Newspaper Page Text
10
PROFESSOR DETRIUS MORAINE.
“TALES OF TEN TRAVETERS”* SERIES.
By EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
Copyright. 1194.
We had been discussing our various ex
periences in mountainous regions, when
we noticed that the face of one of our
number was wreathed in a reminiscential
smile. So familiar had we all become
with each other's moods, that it was but
a moment before a placid wave of silence
stole softly in upon the choppy surf of
discursive chatter; and, settling our
selves comfortably in our various places,
we listened to the Chronic Traveler’s
pleasant tale.
More than a casual glance would have
been required to make sure whether he
was an old young man or a young old man,
as he dismounted from his carriole and
entered the common room of the little inn
or station of Ormeim, standing just above
the picturesque Vaermofos waterfall,
near the head of the wild and wondrous
Romsdal. in Norway.
His step was light enough, and a cer
tain nervous eagerness in his manner sug
gested youthfulness. On the other hand,
his shoulders were rounded, his chin ex
tended outward curiously and his hands
and face had a marked physical habit of
unconscious proximity in moments of ab
straction which betokened advancing
years.
Though his clothing was of fine texture,
it fitted him illy. His double-vise red
traveling cap almost touched his nose
before and his shoulders behind, giving
bis head, which was unusually large and
set upon a slender neck, the grotesque ap
pearance, in profile,of a huge beak ; while
the half obscured glasses upon his nose
aided in intensifying the momentary seem
ing that his bright, deep-set eyes were
those of a very cunning bird.
Added to these peculiarities was that
of a face spare iu liesli and strongly
molded. It was of a singular grayish tint
and without trace of moustasche or
beard Even the scalp in front of and
above his large, outstanding ears was
bare and gray, and only a few unevenly
trimmed strands of hair, of an ochreish
ashen color, floated tremulously above his
wrinkled collar behind.
He went straight to the dagbok. or
daybook—that curious receptacle at all
Norwegian posting stations of tourist’s
names, complaints, flippant observations
and occasionally witty sayings—wrote
with a jerky movement and, without re
mark to landlord or servant, plumped
himself into a chair, crossed one leg upon
tho other and his two upturned palms,
and sat thus for a littlo time nervously
swinging his bony limb, while looking
through the open door out upon the frozen
higlits of the pathless Midtfjeld which
lies to the east of Ormeim.
“Odd character that,” whispered my
companion, a genial English literator,
whose acquaintance I had made at Molde
and with whom, though it was late in the
season, I was now leisurely traveling
through Norway.
We had formed a habit sf studying pass
ing tourists and endeavoring to place
them in the social or professional cate
gory before their identity was revealed.
Sometimes we added zest to the idle pro
ceeding by a trifling wager.
“What is he?” 1 returned cautiously;
“principal of a female seminary, an old
bachelor broken loose from a personally
conducted’ party of tourists, or a miser
astonished at finding himself giving up a
little of his hoard in travel?”
“Neither, i’ll lay you twenty kroner
even, he is some scientist wearing himself
to skin and bone over an undemonstraied
theory.”
"Hone; if you'll name either his profes
sion or theory.”
My friend made excuse to walk around
the newcomer a few times as if the im
patient exercise so common in the long
waits for ponies and carts at these Nor
wegian mountain stations, and after re
garding him closely returned with the
quiet remark:
“Geologist or glacial action crank, sure.
Why. if that man could command the
physical power to do so, he would have
every mountain aud field in Norway over
turned and standing on its head for in
siiection before morning’”
"I sauntered to the day-book and saw
he had witten in it simply the words;
“Detrius Moraine.”
“Oh, yes. of courseinsisted my friend
when I had announced this discovery.
‘Prof. Detrius Moraine;’ and if you had
it all, it would be Prof. Detrius Moraine,
E. K. A. S., P. C. S., F. K. G. 8., etc. etc.’
Indeed you would find him a sort of an all
around ‘fellow’ who belongs to every as
sociation and society on earth for poking,
prodding and penetrating earth, sea and
air lor the secrets of the immutable, and
especially to wrangle with every other
‘fellow’ who has poked, prodded, pene
trated and published before him.”
“All right,” I answered cheerily.
“We’ll get acquainted with him and
worry him at supper.”
While 1 was saying this, the professor
squirmed around suddenly in his chair
and began speaking fluently in Norwegian
to the stocky and stolid herbergorer
or innkeeper.
"How far is it to the top of the Midtf
jeld;” he asked, snappishly.
"Maybe twenty English miles.”
“Can I get up there the first thing in
the morning'’’
Here the innkeeper blew off a great
whistle of surprise at his impetuous
guest's ignorance.
“In three days, if you climb wellhe
finally answered, looking suspiciously at
his guest's thm limbs.
“Confound Norway, anyhow!” retorted
the ’professor, springing to 'his leet and
walking impatiently back aud forth
through the little room.
“Why coufound Norway anyhow!” re
torted the landlord with some spirit. “If
the fields and mountains were not here,
you would not come;” which burst of pon
derous logic so pleased Us author that he
triumphantly resumed whittling upon
some out landish pine ornament for the
front of his roadside inn.
“Are there huts, cabins, shelter or hu
man beiugs on the field?” demanded the
professor anxiously.
“No. Helow them a few miles are the
Meters only.”
Ci For the Eord’s sake what are saeters?
I—l can’t fix the etymology of the word.”
f "Saeters are saeters, in Norway,” was
the sententious reply.
"Men, women, any body in them?”
"Just the saeter girls.”
“In heaven's name, what do saeter girls
do?"
"They go there with tho herds in the
summer, care for the milk, make the but
ter and cheese, and come back to the val
leys when the winter sets iu. Some have
already comedown, sir.”
