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diff --git a/40693-0.txt b/40693-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..efee440 --- /dev/null +++ b/40693-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3786 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40693 *** + +Arctic Adventures, by WHG Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +________________________________________________________________________ +ARCTIC ADVENTURES, BY WHG KINGSTON. + +CHAPTER ONE. + +I had often dreamed of icebergs and Polar bears, whales and rorquals, of +walruses and seals, of Esquimaux, and Laplanders and kayaks, of the +Aurora Borealis and the midnight sun, and numerous other wonders of the +arctic regions, and here was I on board the stout ship the _Hardy +Norseman_, of and from Dundee, Captain Hudson, Master, actually on my +way to behold them, to engage in the adventures, and perchance to endure +the perils and hardships which voyagers in those northern seas must be +prepared to encounter. + +Born in the Highlands, and brought up by my uncle, the laird of +Glenlochy, a keen sportsman, I had been accustomed to roam over my +native hills, rifle in hand, often without shoes, the use of which I +looked upon as effeminate. I feared neither the biting cold, nor the +perils I expected to meet with. I had a motive also for undertaking the +trip. My brother Andrew had become surgeon of the _Hardy Norseman_ and +we were both anxious to obtain tidings of our second brother David, who +had gone in the same capacity on board the _Barentz_, which had sailed +the previous year on a whaling and sealing voyage to Spitzbergen and +Nova Zembla, and had not since been heard of. I was younger than +either, and had not yet chosen my future profession; though, having +always had a fancy for the sea, I was glad of an opportunity of judging +how near the reality approached my imaginings, besides the chief motive +which had induced me to apply to our old friend Captain Hudson for leave +to accompany Andrew. + +I had undertaken to make myself generally useful, to act as purser and +captain's clerk, to assist in taking care of the ship when the boats +were away, and to help my brother when necessary, so that I was +generally known as the "doctor's mate." + +The _Hardy Norseman's_ crew consisted of Scotchmen, Shetlanders, Orkney +men, Norwegians, and Danes. The most notable among them was Sandy +Steggall, the boatswain, a bold harpooner, who possessed a tongue--the +second mate used to say--as long as a whale spear, which he kept wagging +day and night, and I got no little insight into the particulars of our +future life by listening to his yarns. + +We had not been long at sea, when one night, it having fallen calm, I +went forward, where I found the watch on deck assembled, Sandy and two +or three others holding forth in succession, though the boatswain, by +virtue of his rank, claimed the right of speaking the oftenest. +Wonderful were Sandy's yarns. He told how once he had been surprised by +a bear, when, as he was on the point of being carried off, he stuck his +long knife into bruin's heart, and the creature fell dead at his feet. +On another occasion, when landing on the coast of Spitzbergen, he and +his companions found a hut with three dead men within, and others lying +in shallow graves, the former having buried the latter, and then died +themselves, without a human soul near to close their eyes. Again, he +had come upon the grave of an old shipmate who had been dead twenty +years, whose features, frozen into marble, looked as fresh as when first +placed there, the only change being that his hair and beard had grown +more than half a fathom in length. + +Yarn after yarn of shipwreck and disaster was spun, until I began to +wish that David had not gone to sea, and that we could have avoided the +necessity of going to look for him. + +With the bright sun-light of the next morning I had forgotten the more +sombre hues of his narratives, and looked forward with as much eagerness +as at first to the adventures we might meet with. + +That afternoon I had occasion to go into the hold, accompanied by the +boatswain and another man carrying a lantern, to search for some stores +which ought to have been stowed aft, when, as I was looking about, I +fancied I heard a moan. I called the attention of the boatswain to it. +We listened. + +"Bring the light here, Jack!" he said to the seaman, and he made his way +in the direction whence the sound proceeded. Presently, as he stooped +down, I heard him exclaim-- + +"Where do you come from, my lad?" + +"From Dundee. I wanted to go to sea, so I got in here," answered the +person to whom he spoke, in a weak voice. + +"Come out then and show yourself," said Sandy. + +"But that's more than I can do!" was the answer. + +"I'll help you then," returned the boatswain, dragging out a lad about +my own age, apparently so weak and cramped as to be utterly unable to +help himself. + +"We must carry you to the doctor, for we don't want to let you die, +though you have no business to be here," observed Sandy, with a look of +commiseration. He afterwards remarked to me, "I did the same thing +myself, and I couldna say anything hard to the puir laddie." + +The boatswain at once carried the young stranger up on deck. The +captain had begun to rate him well for coming on board without leave, +but seeing that he was ill fit to bear it, he told me to summon the +doctor, who was below. + +I called Andrew, who returned with me to the deck. + +"What's your name?" asked the captain, while Andrew was feeling his +pulse. + +"Ewen Muckilligan," was the answer. + +As I heard the name, I looked more particularly than before at the young +stowaway's features, and recognised an old schoolfellow and chum of +mine. Both his parents being dead, he had been left under charge of +some relatives who cared very little for him. + +"He only requires some food to bring him round, but the sooner he has it +the better," observed Andrew. + +With the captain's permission, I got him placed in my berth, where, +after swallowing a basin of broth, he fell asleep. By frequent +repetition of the same remedy, he was able, after a couple of days, to +stand on his feet, when the captain administered a severe lecture, +telling him that he must send him back by the first vessel we might fall +in with. Ewen, however, begged so hard to remain, that the captain +promised to consider the matter. + +"I may as well make a virtue of necessity, for we are not at all likely +to fall in with any homeward-bound craft," he afterwards observed to +Andrew. + +Hearing this, I told Ewen that he might make his mind easy, that if he +had determined to be a sailor he had now an opportunity of learning his +profession, though he would gain his experience in a very rough school. + +As Ewen was in every sense a gentleman, he was allowed to mess with us; +for which permission I was very grateful to Captain Hudson, as most +captains would have sent him forward to take his chance with the men. +He soon proved that he intended to adhere to his resolution. On all +occasions he showed his willingness to do whatever he was set to, while +he was as active and daring as any one on board. + +We were forward one evening, talking to the men, after they had knocked +off work, the second mate having charge of the deck, the captain, first +mate, and Andrew being below, when it was suggested that we two should +try who could first reach the main truck. One was to start from the +fore-top, the other from the mizen cross-trees. We were to come down on +deck and then ascend