘as regards our captain, I begin to suspect the case is different.” ‘‘T see the point you are veering to, Rotaldo—the last order the skipper gave, seeing to vs “ Orders,” echoed the Spaniard, laughing; ‘‘ you and all the others are mean enough to do anything he commands. Did he order you to lay along the lee scuppers on a squally night that- he might walk without wetting his tender feet, the paltry sonls on board this vessel would gladly obey his orders.” , ‘‘ Tt’s no use badgering or boxing the compass,” said Black Bill. ‘‘Paul Jones has ever appeared less anxious for his own life than ours, and risked peril himself without suffering the crew to share it with him. Only look how he cut away the mainmast when not a soul would dare to ——”’ ‘Ah, that’s all very well jor you to think so,” replied Rotaldo, with an undisguised air of contempt. ‘¢! know more than I like to say.” “Avast! What do you suspect?” ‘* Umph—ha!”’ ‘None of your hums and ha’s—speak out.”’ “IT will do so if you have patience to listen to a slight preliminary,’ said Rotaldo. ‘* When this Vanderdecken we have lately encountered defied the Almighty’s will in his rage, he was vonchsafed a chance of mitigating his doom through an appeal to men who had been guilty of crime and over whom he could exercise a power compelling them to suffer for a time the penalty inflicted on himself. The destiny of Paui Jones was accomplished ; leaguing himself with the arch fiend isa matter full of danger and trea- chery.” j ‘“* Danger, I grant,” was Black Bill’s answer, “‘ bu if I never take in another top sail can I see the trea- chery, if the captain as you say is determined to sail to Davey Jones in a devil’s craft he must keep his own look out, and ——” ‘* How dull you are,”’ cried Rotaldo, casting a glance to see that no one overheard him, then looking at his companion with his iron visage contorted into a smile continued, : ‘“With treasures of our ship and ourselves for hostages to the Flying Dutchman, he procures his eatery and our ruin, in a word the destruction of the and.” “‘ If I thought that,” interrupted Black Bill. ‘Say that you’ll uphold meand I'll prove that I’m not cojoling you,” exclaimed Rotaldo, “ and in reward for confidence will steer our barque to a land whose emerald turf covers a mine of wealth.” ‘But the crew,” returned Black Bill, “ will they listen to us, think you; mastiffs are a faithful race and their master has won their love by a seaman’s sheet anchor, true courage, though they believe with you he has had dealings with old Scratch. * They will leave him to aman when they know (ECA MUCELOXOKOL ES EO ==)