“No fathers or mothers or brothers
with them ?”
"What fori” replied the landlord, look
in* up scornfully from his whittling.
“They are needed to gather tho grass
aud at the work iu the holds at home.”
“Do you mean to tell me thut voung
women--mere girls—remain up there in
that barren wilderness ail summer
alone?”
“That is right, sir. They wish to go.
]g\rs’ sister, who has been in Borne foreign
country for years, and has become a great
scholar, came back here this summer, sir.
and is m the furthest saeter on the field,
only for love of the old saeter life.”
“Aud ii| is Ears, pray?”
“The skydsgut (post-boy) that brought
you. sir. "
"Why, I must tie a week or two on the
I fjelds! Where am Ito sleep? I can't
take your inn with mo!”
"On the snow, or in the saeter, sir.”
"In the saeter!”
“Yes; the saeter girl will make a bed
for you beside her own.”
"Beside her own!”
“Why not? Is that less comfortable
than the ice and the snow?”
Prof. Detrius Moraine did not reply,
but we saw that he had been shocked.
Abstract science usually takes no ac
count of the amenities of life; but here
was a scientist—if he was a scientist—
who actually recoiled from one of the
most innocent customs of the country.
"I think you would win as to his being
an old bachelor,” said my friend thought
fully. Perhaps I lose us to his vocation.
I am rather afraid so. for a genuine hide
bound scientist would sleep without a
murmur in a pig-sty in order to elucidate
a pet theory.”
The professor took a turn about the
storhaus and stables and finally came
back to the imperturbable landlord.
“You can furnish me a guide and a
man or two who could build me a tem
porary shelter on the fjeld, aud cook my
food for a few days?”
"There are no men at Ormeim.”
“Can I not even have a guide?”
“Not unless Ears will go.”
“And Ears will bring me to his sister
and leave me in the saeter, as you call it,
alone with her.”
“So it will be.”
“Bah!” he exclaimed, relapsing into
English. "This is infamous!” "
The innkeeper could understand enough
from his inflection and gesture to realize
that an objurgation had been uttered, and
he resented it in his sullen reply:
"We cannot change our country or our
people for every one who passes by. You
deserve no guide from Ormeim; or, you
should be let go to perish in the autumn
tempests!”
"Tut, tut? No offence: no offence!”
returned the professor, seeming at last to
realize that his cherished project was at
the mercy of his own behavior, in a land
where flunkeyism is unknown, where
little protit is expected, and where all
service to strangers is given by favor
rather than by command.
"The truth is, landlord,” he continued
in a conciliatory and almost confidential
manner, “I am a student of—of—things.
Id rather meet the devil than a woman,
w;hen 1 am at work. Indeed quite so
at any time. Blab, gab, poke, pother,
fuss, muss, litter, titter! Why, it drives
me mad!”
The landlord with staring eyes sympa
thetically pressed his own head with his
hand, and nodded as though he believed
him literally.
"I’ve seen nothing but women, women,
women in Norway; and it's unstrung me!
It worried me to think of going up there
and being shut up with a woman for two
weeks—!”
"It will be under the avalanche if for
so long!” interrupted the landlord.
“Shut up with a woman for two
weeks,” continued theprofessor, scientist
like paying no attention whatever to the
simplest and most important facts con
fronting him, “with her flutter aud put
ter and her eyeing and prying. Lord! I
come all this distance to work out to
work out—!”
"The saeter girl will hate you just as
sufficiently;” broke in the landlord
stoutly.
This was anew view of an old theory to
Prof. Detrius Moraine. He seemed at
first to relish it: but it piqued him, too.
He removed his glasses, burnished them
furiously with his handkerchief, glared
at myself aud companion, who endeav
ored to appear innocently unconscious of
his vexations, and finally exclaimed rather
curtly:
“Uinph! Where’s Lars?”
At the landlord’s sturdy call of “Lars!
Lars!” a noisy shuffling and grunting
mingled with cheery cries of “Feg kom
mer!" il am coming!) were heard from
the vicinity of the stables; and presently
a typical Norwegian skydsgut or post
boy bounded up the steps and into the
inn.
Ho was one of the jolliest and merriest
of his class we had seen in all Norway;
tow-headed, big-eyed, open mouthed, and
rippling and cunning over with a gurgling
and boundless good nature.
"By Jupiter!" exclaimed m.v friend en
thusiastically, “if Lars’ sister is as hand
some as Lars, that old glacier will so melt
inside of two weeks’ time that the whole
Midtfjeld will come tumbling into the
Romsdal with a commotion which will be
remembered!”
The landlord placed his big hand on
Lars’ shaggy head and said with a touch
of fondness:
“He is but 16. He is strong as the ox.
He has kindly ways.” And other laud
atory things as best he might, betokening
that young Lars possessed a Mark Tapley
sort of philosophy for all unpleasant
emergencies and a ready backdoor out of
every exasperating difficulty.
“Besides,” concluded the innkeeper
gravely, “Lars is a widow’s son; and
widows’ children are the best and bravest
of the young, in Norway!”
“Amen !” said the professor solemnly;
and we liked him none the less for tho
heartiness of his response.
But here our curiosity was both piqued
and baffled by the disappearance of the
three, after a whispered < onsultation be
tween the landlord and the professor, who
meantime gave several well-defined head
jet-kings toward us. within a private room
On emerging from this au hour later,
the landlord was swelling with impor
tance; the professor wore as contented a
face as it seemed possible for him to wear
and there was a look of eager expectancy
in the eyes of young Lars, whom we pri
vately plied with questions without avail.
Our last recourse was to draw the pro!
fessor out at supper. This would be an
easy tusk, wo thought, as we were alone
with him at table.