the main-mast. We cast lots. It was decided that +Ewen should start from the fore-top, I from the latter position. The +second mate liked the fun, and did not interfere. We took up our +positions, waiting for the signal--the wave of a boat-flag from the +deck. The moment I saw it, without waiting to ascertain what Ewen was +about, I began to run down the mizen shrouds; he in the meantime +descended by the back stay and was already half up the main rigging on +the port side before I had my feet on the ratlines on the starboard +side. When once there I made good play, but he kept ahead of me and had +already reached the royal-mast, swarming up it, before I had got on the +cross-trees. As he gained the truck he shouted "Won! won!" + +I slid down, acknowledging myself defeated, and feeling not a little +exhausted by my exertions. Judging by my own sensations, I feared that +he might let go and be killed. I dared not, as I made my way down, look +up to see what he was doing. Scarcely had I put my foot on deck than he +stood by my side, having descended by the back stay. + +The crew applauded both of us, and Ewen was greatly raised in their +estimation when they found that he had never been before higher than the +maintop. + +Sandy Steggall, the boatswain, however, who soon afterwards came on +deck, scolded both of us for our folly, and rated the men well for +encouraging us. + +"What would ye have said if these twa laddies had broken their necks, or +fallen overboard and been drowned?" he exclaimed. + +We had, I should have said, four dogs on board, all powerful animals; +two were Newfoundland dogs, one was a genuine Mount Saint Bernard, and a +fourth was a mongrel, a shaggy monster, brought by our captain from +Norway. They were known respectively as Bruno, Rob, Alp and Nap. + +We had crossed the Arctic circle, sighted the coast of Norway; and, with +the crow's nest at the mast head, and the boats all ready, we were +approaching the latitude where we might expect at any hour to fall in +with ice. We had already seen several rorquals or finners; but those +mighty monsters of the deep, the largest species of the whale, it was +considered unadvisable to attack, as they afford comparatively little +oil and are apt to turn upon the boats and destroy them. + +"There she spouts! There she spouts!" shouted the captain from the +crow's nest, which he or one of the mates had occupied continually. + +In a few minutes the boats were in the water, and the watch below came +tumbling on deck, carrying their clothes with them. As I could pull a +good oar, I got a seat in one of the boats. We were in chase of the +true whale, which can easily be distinguished from the rorqual by the +mode of its spouting. Marking the spot where it sounded, we had hopes +of getting up to it the next time it should rise to the surface. + +We lay on our oars waiting anxiously for its appearance. Presently up +it came half a mile off. We gave way with a will. As we approached the +monster, our harpooner, Sandy, throwing in his oar, got his gun ready. +He fired, and in a moment we were fast. The sea around us was broken +into foam, and we were covered with spray as the creature dived, +dragging out the line which flew over the bollard at a rate which would +soon have set it on fire had not water been thrown upon it. Immediately +a staff, with the Jack at the end, was raised in our boat as a signal +that we were fast, and the other two boats came pulling up to our +assistance. Two lines were drawn out, and the boat was dragged along at +a rapid rate, sending the water flying over her bows. At length the +pace slackened and we were able to haul in our line until the whole of +one and part of the other was again coiled away in the tubs. By this +time the other boats had reached us. First one on one side, then on the +other, got close enough to fire two more harpoons into the body of the +monster, besides which several lances were darted into it. Again the +whale dived, leaving the surface covered with blood and oil, but it was +only for a short time. Now again rising, she lay almost motionless, +while we pulled up and plied her with our deadly lances, trying to find +out the most vital parts. Then there came a cry of "Back! back! all of +you!" + +We had barely time to escape from beneath her flukes, with which she +furiously lashed the water, until, her strength exhausted, she floated a +lifeless mass. + +A jack was stuck into her body and we made chase after a second whale +which had just before appeared, and after a pretty severe fight we +succeeded in killing it. We had now to tow our two prizes alongside the +ship, already a considerable distance off, the wind being too light to +enable her to beat up to us. As only one of the whales could be brought +alongside at a time, the last we killed was taken in tow by the other +boats, while we remained with the first which we had struck. + +"Come, lads," said Sandy, "we will take our fish in tow, and get as near +the ship as we can. The weather looks a bit threatening, and the sooner +we are alongside the better." + +We did as he advised, though we made but little progress. We had not +gone far when another whale was seen spouting in an opposite direction +to the ship. The temptation to try to kill it was too great to be +resisted, and, regardless of the threatening look of the weather, +casting off from our prize we made chase. The whale sounded just before +we got up to her, but we knew she would rise to the surface again before +long, and we lay on our oars waiting for her appearance. + +"There she spouts, there she spouts!" cried Sandy, and we saw, not a +quarter of a mile off, our chase. + +Again we gave way. As we got close to the monster Sandy stood up with +his gun ready. He fired, following up his shot with his hand harpoon. +The lines ran out at a rapid rate until the ends were reached and we had +no others to bend on. + +Instead of sounding, the whale swam along the surface, dragging the boat +after her right in the wind's eye, while the foam in thick masses flew +over us. The sea was getting up, and soon not only spray but the tops +of the waves came washing over the gunwale. Still our only chance of +winning the prize was to hold on, and we hoped, from the exertions the +whale was making, that its strength would soon be exhausted. I looked +astern. The ship was nowhere to be seen, nor could I distinguish the +flag of the other whale. Our position was critical, and we had to +depend entirely upon ourselves. At length the whale began to slacken +its speed, and we began to haul in the lines. Sandy got another gun +ready, and had half-a-dozen lances at hand to dart into the back of the +monster when we should get up to it. We were within half-a-dozen +fathoms when, suddenly raising its huge flukes, down it went again, +dragging out the lines. + +Suddenly the man whose business it was to attend to the coil of the hand +harpoon gave a loud cry. Before anyone could stop him he was overboard, +disappearing in an instant under the water. It was no use cutting the +line, and, unless by a miracle the whale should return to the surface, +his fate was sealed. Out ran the lines, but a few fathoms remained in +the tubs. + +"Get the axe ready, Tom," said Sandy to the man who had taken the other +poor fellow's place. In vain he attempted to take a turn round the +bollard, to check the monster's descent; each time that he did so the +bows dipped, and it seemed as if the boat must inevitably be drawn down, +but as he let the line out her bows rose. Still the hope of obtaining +the whale made him hold on. We might also