The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

26 THE FROZEN CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP, meiner KES little to know whether the wind that makes me ad- vance comes from good or evil. «Acknowledge, Paul Jones,’ he continued, “you little thought what a fatalist you had on board your yessel.”’ “ Umph!’’ muttered the addressed. what all this is coming to?” Though he received no answer from his companion, Rotaldo could perceive that his attention was not otherwise engaged, and proceeded, after a pause, with his discourse. “JT had every ambition at once—luxury, power, pleasure. Later in life, what had been instinct became a calculation, and the man began to be able to give form to the fugitive schemes of the child.” The Spaniard, nothing daunted by the piercing glance Paul Jones darted upon him, resumed— ‘*I sold my little patrimony, and sailed for France. Once arrived in that fine country, I gave myself up to hard study. I concentrated on one single point all the energy of my intelligence and my education—all the resources of trickery and endurance that are in me. I had but one aim—to gain gold, and I will do it, though I wade knee-deep in blood!” ‘‘TLet me restrain myself, and see how far the audacity of this Spaniard will carry him,” said Paul Jones to himself, with some difficulty affecting a composure he anything but felt. “JT interest you against your will,’ added Rotaldo, who had his own reason for desiring to increase the evident anger of Paul Jones, who no doubt looked upon the adventurer as a direct descendant of Cortez or Pizarro. “But tocontinue. You are a seaman, and must know that one of the constant efforts of Peter the Great was to attain America by the Kams- chatan sea.’’ “ Truly so.” “ After several fruitless voyages and insignificant adventures, a Russian captain at length landed on the coast of California, and disembarked six men. What became of them ?”’ “They were never found,” returned Paul Jones. “ Soft water failed, serofula decimated the crew, and they were forced to sail without them; it is not known what became of those wretched outcasts, and “T know, and will tell you,” interrupted Rotaldo, in a voice and with a smile of ineffable disdain, Paul Jones started. “Fuli of daring and curiosity, they penetrated through a thousand dangers. In the interior ot the country, there they discovered mines, plains, rivers filled with gold, and no method of employing these most fabulous riehes,” “ Oh, I can understand the tortures of these poor wretches—it was enough to drive them mad.’ “ You are interrupting the thread of my narrative,” observed the Spaniard, provokingly, and exhibiting perfect sang froid. ‘‘ Five of the men I have men- tioned died from extreme misery a ‘* While the sixth >” “‘ Alone reached France, as if by amiracle. Would you believe it,” continued Rotaldo, “that when this individual related all he had seen, and displayed the plans he brought back, the poor laughed and shrugged their shoulders. _ “The rich treated him as a visionary and fool. “While in the midst of the multitude he gained but one believer.”’ ‘** And ‘that was e “Paul Jones!” shouted Rotaldo, with eyes flashing with the fire of triumph. ‘One morning the poor devil was found dead in the streets of Paris.” “ Dead?”’ ~ Assassinated !” } ‘Dare you accuse me of ——” “TJ wonder be) ‘By no means,” continued the Spaniard, interrupt- ing the buccaneer; ‘but you inherited his plans, . which, by right, belong to the common interest of our band.” Further conversation was stopped by the sudden appearance of Black Bill, who, with as little ceremony as his predecessor, entered the cabin. The newcomer and Rotaldo spoke together in hurried whispers without paying the slightest deference to their commander, who observed, not without some reason, that he could not reckon on the fidelity of either towards himself. Paul Jones bridled his anger, and allowed Black Bill to depart without making any remark on his wonted respect towards himself, in order, if possible, to ascertain what had passed between the two ad- herents, It was not long before he was made aware of the particulars of their conference, by Rotaldo, who, darting an angry and defiant glauce at his opponent, addressed him as follows:— * Paul Jones, you know me too well, I fancy, to think that a litle thing disturbs me, and I come of that grain that takes a rough wind to shake it. ‘But,’ continued the speaker, *“‘I must not expect to sail through Jife with a fair wind, when many as staunch as I have foundered. A man who puts his plough into new iand, must expect to have it hank on a stone now and then.” Paul Jones essayed no remark, but, submitting as it were to his fate, sat down, determined to listen with all the equanimity which he could command, to the remaining words of Rotaldo. ‘‘T have lately spoken of the legaey bequeathed you,’ said the Spaniard; “of course I allude to the chart of the promised ‘Ind of gold, its whereabouts, and its auriferous track, which must be trodden by your comrades as well as yourself.” “Tt is too much.” “ Paul Jones is too generous and too just,” sneered Rotaldo, “to deny a participation in the spoil which has unwittingly dropped into his hands.”’ “Tt is my intention,” he answered, ** to make known my purpose, when time and place serve.” “ Most likely,” replied Rotaldo, still in a bantering tone. ‘ When one has gold, one has everything; it is more than the sun and genius; if is passion, sen- suality, real life. Before gold, obstacles vanish, con- sciences cease to admonish, and then what pride— what triumph! ‘* We left our homes wretched, poor, unknown. We return to them rich enough to dazzle the richest, and pay for the smiles of those that scorned.” **T shall not fail to produce the plan of the——” ‘“Ah! by-the-bye,’”’ coolly remarked Rotaldo, in- terrupting Paul Jones, “you need give yourself no further trouble about it, seeing that it is aiready in my possession.”’ * Ah! can Gonzalyi have betrayed me ?” exclaimed the pirate chie!tain, in surprise. | “No,” replied Rotaldo, more arrogant than ever. “Te is too faithful ; bat, like a fool, entrusted the papers you had confided to him to Brandy-nose Nick, who, in his drunken imbecility, has divulged the secret.” “T regret this only on one account,” said Paul Jones, “and it would have been better for the crew had they have bided my time for its revelation.” “ Anxious hearts cannot brook delay.” ** What do you propose?” “TI simply propose to appropriate our vessel to the carrying of us to the Californian shores,’ replied Rotaldo, ‘and for the time assume the command of ber.’”’ . s* And the crew?” “Finding you have bartered your eternal welfare omrebooks-eom