Our wager must be definitely decided;
and. besides, we were becoming more
deeply interested fn the personality of
the supposititious scientist, in young
Lars, who had < ertainly been engaged as
his guide, and in this wondrous scholar
sister, about whom we built all manner
of pretty romances among her olden loved
mountain saeter scenes.
To every fair inquiry of the road the
professor politely responded. We gave
him our names and vocations, which lu>
received with conciliatory "A-a-ahs?”
We descanted upon the scenery, the
curiosities of Norwegian travel, the pe
culiar customs of the country, and even
endeavored to awaken responsive confi
dences through railing at the plenltudeof
women in Norway.
But the professor, with his “Ahs!”
“Exactlys!’’ "Unite sos!” and the like,
merely munched his food and blandly
permitted us to interest each other as
best we might.
At last my friend, with a sly wink, set
out ui on an audacious venture.
“M.v chief disappointment in visiting
Norway." ho gravely began, "has been in
failing to discover multitudinous ovi
j demos of glacial slriations!”
i lie professor hero nearly upset his
bowl of groed in his excitement of indig
nation.
"Jigli! Tut. tilt! Nonsense! An ab
surd statement from an apparently intel
ligent traveler Why, they' are every
where. Thick as the leaves. Mark every
THE MORMNG NEWS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 1894.
rock at each valley side. You must be
dreaming, sir. Bah .”
M.v friend merely opened his eyes as if
in polite inquiry for definite rebuttal of
his observation and calmly proceeded.
"I am also satisfied, from most pains
taking investigations—and this has been
a source of perturbed anxiety to me in
Norway!—that the so-called true glacier’
is, as a body, quiescent: that it does not
itself move: that only detached portions
of the parent accumulation ”
Here Prof. Detrius Moraine wrung his
lips with his napkin as if in a very agony
of impatience, tossed it from him with
snapping fingers, and brought his list
down upon the table with so resounding
a vvnack that the dishes danced jigs and
galops of the liveliest description.
"That only detached portions of the
parent accumulation ”
"The detached portion of the parent
accumulation represented in any person
who will give utterance to such idiocies,
sir. is either a scelestic ruffian or an
illimitable ass, sir! There’s my card, sir.
I shall be here until morning, sir. Oh,
Lora! what stupefaction of iguorance!
Bah!”
With this the doughty professor
stormed out of the room, slamming the
door viciously behind him : and my inge
nious friend, after deciphering the cara
and handing it to me for inspection with,
"Twenty kroners. please!” broke into as
hearty laughing as ever rang through the
droning passages of a stuffy Norwegian
inn, in which I hilariously joined, well re
paid in the result of the petty investment.
We fully resolved to present our hum
blest apologies in the morning and en
deavor to secure the professor’s toler
ance if not his friendship and esteem: but
we were informed by the lnkeeper that
the brave knight of science had paced his
room until after midnight "awaiting
some message from the two dolts he had
met at simper,” and, disappointed in this,
had snatched a few hours of rest, and de
parted long before we had arisen for the
dreary Midtfjeld with happy-hearted
Lars.
In relating this, the weather-wise land
lord shrugged his shoulders aud shook his
head forebodingly. Then, glancing at the
frozen wastes of the Midtfjeld, he said
gloomily:
’ ’Lars will come back. His sister. Han
sine, will return. All the saeter-girls and
the herds will descend in good time to the
valleys. But the mountain storms are
making eagerly; and if we see that for
haerdet (obdurate) man again. I fear the
folk of Romsdal will have to dig him out
from under the Midtfjeld snows!”
It was this remark which determined
our remaining in and about Ormeim until
we had set eyes on the fair Ilansine and
could surely know that Prof. Detrius
Moraine had turned his back upon the
dangerous fjelds of Norway.
It is no easy task to climb to these Nor
wegian saeters. Some are .from twenty to
sixty miles from the valley hamlets and
farms. That of Klippe-hul. or Crag-hol
low, which Larsand the Professor sought,
was perhaps no more than twelve miles
distant from the Romsdal highway, but
certainly more than twice that distance
by the circuitous and tortuous way.
The path was plain enough to Lars, as
to all those Norwegian Alpine climbers,
and to the wise ponies utilized to carry
supplies to the saeters and bring back
again their pack-loads of butter and
cheese: but a stranger to these mighty
ravines and crags would have been irre
trievably lost after a half day’s wan
dering.
They encountered many of the pictur
esque processions of cattle, sheep, goats,
ponies laden with huge packs with pots
and kettles swaying melodiously beside
them, grave mountaineers carrying enor
mous burdens while smoking their com
forting pipes and lissome saeter girls in
their bright bodices, white caps and short
skirts, each bearing upon her shoulders a
yoke, from which depended baskets,
clothing and all manner of saeter para
phernalia, and each cavalcade preceded
by the farmer owner, blowing unearthly
blasts from his lur, or birch bark trum
pet; and these reminders of tho derser
tion of the mountains of their summer
occupants urged Lars and the professor
forward at renewed speed.
As it was, they were obliged to pass a
night beside a lonely tarn, shut iu by
black forbidding walls,, with snow-clad
peaks for the only outlook beyond.
Here Lars’ genius for surmounting dif
ficulties was aptly illustrated. During
the last two hours' ascent, Lars had
gathered here and there every dead
branch of wood that came in sight, as
well as bunches of juniper branches.
With his tolkniy or belt knife which every
Norwegian peasant carries, and some bits
of strong cord possessed by every Nor
wegian post-boy for mending broken har
ness, he had arranged these in compact
bunches, bestowing them on his head,
shoulders and body, until he was com
pletely hidden from sight.