recover the body of our +shipmate; that he should be alive we knew was impossible. The line ran +out, it was near the bitter end. I sprang to the after-part of the boat +to assist in counter-balancing the pressure forward. But this did not +avail, already the water was rushing over the bows. Two sharp blows +were given. The whale was loose. We might yet, however, recover the +lines, as the wounds the monster had received must ultimately prove +mortal. + +Again we took to our oars to keep the boat's head to the sea, while we +watched for the reappearance of the whale which we knew must soon rise +to the surface. We had been too eagerly engaged to pay attention to the +appearance of the weather. It had now, we found, become very much worse +than before. Even should we kill the whale we could not hope to tow it +to the ship. With bitter disappointment we had to acknowledge that our +shipmate's life had been uselessly lost and our own labour thrown away, +while we could only hope against hope that the weather would again +moderate and that we should fall in with the whale we had before killed. + +We had now to consider our own safety, and to try to get back to the +ship. We knew that she would have beat up to the boats which had the +whale in tow. We had the wind in our favour, but to run before the fast +rising seas would soon be perilous in the extreme. It must be done, +however, for we had come away without food or water, and hunger and +thirst made us doubly anxious to get on board. + +Already the sun had set. We had been a far longer time away than we had +supposed. Night came down upon us. The boat's compass feebly lighted +by the lantern would, however, enable us to steer a proper course. We +bent to our oars, but, unaccustomed to pull in so heavy a sea, I had +great difficulty in keeping mine moving. Every instant it seemed as if +we must be overwhelmed by the foaming billows which rolled up astern. + +Sandy had taken his place at the steering oar, and with cheering words +urged us to continue our exertions; but all hands by this time were +pretty well knocked up with what we had previously gone through. + +We tugged and tugged away; now a sea roared up on one side, now on the +other; now we plunged down into a deep gulf from which it seemed as if +we should never rise. I had supposed it impossible that a boat could +live in such tumultuous waters. Not a star could be discovered over +head, while around we could only dimly discern dark liquid masses capped +with hissing foam. How earnestly I longed for daylight and quiet, and +to be once more on the deck of our ship! I knew too how anxious my +brother would be. Though tumbled and tossed, the boat still continued +to float. Hour after hour passed by, they seemed to be days or weeks. +We had been pulling I fancied all night, and expected daylight every +moment to appear, when Sandy exclaimed-- + +"Hurrah boys, there's the ship's light. We shall get safe on board +now." + +Although we could see the ship's light, we could not be seen from her +deck, and she might be standing away from us. Sandy anxiously watched +the light, then altered our course more to the eastward, whereby the sea +being brought on our beam rendered our condition even more dangerous +than before. Sandy assured us, however, that we were getting nearer; +and at last, believing that we might be heard, we all shouted together +at the top of our voices, forgetting that the rattling of the blocks and +dash of the sea against the sides of the ship would have rendered our +cries inaudible. I had for long been pulling on mechanically, scarcely +knowing what I was about, when I heard Sandy again shout out, "Heave +lad, heave," and looking round I saw the bowman standing up with a rope +in his hand. It had been hove to him, but the end must have been slack. +We had now to regain the ship which was flying from us, but could that +be done, I asked myself. + +Again Sandy cheered us up by exclaiming, "She'll heave to, lads; never +doubt it, she'll heave to." + +Of that I feared there was but little chance, for her dark hull quickly +again disappeared, and I could no longer see even the least glimmer of +light. Sandy, however, declared that he could, and on we pulled as +before. I should have said that we passed another long hour before we +once more saw the hull of the ship, and her tall masts swaying to and +fro against the sky. It was no easy matter to get alongside, half full +of water as was our boat. Thanks to the skill of Sandy, we at length +succeeded in hooking on, and the boat was hoisted on board, by which +time I was more dead than alive. + +My brother and Ewen carried me below, and I was speedily restored by a +basin of hot broth. Ewen had begun to tell me what had happened to the +other boats and the whale, when, eager as I was to know, I dropped off +fast asleep. + +In the morning, when I awoke, I found a furious gale raging, and the +ship hove to. It was a mercy we had got on board when we did, for if +not we should in all probability have been lost. Andrew told me that +the whale had been towed up alongside, but that, before half the blubber +had been cut off, they had been compelled to cast it adrift. The +captain intended to wait where we were in the hopes of again getting +hold of it, and of picking up the other whale we had killed, and perhaps +also the one we had wounded. + +I had now to learn what a down-right gale at sea really is. I had +thought it would be good fun, but I found it very much the contrary. +The stout ship was tossed about like a shuttle-cock; the masts, yards, +bulkheads, and every timber in her, creaked and groaned; the leaden seas +capped with foam, now rose high above the bulwarks, now sank down +forming a yawning gulf, while the stout ship was tossed from one wave to +the other like a shuttle-cock. As my duty did not require me to be on +deck, I lay down, fearfully tired, intending to go to sleep; but, before +I dropped off, the captain came into his cabin to look at his chart. I +asked him to tell me our position. We had been drifting some hours to +the northward, and Bear Island, which lies between Spitzbergen and +Norway, was not far off. + +While he was sitting at the table with his compasses in his hand, I felt +a sudden shock, and, though for an instant the ship appeared to be +motionless, she trembled throughout every timber. Then came a sound +like the roar of thunder, followed by a fearful crashing and rending of +planks, while a sudden heave sent me and everything loose in the cabin +to leeward. + +The captain rushed on deck, and I sprang up after him. My first +impression was that the ship was going down, and that the waves were +already rolling over her. + +A tremendous sea had struck her on the beam and came pouring down on our +deck like a cataract sweeping all before it. Wreck and destruction met +my view. The quarter-deck was cleared of rails and bulwarks, +stanchions, binnacle, and the greater portion of the wheel, while one of +the quarter boats, having been torn away from the davits, the wreck hung +in two fragments battering against the side. + +A piercing shriek reached my ear. It rose from a poor fellow whom I +could see floating away to leeward on the binnacle, well knowing that no +human power could assist him. Another also who had been on deck was +missing, struck probably by fragments of bulwarks, and carried away. + +The captain took in at a glance the state of things, and then issuing +his orders in a firm tone, raised confidence in the men. A long tiller +was shipped to replace the shattered wheel. The wreck was cleared. +Spars were lashed to the stanchions to serve as bulwarks, and in a +wonderfully short time comparative order was restored. + +CHAPTER TWO. + +The gales of those northern regions during the summer though sharp are +generally short. As soon as the weather moderated we made sail, to try +and pick up the whales we had killed, or if unable to find them to +attack others. + +The carpenter and his crew meantime were busily employed in repairing +damages and building another boat in lieu of the one which had been +lost. A sharp look-out was kept from the crow's nest for the dead +whales, or for any fresh whales which might be seen spouting. + +"I am afraid it is like looking for a needle in a haystack," observed +Sandy to me. "Still there is nothing like trying; one or two may be +seen, to be sure, but as to falling in with many, it's more than I +expect we shall do, for they are mostly, do ye see, gone northward among +the ice." + +Just as Sandy had delivered himself of this opinion, the second mate +from the crow's nest shouted:-- + +"There she spouts! There she spouts!" and pointed to the north-east. + +The loud stamping of the men on deck soon summoned those who were below. +The first mate took charge of one boat, and the boatswain, with whom I +went, of the other. Away we pulled as fast as we could lay our backs to +the oars, hoping to get up to the whale before she sounded, but we were +disappointed; down she went, and we had to wait for her reappearance. +It was uncertain where she would next come up. We saw the mate's boat +paddling to the northward. + +"She'll not come up there," observed Sandy, steering to the west. + +We kept our oars slowly moving, ready to give way at an instant's +notice. The result proved that neither was right, for the whale +appeared between the two points. + +"There she spouts!" shouted Sandy, and away we pulled as if our lives +depended upon our exertions. Our boat was somewhat nearer the whale +than was the other, and Sandy was eager to have the honour of winning +the prize. The whale was evidently one of the largest size. It had +discovered our approach and seemed prepared for the encounter. +Notwithstanding this we pulled on, Sandy standing in the bows with his +gun ready to send his harpoon into the monster's side. He fired and, as +the line ran out, seizing his spear, he was in the act of thrusting it +not far from where he had planted his harpoon, when he shouted:-- + +"Back of all! Back of all!" + +It was indeed time, for Sandy had observed by the movements of the whale +that it was about to throw itself out of the water. Before we had +pulled a couple of strokes it rose completely above the surface, and, +rapidly turning, down came its enormous flukes on the very centre of our +boat, cutting it in two, as if a giant's hatchet had descended upon it. +Those who were able sprang overboard and swam in all directions for our +lives. Two poor fellows in the centre of the boat had been struck by +those ponderous flukes, and, without uttering a cry, sank immediately. +While Sandy, with a spear in his hand, still clung to the bows until +jerked off by a second blow, which sent that part of the boat flying +into the air. + +As I swam away I looked round with a horrible dread of seeing the whale +open-mouthed following me; but, instead, I caught sight of its flukes +raised high in the air, and down it dived, carrying out the line still +fast. + +Sandy shouted out to us to swim back to the wreck to try and secure the +end, that the mate's boat might get hold of it when she came up; but +just then the tub itself floated away and, as may be supposed, we were +all eager to get hold of whatever would assist to float us. Some clung +to the fragments of the wreck, others to the oars, until rescued by the +mate's boat, which quickly reached the scene of the disaster. Had not +our two shipmates lost their lives, this accident was too common an +occurrence to make us think much about the matter. No sooner were we on +board than we pulled away in the direction we thought the whale would +reappear, knowing that it must soon come to the surface again to +breathe. + +As I lay exhausted in the bottom of the boat I heard the cry of "There +she spouts!" and I saw the crew rowing lustily away. I soon recovered +sufficiently to look about me. The mate approached cautiously, to be +prepared for any vicious trick the whale might play. He fired, and I +heard the men shout:-- + +"A fall, a fall!" + +Several lances were also stuck into it. The creature dived. A second +line was bent on, but before it ran to the end it slackened, and we +hauled up ready to attack the whale with our lances. + +By this time a third boat had come up, and when the whale appeared it +was attacked on both sides. After some violent struggles it turned over +on its side. It was dead. + +Recollecting the loss of our two shipmates the shout of triumph was +subdued, and the crews refrained from singing as usual as we towed the +prize towards the ship, which was beating up to meet us. + +I now saw the whole operation of "flensing," or cutting off the blubber. +A band was first formed round the animal, between the head and fins, +called the "kent." To this a series of tackles, called the +"kent-purchase," was fixed, by which means, with the aid of the +windlass, the body of the whale could be turned round and round. The +blubber was then cut off by spades and large knives, parallel cuts being +made from end to end, and then divided by cross cuts into pieces about +half a ton each. These being hoisted up on deck were cut into smaller +portions and stowed below in casks. The whole part of the blubber above +water being cut off, the body was further turned round, so as to expose +a new portion; and, this being stripped off, another turn to the body +was given. The kent was then unrolled, and, the whalebone from the head +being extracted, the remainder of the mass, called the "kreng," was +allowed to go adrift, affording a fine feast to the mollies, which in +countless numbers had been flying round us, ready to take possession of +their prize. From its power of wing and its general habits, the fulmar +of the north may be likened to the albatross of the southern hemisphere. +Why the fulmar is called molly I could not learn. Sandy assured me +that many sailors believe the birds to be animated by the spirits of the +ancient Greenland skippers. + +"For because, do ye see," he remarked, "the mollies have as great a +liking for blubber as those old fellows had." + +The fulmars having gorged themselves flew away towards the nearest ice +to the northward, in which direction we now steered, the captain having +abandoned all hope of recovering the lost whales. Scarcely had we got +the blubber stowed away than it again began to blow hard, but we were +still able to steer northward, a constant look-out being kept for the +ice. + +We were standing on when I heard "Hard to starboard," shouted, and on +looking ahead I saw a huge mass of ice, of fantastic shape, rising out +of the water, of sufficient size, had we touched it and caused it to +overturn, to have crushed the ship. Scraping by we found ourselves +almost immediately afterwards surrounded by countless masses, differing +greatly in size, most of them being loose drift-ice. Our stout ship, +however, still continued her course, avoiding some masses and turning +off other pieces from her well-protected bows. Every mile we advanced, +the ice was becoming thicker. Still on we went, threading our way +through the heaving masses. At length, above the ceaseless splashing +sound, a roar increasing in loudness struck our ears. It