With the dry wood he built a cheerful
fire. The juniper branches provided then
bed, which was laid in a snug angle of a
projecting rock. A traveling rug and a
stout carriole blanket formed their cover
ing, and there beneath the glittering stars
they slept as only mountain climDersmay.
The next morning their ascent was re
sumed through hollows, over ridges
where ice and snow lay concealed beneath
thin layers of black sediment ana slime,
around souudless tarns still and dark as
the walls enclosing them, past copses of
stunted fir, through nature tunnels as
dark as Eblis’ depths, until, late in the
afternoon they came to the lonelv saeter
of Klippe-hul, truly a lonely hollow be
tween the crags.
From a distance nothing could be dis
tinguished but a low, wide hut at the
side of a pockety ravine, through which a
narrow torrent poured ; the whole shut
in from Romsdal way by black and tooth
like crags, and on the other, by broken
rocks, here and there splatched by
already browning bits of verdure, above
which lay the eternal snow upon its
measureless pedestal of glittering ice."
At tirst no human being was in sight
about the saeter: but shortiy a flaxen
haired maiden of splendid figure stood be
side the but door. Shading her eyes
with her rouua bare arm. she gazed long
and earnestly at the advancing couple.
Lars gurgled mightily at this, made won
derful gestures and cried out ecstatic
ally :
“Hansine! Ilansine!”
Suddenly the girl rushed at them in a
sort of bounding gallop, and, seizing the
post boy guide, hugged him wildly,
wrestled with him, turned him round and
about and again hugging him, while tears
of jov flowed down her winsome face,
poured torrents of endearing questions'
and ejaculations upon him; while the pro
fessor, not without a trace of wonder and
admiration in his keen little eyes, stood
impatiently by.
„ Then came the wondrous hospitality of
these mountain eeries. The cows might
come or stay in their mountain fast
nessess, until the new comers were given
their bowls of milk and drink and drink
again they must; water for washing;
some curious old half-wooden shoes
to replace their heavy boots; and
such an aftensmad or supper as was
never before piled before }>of. Detrius
Moraine: groed or stirabout euough for
the saeter’s pigs; cream by the quart
butter by the stone weight; milk by the
gallon; coffee and black bread and bacon
in alarming measure; while they wore
ceaselessly plied with importunate com
mands to eat and never stop eating and
beset witn mournful reproofs, after the
kindly Norwegian fashion, because they
could not eat it all.
But Prof. Moraine had not come to tho
Midtfjeld for either dalliance or food.
The gentle modulation of welcoming
tones, the amplitude of hospitality, even
tlie tenderness of affoetiou lietween Lars
and Hansine, could not for a moment lisld
back his impatient footsteps.
Out upon the mountain valley he
coursed like some happv animal "freed
from winter restraint. Here aud there
he sped from valley side to side, then
back up the tortuous stream, thence
along the frozen face of the field, now and
then rubbing his hands gleefully or toss
ing his large head rollickingly, until he
finally disappeared up the frozen banks
into the pathless space beyond.
The cows had come home, were milked,
and were huddling sleepily beneath the
shed behind the cabin before Lars and
Hasine, in their loving concourse, had
noticed the professor’s absence.
Then they sped to the point where they
had last seen him boundingover the banks
of snow. At last they found him just at
the edge of what Seemed a great ice-wave
held back by a few projecting, black and.
pinnacled rocks. Here he was seen pac
ing back and forth as if calculating meas
urements.
Soon they saw him begin hacking the
iee with a piece of jagged rock He ,
worked furiously in the long and linger
ing twilight like some Artie gnome or
frost-sprite delving for burled treasure.
When they’ came softly to his side he
scarcely noticed them Finally he placed
the splintered rock like a rude stone
monument above the center of tho little
orifice he had effected and laughed glee
fully,
"Ha, ha, ha!”
The strangeness of the sight caused
Lars and Hansine to respond with,
"Ha. ha, ha.”
The professor looked up with a changed
countenance and a pitying glance.
"Ah, poor ignorant children "’ he sighed
commiseratingly. “You can never under
stand the pleasure I experience in at last
beginning my great e.xqieriinent to prove
to the scientific world, beyond cavil, the
correctness of my theory of the viscosity
of glacier ice!”
Lars and Hansine in turn now looked
upon Prof. Detrius Moraine with pitying
commiseration, and gently led him to his
couch, with Lars beside that of beautiful
Ilansine, just as the sturdy herbergerer
of the little inn at Ormeim said it would
surely be.
Lars should have set out on his return
to Ormeim the next morning, but the pro
fessor's impetuous earnestness kept him.
Scarcely without their knowing how,
certainly without their knowing why, the
brother and sister found themselves with
their strange comjianion working valor
ously upon a tunnel into the heart of the
ice mountain.
The professor labored heroically with
them. In the one day the three had dug
a horizontal excavation, something like a
miner's diminutive drift, wide and high
enough for scant passage and nearly forty
feet in length, the entrance to which the
professor carefully covered with skins
and blankets.
Lars’ departure the next morning and
Hansine s frequent references to the near
abandonment of the saeter, only nerved
the professor to greater exertions; and
his boundless enthusiasm seemed like
wine to Hansine. Unquestioning she
worked beside him for two days more,
caroling her strange mountain airs,
while they toiled or rested together.
Her splendid energy, her winsome face,
her grandly developed figure, her unerr
ing stroke as she swung the stout ice-ax,
with numbers of which every saeter is
provided, and her gladsome eagerness in
her blind obedience to the professor's
slightest command, must have wrought
upon the scientist strangely. For,
when at last they had fash
ioned a little chamber fully eight feet
square and as high as their "axes could
reach, had removed all the chipping and
debris, and had brought in a little bench
from the saeter upon which hejcould sit,
wrapped in skins and blankets, to make
his curious observations, the strange old
woman-hater that he was drew the glow
ing girl beside him, and, caressing her
abstractedly as he would have petted a
faithiul horse or dog, said with radiant
elation:
“Ah. Hansine, Hansine! I shall achieve
victory here through your grand and no
ble aid. If you could always be with
me, what could I not accomplish?”
And yet Prof. Detrius Moraine meant
nothing by this; nothing more than he
would have meant to faithful horse or
dog; and it was nothing more than audi
ble thought of gladness for grateful force
ful aid which had overcome resisting
other force that lay in the way of his ob
servations and experiment.
But this one saying had instantly stilled
songs of pretty Hansine.-
Thenceforth she went mutely about her
tasks at the hut. She watched her com
panion for meaning in slightest gesture or
look. She quietly warned him that he
must make haste in his strange task, and
went on silently and soddenly preparing
for the coming of the farmer, his helpers
and the ponies for the flasks, the kegs, the
bundles and the herds. She even moved
her couch from the common room to the
dairy, and slept beside the piles of cheese
and the cavernous cauldrons there.
All unnotic'ing, the professor grew in
cheet iness as Hansine became despondent.
He prattled and glowed and worked un
ceasingly. Night after night, on his re
turn to the saeter, he sat and wrote and
figured and calculated and muttered be
side his sputtering candle; and then read
pages of his scientific thunderings upon
"the viscosity of glacial ice” to Hansine,
who listened wordless and motionless in
the far shadows of the room, and, when
he was done, whispered a tremulous
"God nat!” (Good night) and then in
silence stole away.
One graying morning Hansine came
stoutly in front of the professor and urged
him to remain at the saeter.
"They will be hre at once, I am sure;”
she pleadingly said. “All is in readiness
to go. If we stay behind but one day, we
may never reach Ormeim!”
But he put her aside as he would have
done a foolish child, and petulantly went
las way to the ice cavern and his tasks.
Bbe stood at the hut door until she had
seen him disappear behind the frowning
rocks. Then she wrung her hands pite
ously and looked siiudderingly at the
close, dark sky. She had scarcely re
entered the cabin door, when the farmer
with his jmck-pouies and helpers had
come.
"You are ill, Hansine,” they said. “We
will do the work. Qet the student fool
and follow quickly; for the first wild
storms are even now upon us.”
She ran fleetly to the f.eld and burst
into the ice cavern, calling loudly;
"Come! Come! They are here. Do
you not know that dreadful storms are
coming! Gan you not believe Hansine?”
But Prof. Detrius Moraine was surely
science-mad iu his glittering cell.
"Tell them.” he distractedly returned
as ho came to the entrance, "to remain
for but two days; for but one. I will
pay them well; whatever they may wish.
They must wait, Hansine! For all Nor
way l cannot sooner leave this place.”
“See, seo the sky!” she pleaded. "Look,
look!” Here she raised her upturned
palm and clutched at Hakes line and hard
as needle-points wdiich her weather-wise
eyes alone could see. “Can you not hear
the moaning of the winds creeping
sterltluly like wild beasts into the
gorges?”
"One more day, Hansine!—one more
day. I must, I will, have it! Tell the
good people so!” he said almust fiercely,
tearing himself from her, but not with
out a struggle, and hastening back to his
ice chamber and his work.
“Dear God! Is so groat a mind gone
mad!” she cried, reeling back despair
ingly from the cavern entrance.
What | ertui bed moments this innocent
girl had known within the dread silences
of her soul iu the week that had gone:
what immeasurable agonies now swept
into her frenzied heart; what high ts of
dauntless heroism her nature in an in
stant reached, might never lie fully re
vealed. This much hud outward expres
sion.
She looked again at the sky as at a
deadly foe. She peered over the rocks to '
her deiiartiug friends, and heard the ;
tingling bells of the ponies and the herds |
already fading to musical whispers fat
down the craggy bights. She turned aud I
stealthily placed a little package of food
she had brought within the cavern en
trance. She swung back the skins and
blankets before it with the trembling
touch of one replacing a pall upon their
best loved dead. Then, with a parting
glance of unutterable tenderness, she
left the spot, reeled down the roclts and
across the valley to the open cabin door
as one struck with mortal hurt: and then
fell unconscious upon the earthen floor of
the deserted Cragbollow saeter hut.
When our rescuing party, which num
bered half tbe folk of the Romsdal. the
sturdy innkeeper of OruH-im. ali-but
frantic Lars, my ingenious companion
and myself, had reached the saeter of
Klippe-hul, rhtf flinty snow lay almost
even across the valley from crag to crag.
But a single black snot was anywhere
visible upon the blinding reach of white.
A mad race was instantly made for this.
It proved to be the wide chimney-top of
the sought-for saeter hut. To the Nor
wegians' practiced eyes it showed where
the heroic girl had made her exit from
her imprisonment for a rescue of her own.
It was easy to follow the tracks of her
sooty snow-shoes across the level snow.
A mile or so higher up the field, Lars es
pied the black, pinnacled crag-point be
side vvliat we all felt sure must be the ice
tomb of Prof. Detrius Moraine.
We pressed forward and a ringing cheer
speedily- went up from the fleetest in ad
vance. Pell-mell weeame headlong into
a deep excavation: and here stood the
brave Hansine, toiling fiercely at her
mighty task; excitedly beating back
those w ho would relieve her with cries of:
"l have heard his answering knoekings!
It shall be Hausine who brings him forth
to life!”
And so it was. With a final crash the
snow wall fell, carrying down the cur
taining blankets and the skins—as Han
sine sprang wildly into the professor’s
outstretched arms!