was the ocean +beating on the still fixed ice, and ever and anon hurling fragments +against it with the force of battering rams. + +"The sea is doing us good service," observed the mate, "for it will +break up the floes." + +It seemed to me much more likely that the ship would be dashed to +pieces. When, however, the fixed ice could be seen from the crow's +nest, we hove to, to wait for calmer weather. There we lay, tossed +about with the huge slabs and masses of ice grinding together or rolling +over each other around us, and threatening every moment to come crashing +down on our deck, while reiterated blows came thundering against our +sides. + +Night came on, and shortly afterwards the snow began to fall thickly, +covering our deck, while from one side of the heavens the full moon +burst forth from amid the clouds, lighting up the scene, increasing +rather than diminishing its horrors. The snow circled in thick eddies +round us, the sea foamed and raged, and masses of ice in the wildest +motion were swept by; the timbers strained and creaked, while the ship +shook under the reiterated shocks, sufficient it seemed to rend her into +fragments, but the ice which had collected round her prevented her +destruction. + + +Ewen and I occasionally went on deck, for to sleep was impossible. "Are +you sorry you came to sea?" I asked. + +"No," he answered, "I wanted to know what a storm was like, and now I +shall be satisfied, but I shall be glad when it's calm again." + +When I awoke a change had come over the scene. I went on deck, a +perfect calm prevailed. All round us were piles of ice. The blocks +arid masses which stood out against the sky were cast into shades, while +the level floes sparkled like silver in the rising sun. Far away to the +southward we could still see the ocean heaving slowly. In a short time, +however, leads between the bergs and floes opened out, the water being +of the colour of lead. All hands were called up to make sail, and we +stood on forcing our way between the floes, until open water was +reached, though in every direction lofty icebergs and extensive floes +were still to be seen. Many of the bergs were of the most fantastic +form and brilliant colours. Some had arches of vast size, others +caverns worn in them within which the ice appeared of the brightest blue +and green, curtained with glittering icicles, all without being of +stainless white. + +I should fill up the whole of my journal were I to attempt to describe +all the wonders and beauties of the Arctic regions. + +Our object, when whales were not to be met with, was to kill walruses, +and for this purpose our boats were provided with the necessary gear. +We had in each boat six harpoon-heads, and four shafts of white pine. +Each harpoon had fastened to its reck one end of a line, twelve or +fifteen fathoms long, the line being coiled away in its proper box. It +is not necessary to have longer lines, because the walrus does not +frequent water more than fifteen fathoms deep, and even should the water +exceed that depth, owing to the pressure above him he is unable to exert +his full strength. + +Besides these harpoons, we had four lances nine feet in length, to which +the iron barbed heads were strongly fixed. As we were approaching the +ice, we caught sight of two hundred black heads, at least, swimming +rapidly along. They were morse, or walruses, and Andrew declared had +got young with them who would retard their progress. Three boats were +instantly lowered with their proper gear. I went with Sandy, who was an +experienced walrus-hunter, and at once took the lead. We made the boat +fly through the water, while ahead was the herd of walruses bellowing, +snorting, blowing, and splashing. The herd kept close together, now +diving, now reappearing simultaneously. One moment we saw their grizzly +heads and long gleaming white tusks above the water, then they gave a +spout and took a breath of fresh air, and the next moment their brown +backs and huge flippers were to be seen and the whole herd were down. +Sandy stood up in the bows with his harpoon ready for a dart. In a few +seconds up again came the walruses, and we were in their midst. The +harpoon flew from Sandy's hand deep into the body of the nearest walrus. +He then seized another harpoon and darted it into a "junger" which came +swimming incautiously by. Its mother, hearing its plaintive cry, rushed +towards us with her formidable tusks, endeavouring to recover it; but +before she had time to dig them in the side of the boat a shot from one +of our guns and a plunge from Sandy's spear had terminated her +existence. The "junger," which was only slightly wounded, uttered a +whimpering bark, when a score or more of walruses swam fiercely towards +us, rearing their heads out of the water, snorting and blowing, ready to +tear the boat to fragments. Several were killed before the calf had +ceased its cries, when they prudently retired to a distance to escape +our bullets and the thrusts from our spears. We had secured six +walruses; for, though others were wounded they sank. + +So well satisfied was the captain with the result of our chase, that, +soon after the blubber and skins had been stowed away, he ordered the +two boats to be prepared for another chase. Andrew, who wished to see +the sport, went in the boatswain's boat, and Ewen got leave to accompany +us, he being now able to pull an oar well. + +We could see the land to the westward, and, by keeping as close to it as +the ice would allow, we hoped to fall in with plenty of game. We +accordingly pulled away to the west where the sea was tolerably open. +Our wish was to find the animals asleep on the ice where they could be +more easily attacked and secured than in the water in which they have +the means of exerting their great strength to the uttermost, whereas on +the ice they were at our mercy. + +The days were now increasing in length so much that we often forgot how +many hours we had been out. Though the Arctic summer was approaching +the weather continued uncertain. We had killed two ordinary-sized +walruses, when a third, an enormous fellow, was seen sleeping not far +from the edge of the floe. We approached cautiously, hoping to kill +him, or at all events to get a harpoon well secured in his body. Once +he lifted up his head and winked an eye, but did not appear to apprehend +danger. With bated breaths we urged the boat slowly forward. My +brother fired and the bullet went crashing into the animal's head. Next +instant Sandy, leaping out, drove his harpoon into its body. It was +fortunate that he succeeded in doing this, as the walrus by a violent +effort rolled itself over into the water rapidly carrying out the line, +the end of which was secured to the bollard. + +Sandy had barely time to leap back into the boat, when away we went, +towed by the walrus, the bow pressed down in a way which threatened to +drag it under water. Sandy stood ready, axe in hand, to cut the line to +save us from such a catastrophe. Suddenly the line slackened. The +walrus dived and shortly afterwards came up again. + +My brother fired and missed. The animal disappeared. We felt far from +easy, for we knew that there was a great chance of its rising directly +under the boat which it might too possibly capsize, or it might tear out +a plank with its formidable tusks, when it would follow up the +proceeding by attacking us as we struggled in the water. Happily, +however, exhausted by the wounds it had received, it rose a short +distance ahead, when a thrust from Andrew's spear finished its career. +We hauled it up on the ice by means of the tackles we carried for the +purpose, to denude the huge body of the skin and blubber. + +We were so busily engaged in the operation, that we did not perceive the +approach of a thick fog which quickly enveloped us, while the wind began +to blow directly on the ice. It became important therefore to get a +good offing to avoid the risk of the boat being dashed to pieces. We +now steered in the direction we supposed the ship to lie, but as we +could not see fifty fathoms ahead we knew well that we were very likely +to miss her. The wind increased and the sea, getting up, threatened +every instant to swamp the boat. + +"It must be done," cried Sandy; "heave overboard the blubber and skins, +better get back to the ship with an empty boat than not get back at +all." + +His directions were obeyed and everything not absolutely required in the +boat was thrown out of her. Notwithstanding this there was still the +danger of being cast on a mass of floating ice, or of having one come +toppling down on us, when our destruction would have been certain. We +did our utmost to keep the boat's head to the sea, as the only hope we +had of saving her from going down. + +What had become of the other boat we could not tell. We looked out for +her, but she was nowhere visible. Our ship, too, was in no small peril, +for she might--should she be unable to beat off the solid ice--be dashed +against it and knocked to pieces. + +All night long we pulled on, amid the heaving waves and tossing floes, +sometimes narrowly escaping being thrown on one of them. We could hear +them crashing and grinding together as one was driven against the other. +I, for one, did not expect to see another sun rise, nor did probably +any of my companions. Few words were exchanged between us. Sandy sat +at the steering oar, keeping an anxious look-out for dangers ahead and +occasionally cheering us up to continue our exertions. + +"Pull away, lads, pull away; as the boat has kept afloat so long, +there's no reason why she shouldn't swim till the gale is over," he +cried out. Just then, however, a heavy sea came rolling up, and down it +came right over our bows, almost filling the boat. + +"Never fear, bale it out, doctor," cried Sandy; and my brother and Ewen +set to work, and, happily, before another sea struck us, got the boat +free. None of the rowers, however, could venture to cease pulling for +an instant; not that we made much progress, but it was all-important to +keep the boat's head to the sea. Looking up some few minutes after +this, I fancied that I saw a peculiar light away to leeward. I was just +going to draw Sandy's attention to it, when I discovered, close under +our lee, a huge iceberg towering up towards the sky. Had we been on the +opposite side, it would have afforded us some shelter from the gale, +provided it did not topple over. As, however, we were to windward, we +had the greatest difficulty in escaping from being thrown upon it. +Sandy's voice sounded almost like a shriek as he urged us to pull away, +while he kept the boat off from the furious surf, which, with a sound of +thunder, beat upon the lower portion of the berg. We did not need +urging, for we all saw our danger. Though the sea tumbled about much as +before, we felt in comparative safety when the berg was passed. Still, +other bergs or floes might have to be encountered, and we knew not at +what moment we might come upon them. How anxiously we all wished for +daylight I need not say. At length it came, presenting a wild scene of +confusion around us, the ocean as turbulent as ever. We had been +mercifully preserved through it, and we trusted that our buoyant craft +would carry us back to the ship. She, however, was not to be seen, but +we made out, far off, a speck, now on the top of a wave, now +disappearing in the trough, which Sandy declared was the other boat. +Our spirits rose somewhat, but we were getting exhausted from hunger and +thirst, for we had no food nor water with us, nor if we had could we +have spared time to eat and drink. + +As day-light increased we made out the land, for which Sandy steered, as +the other boat was apparently doing. The thought of setting foot on +shore, and obtaining a short rest, encouraged us to renew our exertions. +The ice had been driven away from us, and formed a barrier some +distance off from the land. We were thus able to make better progress +than during the night. We could now distinguish the other boat clearly +over the starboard quarter. + +Mr. Patterson, the second mate, evidently considered--as did Sandy--that +it would be hopeless to try and get on board the ship until the gale was +over. Perhaps he feared, as we did, that she had been knocked to pieces +on a floe or against one of the icebergs floating about. As we +approached the land we saw that it was fringed with rocks and masses of +ice, between which it would be perilous in the extreme to make our way. +Still, unless we could get round to the lee side, it must be done. +Sandy stood up to look for the shore. A bay presented itself where the +sea broke with less force. We stood on rocks and ice rising up amidst +the seething waters, now on one side, now on the other. Sandy steered +between them with consummate skill. Mr. Patterson's boat followed at +some distance. A foaming wave came sweeping up, on the summit of which +we were carried forward until we could hear the boat's keel grate on the +beach. + +"Jump out, jump out!" cried Sandy to the men forward, who obeyed, and, +carrying the painter, dragged the boat some way up the strand. We all +followed, and, putting our shoulders to the gunwale, had her safe out of +the power of the waves. We then ran to assist our shipmates, whose boat +had suffered more than ours, and was almost knocked to pieces; indeed, +on examining her, we found, to our dismay, that to make her fit for sea +she would require more repairs than, without tools, we were able to +give. We had thus only one boat in which to make our escape from the +island, and she was insufficient to carry the whole of the party. +Should the ship not appear, therefore, we should be compelled to remain, +and perhaps have to endure the hardships of an arctic winter with very +inadequate means for our support. We were, however, on shore, and at +all events safe for the present; but we were without food, fuel, or +shelter, except such as our boat would afford us. Water we could +procure from the fragments of icebergs driven on the beach, but we were +unlikely to obtain either walruses or seals, as they would have sought +the shelter of the lee side of the island; even the birds had deserted +the shore on which we were driven. We determined, therefore, to make an +excursion across the island, hoping, either to reach the other side, or +fall in with reindeer or other animals. + +Several of the men, overcome with fatigue, preferred remaining under the +boats, waiting for the food we might obtain. My brother, Sandy, Ewen, +and I, with the second mate and Charley Croil, a fine young lad of whom +I have not yet spoken, set off; the mate, my brother, and I having our +rifles, and Sandy his harpoon and lines, while the others carried +lances. Though feeling somewhat weak from our long fast, hunger urged +us on; and in spite of the roughness of the ground, making our way to +the westward, we soon lost sight of our companions on the beach. + +CHAPTER THREE. + +We found tramping across the rough ground very fatiguing, for in most +places it was soft and spongy, except where we crossed more level ridges +of bare rock. Already the grass was beginning to grow, and flowers were +opening