"Bless me! Bless me!” exclaimed the
professor, beaming radiantly upon us all.
••Precisely’ in the nick of time! I had
just finished m.v work; and the prospect
of further confinement was really be
coming somewhat irksome. If some of
you good people—will-ah—support this
dear young person for a moment, until I
can gather up my trifling odds and ends,
we will go back to Ormeim together; and
if—if there are no insuperable objec
tions—” here he looked around upon the
astonished rescuers with bland and gen
tle inquiry— “I —I think I can engage to
support her happily during the remainder
of her natural life!”
SWORDFISH ARE FIGHTERS.
It Is a Groat Battle When Two of
Them Come Together.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
A short time ago the attention of the
passengers on a steamer off the Southern
California coast was attracted by what
was evidently a fight between two sea
monsters. What appeared to be a moun
tain of foam first caught their attention;
then an enormous tail was seen tossed
into tiie air. Then the monster breached
and rolled over and over, beating the
water into foam with resounding blows
that could be heard a mile or more with
the wind. Nothing but the great black
mass could be seen, and for twenty minu
tes the strange sight continued, to the
wonderment of the voyagers.
If the steamer could have approached
they would have witnessed a most un
equal struggle between a large whale and
a foe of insignificant size. Beneath the
water several swordfish, or possibly one,
were literally prodding the large animal
to its death, running their sharp swords
into its unwieldy form until the creature
was in a perfect fury, and could only fling
its huge tail about in impotent rage. Such
incidents are by no means rare at sea, and
the presence of the swordfish as the cause
of the trouble is often disputed, but in
nine cases out of ten it is the offender.
Enraged for some reason at the presence
of the whale, it dashes repeatedly at it,
sending'its sharp sword into it, and in
some instances producing its death. The
unrelenting and ferocious nature of the
swordfish is not generally known, but the
latter may be set down as among the most
dreaded of all fishes, considering the
damage it does and the havoc it plays
among other fishes It may be said that
the fish is utterly without fear and will,
like a Cape buffalo or a rhinoceros, charge
an.vthing that offends the eye, in this way
often doing an amount of execution hardly
to be believed did not the evidence exist.
The combats with its own kind aro
most interesting, and may be compared to
two expert swordsmeD who have rushed
to the contest, not with foils but with
rapiers, and fence for blood. Such a con
test was observed in California waters
not long ago. Some fishermen noticed two
big fish leaping out of the water
and dashing along at the surface-
Soon they saw that they were
swordfish. The season was when the
fish are supposed to be pairing, and the
males are unusually ferocious. They had
made several rushes, and when observed
were at close quarters, striking each
other powerful side blows like cavalry
men. This was unsatisfactory, and fin
ally they separated and darted at each
other like arrows, the water hissing
as their sharp dorsal fins cut
through it. They evidently struck
head on, one missing, while the
sword of the other struck just below the
eye and plowed a deep furrow in the fish,
partly disabling it, so that it turned and
attempted to escape. But its adversary,
now thoroughly aroused, also turned, and
with ajush drove its sword completely
through its bony, and, despite its strug
gles, held it fast, only wrenching its
weapon loose when its enemy stopped
swimming. This one lunge had finished
the battle, “and the victor left the field.
The vanquished, floating on the surface,
was picked up by the fishermen. The
writer later observed the wounds, which
gave ample evidence of theferocity of the
attack. The force with which a sword
fish strikes has been variously estimated,
but that it is equal to that which drives
a 2-4-pound shot from a howitzer can be
believed from viewing the results.
Iu the waters of California at least
three kinds of sword fishes can be seen
Xiphius gladius. Tetrapturusalbidus, and
Histophorus gladius. Tne two former
have been observed by the writer. The
fish engaged in the battle described were
of the kind first named. It is the ordi
nary sword fish found on both sides of the
Atlantic, in appearance trim and ship
shape—a veritable pi ivatoer. It is a ui
ratical cousin of the mackerel. The
striking feature is the sword, which is a
continuation of the upper jaw into a sharp
bone sword The jaws are toothless, the
lower one being hard or horney. The
eyes aro large and prominent, the tail
sickle-shaped and powerful and the whole
appearance of the fish denotes speed and
activity. It attains a length of from five
to nmo feet, and, when working at full
speeJ, can pierce any ship of wooden hull
sheathed with copper. Many retnarkablo
instances of this are known, and there is
hardly a week in the year but something
of tho kind is recorded bv shipping
agents.
One of the most remarkablo cases on
record is that of the ship Dreadnaught.
One day, at sea, the crew felt a sudden
shock, and soon after that the ship sprang
a leak and was obliged to put into port.
It was found, when she dry-docked, that
a large swordfish had struck her.
4 )ue of the finest specimens of the Tet
rapturus albidus ever seen in California
waters was found recently by the writer
m a little bay on ono of the islands off
shore. It was a magnificent specimen
about six feet in length, the body mas
sive and powerful, and remarkable for its
shape. It did not taper to the tail, as
many of its tribe do. but continued large
all the way tb the tail, which was a pow
erful organ. It had a long dorsal fin al
most tin entire length of the back, and
its sword was short. Evidently it had
been partly broken in a fierce
combat with another of its
kind. The heaa was large,
as were also the eves. I examined the fish
for the cause of his death, and found that
it. too, had doubtless succumbed to a
fierce thrust from an enemy, possibly a
Xiphius. or long sword fish, as it had a
single cut two and one-half inches wide
that penetrated the entire body like a
knife. The defeated swordman had ap
parently been carrying on an unequal
tight. Armed with a short sword or
dagger, it had been struck by a cavalry
man of the sea, whose keen rapier had
killed it, the fish being blown into shora
to the amazement of the fishermen of the
island, who had never seen a fish of the
kind on the California coast before.