their petals, although most of the streams were partially frozen +and we could only cross them by wading halfway up to our knees in slush. +As yet we had not got sufficiently near to any deer to give us a chance +of obtaining some venison, for which we were longing with the appetites +of half-starved men, nor had we been able to catch any birds. + +"We shall have to get over to where the walruses are, and it will be +hard if we don't get enough then to fill us up to the throats," observed +Sandy, "though we may chance to find fowl rather scarce." + +On we trudged, mile after mile, drawing in our belts and keeping up our +spirits, urged forward by hope. At last my brother Andrew, who was +leading, reached the top of a high rocky ledge, which lay directly +across our course, when he turned round and made a signal to us with his +hand to approach cautiously. I followed, Sandy came next. We soon +climbed up the rock, when we saw before us a low shore and lofty hills +in the distance. The ice was in great part melted. Near the shore were +countless wild fowl, assembled in large flocks,--swans, geese, ducks, +snipes, terns, and many others. Scrambling down the rock, we were soon +blazing away right and left. In a few minutes we killed a sufficient +number of birds to afford us an ample feast. The question was how to +cook them, as the stems of the largest trees were less in circumference +than our small fingers. We managed, however, to collect a sufficient +quantity of moss and twigs to make up a diminutive fire, at which we +browned, though we could not thoroughly cook, our fishy-tasting fowl. +We were, indeed, too hungry to be particular. + +After we had satisfied our own hunger, we began to think of our +companions. Two of the men volunteered to return with a supply of the +birds sufficient for the crew, while the remainder of us continued our +route to the west. We had to make a wide circuit round the end of a +lake. As may be supposed, we kept a bright look-out for deer. We had +gone some distance, when we observed a couple in a small valley where +the snow had melted. To have a better chance of securing the reindeer, +we divided; Mr. Patterson, Sandy, and Ewen making their way along the +side of the hill, while my brother and I proceeded up the valley, +concealing ourselves among the rocks or in the gullies, hoping thus to +get within shot of the deer. The wind came down the valley, so that we +were to leeward, and had some prospect of getting close to the game +without being perceived. Greatly to our satisfaction we saw that the +animals were coming towards us, browsing on their way. We, therefore, +knelt down behind a rock, waiting until the deer should approach. At +length we could hear the sound they made, munching the herbage as they +tore off the moss and grass. At this Andrew rose and fired at one, and +I, imitating his example, aimed at the other. Greatly to our +disappointment, as the smoke cleared away, we could see both the deer +scampering off up the valley, but one soon fell behind the other. It +had been hit in the shoulder. Slower and slower it went; we made chase, +but it still kept a long way ahead of us. We both reloaded as we ran, +hoping to overtake it and get another shot, should it not in the +meantime come to the ground. Greatly to my delight, I saw the deer +which I had shot suddenly stop, when presently over it fell. The other +held on for some time longer, when that too rolled over. We had a long +chase, though we scarcely knew how far we had gone. On looking round we +could nowhere see our companions. I fired off my rifle to attract their +attention, as we wanted them to assist us in cutting up the deer and to +carry back the venison. Scarcely had I fired than I saw, coming out of +a hollow in the side of the hill, a huge white monster, followed by two +smaller creatures, which I at once knew must be a bear and her cubs. +Her intention was evidently to appropriate our venison, an object which +we were anxious to defeat. Andrew had seen her, and stood with his +rifle ready for an encounter. I reloaded as rapidly as I could. We had +neither of us shown ourselves first-rate shots, and I was afraid that my +brother might miss the bear, and that she might seize him before I could +go to his rescue. The animal sat upon her haunches sniffing the air; +then, once more dropping down, she approached, resolved to carry off the +deer or attack us should we attempt to prevent her. Andrew allowed her +to get within twelve paces or so, when he fired at her head. The bear, +instead of dropping as I expected, to my horror rushed towards my +brother. + +"Leap out of the way," I shouted, for I dared not fire as he then stood, +lest I might hit him. + +He followed my advice, when I levelled my rifle, knowing that his life, +and probably my own, might depend upon the accuracy of my aim. The +bear, growling terrifically, came on, and when about three yards from me +rose on her hind legs, stretching out her formidable paws, about to +spring and grasp me in her deadly embrace. I pulled the trigger, and as +I did so jumped back with all the agility I possessed, knowing that +should my shot fail to take effect, I might--even though she were +mortally wounded--be torn to pieces by her teeth and claws before +another minute was over. Great was my thankfulness when I saw her huge +body sink slowly to the ground, where she lay without moving a limb; +still, as I thought it possible that she might not be dead, I joined +Andrew, who was reloading a few paces off. + +The bear cubs, who had followed her a short distance behind, now came +up, and began pulling away at her body, not understanding why she did +not move. We were soon convinced that she was perfectly dead. What was +now to be done with the little animals? When they found that she would +not move, they began biting at her savagely. However, they soon scented +out the deer, and, while we were employed in cutting them up, came to us +and eagerly devoured the pieces we threw to them, they not showing the +slightest fear of us, nor anger at the way we treated their mother. + +We had now more meat than we could carry away, even with the assistance +of the rest of the party; and, as they did not appear, we each took a +heavy load and prepared to set off. + +Andrew, who was anxious to take the little creatures on board, suggested +fastening some lines we had in our pockets round their necks to lead +them with us, but no force would compel them to budge. I tried, +however, to get them to move by putting a small piece of meat a short +distance from their noses, when they both darted forward to catch it. I +then gradually increased the distance between the pieces of meat, and +got them out of sight of their mother. + +Following the traces left by the wounded deer, we were enabled to make +our way with more certainty than we should otherwise have done. At last +we caught sight of our shipmates, who were not a little astonished at +seeing our two small shaggy companions, and highly delighted at finding +that we had brought so fine a supply of meat. + +On hearing of the abundance we had left behind, they wanted us to return +with them; but we, having done our duty, preferred resting in a +sheltered spot on the side of the hill, while they followed our tracks +to bring away some more venison and bear's flesh. In the meantime the +little cubs gambolled together at our feet, occasionally coming up to +get a suck at a piece of venison. + +The party at length arrived, each man staggering under as much meat as +he could carry. They all sat down that we might consult in what, +direction