"When it came drifting in,” said an old
sea dog. "I thought it was a porpoise, it
was so big; but when it got in shore I see
it was something like a swordfish, though
I never saw the likes of it before. Its
sword was short, but it had a body like a
batterin' ram, and if it struck anything
it would have to give in sure.”
A singular thing in connection with the
swordfish is. that little or nothing is
known regarding its breeding habits, and
a young swordfish, so far as known, has
never been seen on the California coast.
The young are curious creatures, with
enormous eyes, and the bills, upper and
lower, of equal length.
AN OLD WHALING FORT.
New Bedford’s Occupation Gone, but
the Town Is Very Rich.
From the Chicago Record.
Down at New Bedford the other day I
was much interested in a lot of old
whalers like that we had at the exposi
tion, which are there tied up to the docks
to decay. The whaling industry was the
source of great riches to that city until
about 1865 or 1866, when the discovery of
petroleum destroyed the demand for fish
oil, and the long rows of fine old colonial
mansions down the shaded streets still fur
nish evidence of many profitable voyages.
The whaling money that was laid away
still furnishes large incomes to the heirs
of hardy old sea dogs, and the descend
ants of those who provided their outfits,
and shared the results of their perilous
cruises in the arctic seas.
New Bedford is said to be the wealthiest
city of its size in the United States, and
most of its capital, which is estimated at
£100,000,000, came from blubber and the
bones of whales. The business began as
early as 1755, and reached its height in
1860, when there were nearly 600 vessels
going out from that port with more than
10,000 sailors, and representing an invest
ment of more than £12,000,000. The catch
that year was worth nearly £7,000,000, for
then oil sold for £2.75 a gallon and whale
bone for £6 a pound. But now the whales
in the Northern Atlantic are almost ex
terminated, and the only places where it
is worth while to hunt " them are down
around the Antarctic circle and among
the seal islands of the north Pacific.
Many old whalers have been turned into
sealers, and now sail from San Francisco
and Portland instead of New Bedford.
Now there are only thirty-five ships from
this port engaged in the trade, and less
than 900 men. With the competition of
patroleum, oil is worth only cents a
gallon, and whalebone has been largely
replaced, as most of you know, by metal
lic appliances that make the form divine
diviner still.
The most valuable catch ever made by
a whaleship was that of the Onward,
Capt. Allen, which arrived in New Bed
ford after a forty-one months’ cruise with
a cargo worth over $275,000, of which the
captain's share was $38,000. The total
value of the whole product of the whale
brought into New Beflford during the
fifty-two years for which a record has
been kept is more than £145,000,000.
The average ship, carrying a crew of
thirty hands, used to cost about £35,000.
The ships were owned by companies
which supplied provisions and clothing
and all the necessities of the voyage, and
advanced certain sums of money for the
captain and his crew to leave for the sup
port of their families while they were
away. No wages were paid to either the
officers or the sailors, but each had his
share in the proceeds of the voyage, and
the balance was divided among the stock
holders when they returned. The cap
tains and mates were hardy New Eng
landers. but the crews were mostly Port
uguese from the Canary, Mcdeira and
Azore Islands.
FANS IN THE FIRE ROOM.
The Stoke Hole of a Steamer Is No
Longer an Inferno.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The electric plant on the lake steamer
Northwest is the most extensive plant
afloat. The vessel has electric elevators
between the freezing rooms in the fore
hole and the kitchens and cafe. She has
electric signals everywhere. When the
lookout, pacing the foredeck, sights a
ship, or wants to call the attention of the
wheelhouse to any matter, he does not
call out, but steps to the rail and touches
a button; immediately an answering ring
assures himthat his signal has been "heard
and heeded.
NO BOISTEROUS ORDERS FROM THE BRIDGE.
As the vessel approaches her dock there
is a noticeable absence of the usual
shouted orders from deck and bridge. It
is all done by the electric bell, which was
never known to swear or to be tempted to
use language that would not be permissible
in a parlor, something the man in charge
of the deck has the reputation of doing
occasionally. When the captain on the
bridge wants to give an order to the
wheelhouse, or the engine room, or the
stokehole, or an.vthing else, he merely
turns to the second officer beside him,
gives the order, and the lat
ter presses a button. There are no less
than six methods of signaling from the
bridge to the different parts of tile ship,
and of these all but one are electric. The
vessel’s red and green side lights, than
which nothing on the entire ship is more
important, are not the universal oil
lamps, but are high power inc andescent
globes, and with them is a little instru
ment that audibly records in the wheel
house any accident that belalls the
lights.
REGISTER ON TIIE FOG SIGNAL.
When the ship's big whistle is to be
blown, instead of tugging at a whistle
cord, the, officer touches a button, and if
it is desired that the whistle blow con
secutive blasts at intervals for any de
sired length of time, a switch is turned
Not only is the whistle sounded, but on a
contiuuous strip of paper is printed the
time and duration of every blast, a record
almost invaluable in cases of collision in
fogs, where conflict of evidence as to the
proper signals is almost sure to arise
There are electrically driven fans in
various partsof the ship, closets, kitchens
and inner passages everywhere, hut
these are particularly noticeable in and
about the tiro rooms. Every one knows
what an inferno the ordinary stokehole of
a large steamship is from the descriptions
that have often been given. In this part
of the northwest it is so cool that, with
the fan aperture half closed it is actually
uncomfortable to stand near the hungers.
So lar froto being naked demons in a little
hell, the firemen actually wear clothes.
This is an innovation that ocean ship
builders could very acceptably follow.
The ship carries a search light "that wili
pick up a pilot boat letter 12,tKK) feet dis
tant. There are many other novel feat
ures in the electric installation of this
most modern of all the modern vessels
but those indicated are the most interest!
ing and new.
Lucy—Miss Aylott is not at all" pleased
with that notice of her in Sunday’s paper.
Jack—Why, they spoke of her as a
“handsome brunette,” Lucy—But they
published her picture.—Harlem Life I
MEDICAL
"r rn 5.7 -s ■
“Mothers’'"cml,
Friend” |' A R s T v n
Colvin, La., Dec. 2.1886.—Mv
wife used “MOTHERS’ FRIEND”'
before her third confinement and !
; says she would not be without it
1 for hundreds of dollars.—Dock
Mills.
Sent by express, charges nrpnsM .
receipt pf price, {1 so per bottu? Rook
To xlinliers" mailed free, contalnln.va*
uadle Information. Sold trail Dru K c:,u
Braiifield regulator Cos.. Atlanta Ga
CONSUMPTION
SURELY CURED.
To the Editor—Please inform your read,
ers that I have a positive remedy fo- th
above named disease. By its timely use
thousands of hqpeless cases have been pc
manently cured. I shall be glad to send
two bottles of my remedy free to any of vout
readers who have consumption if they will
send me their express and post office address.
T. A. Slocum. 11. C., 183 Pearl St, New York.
____ SPECIALIST.
WHEN OTHERS FAIL
CONSULT
Dr. Broadfoot,
If sick and despondent, the best medical
help is none too good. Why not consult a
specialist of established reputation and un
Questioned reliability, such as Dr. Broadfoot*
Whatever opinion is given by hlmyoucaa
rely upon it as being true He ts a true genu
ine specialist In ail diseases peculiar to inea
and women.
eases and all
VzSf Its attending
middle aged
... . symptoms
unfitting one for study or business Blood
and Skin Diseases, Sores, Tumor, Pimples,
Tetter, Eczema.Dicers,Loss of Hair, Scrofula
and Blood poison of every nature, primary
and secondary, promptly and permanently
eradicated. Unnatural discharges promptlj
cured in a few days. Quick, sure and sate.
Mail treatment given by sending for symp
tom blanks. No 1 for men, No. 2 for women,
No. S for skin diseases. All correspondent!
answered promptly. Business strictly cob
lldential. Entire treatment sent free froi*
observation to all parts of tbe country. Ait
dress or call on
J. BROADFOOT, M. D.,
\ IM Broughton street (up stairs),
Savannah. O*,
CiifoilSafiSHilil
SCHEDULE FOR
isle oi Hope, Montgomery anti mi Mild
SUNDAY TIME.
CARS RUN AS FOLLOWS;
Leave Bolton street 0:07 a. m.; leave Isle ot
Hope 8:17 a. m.; leave Second avenue for Isle
of hope. 10:15,11:15a. m.. 12:15,1:15.2:15.3:15,
4:15, 5 15, 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p. m.; the 9 0;
from Bolton street, and 11:15. 2:15. 4:15 7:13
from Second avenue, connect with the steam
cars at Sandfly.
Leave isle of Hope 11:15 a. m., 12 15 1 15,
2:15. 3:15. 4:15. 5:15.6:15, 7:15, 8:15 and 9 p. m.
Cars from Thunderbolt to Isle of Hope every
hour after 2:00 p. m. until 6 p. m.
Leave Montgomery 8:15, 11 a. m., 2 and 6 p.
m.. connect with Electric cars at Sandfly
Leave Isle of Hope for Thunderbolt at2:3C
and hourly afterwards until 6:30 p. m.
CITY AND SUBURBAN R'Y CO.
hardware!
HARDWARE,
Bar, Band and Hoop Iron,
WAGON MATERIAL,
Navaf Stores Supplies.
FOE SALE BY
EDWARD LOVELL'S SONS
155 Broughton and 138*140 State Sts.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
Jan. 2, 12 percent. Feb. 1, 11 percent.
*• IS. lO per cent. •• 15, 15 per cent.
March 1, 9 percent.
“ 15, 8 per cent.
TOTAL, 65 per cent.
We have paid to our customers in 60 days.
Profits paid twice each month: money can
be withdrawn any time; S2O to 11,000 can ba
invested: write for iniormation.
fISHEK dr CO., Hankers and Brokers.
1 6 and 20 Broadway, New York
INSURANCE.
CHARLES F.PRENDERCAST
(Successor to R. H. Footman & Cos.)
Fire, Murine m Storm Inm
lbo BAY STREET,
[Next West of the Cotton Exchange ]
Telephone call No. 34. SAVANNAH. GA.
APPLES.
Onions. Lemons, Potatoes. Peauuts,
GEORGIA SEED RYE.
Texas Red Rust-Proof Oats,
HAV, GRAIN AND PEED.
Magic Food,
Chicken Feed,
Cow Feed.
W. D. SIffIKINS.
lines.
The Steamer TSlpha,
E. F. DANIELS, Master,
On and after JULY 3t will change her
Schedule as follows:
Leave Sayannah. Tuesday 9am
Leave Beaufort, Wednesday Sam
Leave Savannah, Thursday 11 a m
Leave Beaufort, Friday Bam
.special trip to Biullton every Saturday,
leaving Savannah at 3 p. m . and returning
leave HlulTton 5:30 a. m. Monday The
si earner will stop at Bluffton on Tuesdays
ami Fridays.
For lurther information apply to
C. It. MEDLOCK, Agent.
l. ts. McCarthy,
40 DRAYTON STREET,
Plumtter, sieom ifl Gas Filler.
Steam and Gas Fittings, chandeliers.
Globes, all kinds of plumbing supplies,