we should proceed. Mr. Patterson wished, as we had gone thus +far, to continue on to the lee side, where he believed that a harbour +would be found into which the ship might possibly have put, for he was +certain she would not, if she could help it, approach the other side of +the island. Should such be the case, we hoped to be able to get the +boats round, either by the shore or by the ice. We had still three men +who had accompanied us, and the boats' crews would by this time be in +want of food. Mr. Patterson accordingly sent back Sandy and two of +them, each carrying a load of venison and bear's flesh. He directed the +boatswain, after provisioning the men, to search along the shore, and +ascertain if there was any possibility of getting the boat over it. + +"We had better take the little bears with us," said Sandy; "they'll +amuse the men, and, if the worst comes to the worst, we can eat them." +Saying this, and adopting our plan, he threw a small piece of meat +before the noses of the little animals, who at once rushed forward to +seize it, not aware that it was part of the flesh of their parent. + +"You'll be gorging yourselves, ye little gluttons," observed Sandy, and, +fastening a piece of meat to the line, he dragged it after him, whisking +it away the moment the creatures got up to it. Thus enticed, they +parted from us, their first friends, without the slightest sign of +regret, eagerly following Sandy and the men. As it was important not to +expend more powder and shot than we could help, we carried a larger +supply of meat than we should otherwise have done, so that we might have +food enough to last us for several days if necessary. Our progress was +therefore somewhat slow, and it was not until the sun had set that we +caught sight of the ocean, or rather of the fields of ice and bergs +which covered it, with here and there a line of open water, showing that +it was breaking up and being driven away from the coast. Descending +from some high ground which we had been traversing, we found ourselves +on the shores of a deep bay, on the northern side bordered by cliffs and +rocks, but with a sandy beach at the inner end. It was already +partially open, and although small floes floated about, some remained +attached to the shore. + +"This is just the place I hoped to find," observed Mr. Patterson. "If +we are compelled to remain here we shall be able to obtain a supply of +fish, while it is the sort of spot walruses and seals are likely to +frequent." + +We had now to look out for a sheltered nook in which we could pass the +night. + +"We shall be able to have a fire too," I remarked, as I pointed to a +quantity of drift-wood, which lay above high water-mark. + +"You and Ewen and Croil collect it then," he answered, "while the doctor +and I search for a sheltered spot." + +While picking up the wood I was separated from my companions, and found +myself going in the direction Mr. Patterson and my brother had taken. + +Passing round some rocks, I saw several dark heads in the water, which I +at once recognised as walruses. As I felt sure they would not land to +attack me, I went on without hesitation. Presently I heard a shout. +Looking round the rock I saw Mr. Patterson, with his rifle clubbed, +engaged in what seemed to me a desperate conflict with a huge walrus. +Though he was retreating, the creature, working its way on with its +flappers, pressed him so hard that it was impossible for him to turn and +fly. I immediately unslung my rifle, which I had hitherto carried at my +back, but dared not fire for fear of wounding him. I hurried on, +endeavouring to get to one side of the walrus so that I might take sure +aim, when, to my horror, the mate's foot slipped, and down he came with +great force. The next instant the huge monster was upon him, and was +about to dig its formidable tusks into his body. In another moment he +might be killed. I was still nearly twenty paces off, but there was not +a moment to be lost. Praying that my bullet might take effect, I lifted +my rifle and fired. Then, without stopping to see the result of my +shot, I dashed forward in the hopes of still being in time to drag the +mate out of the way of the monster's terrific tusks. Thankful I was to +see that the walrus was not moving, but still it might with one blow of +its tusks have killed the mate. + +Shouting to Andrew, who was, I supposed, not far off, I sprang forward. +The walrus was dead, and so I feared was the mate. Not a sound did he +utter, and his eyes were closed. It was with the greatest difficulty +that I could drag him from under the body of the walrus. Again and +again I shouted, and at last Andrew appeared, his countenance expressing +no little dismay at what he beheld. + +"He is still alive," he said, after he had examined the mate. "The +walrus has not wounded him with its tusks, but has well-nigh pressed the +breath out of his body, and may possibly have broken some of his ribs. +We'll carry him to a dry cave I have just found, in which we can light a +fire, and I hope he'll soon come round. Get Ewen and Croil to assist +us." I hurried along the shore and summoned them. We all four managed +to carry the mate to the cavern. While Andrew attended to him, Ewen, +Croil and I brought the drift-wood we had collected, and getting some +dry moss from the rocks to kindle a flame, we soon had a fire blazing. + +Andrew reported unfavourably of the mate. Two of his ribs were broken, +and his legs fearfully crushed. + +"Much turns upon his having a good constitution to enable him to get +over it," observed my brother. "He has been a temperate man, and that's +in his favour, but I wish that he was safe on board, as he requires +careful nursing, and that's more than he can obtain in this wild +region." + +A restorative which the doctor always carried, at length brought the +mate somewhat round, and he was able to speak. + +"Have you seen anything of the ship?" was the first question he asked. + +"No, we did not expect her so soon," answered Andrew; "she will come +here in good time, I dare say!" + +"Then where are the boats?" inquired the mate. + +"One is very much damaged," said Andrew; "we must wait for a favourable +opportunity for bringing the other to this side of the island. In the +meantime you must try and go to sleep. In the morning we will see what +is best to be done." + +The poor mate asked no further questions, but lay back in an almost +unconscious state, while Andrew sat by his side, endeavouring to +alleviate his sufferings. + +The rest of us, having cooked some venison, made a hearty supper, but +the mate was unable to eat a morsel. Andrew decided on sending Ewen and +me back the next morning to obtain a cooking pot, in which he might make +some broth for the mate, as well as to bring the sail of the damaged +boat, which might assist to shelter him from the cold. Should it be +found impossible to get the boat round to the bay, he thought it would +be best to leave her there, and to let all the men come across, bringing +the gear of the two boats, and as much of the wood of the wrecked one as +they could carry. His idea was to build a hut, or to make the cavern +habitable. It was agreed that we should catch as many bears and +walruses as we could, so that we might have materials for constructing +the hut as well as for covering ourselves. + +"It will be wise at once to make preparations for the winter. We must +provide shelter, food, clothing, and fuel, and this will fully occupy +all hands until the cold weather sets in," said Andrew. "Had we been +cast on shore here at the end of the summer, we should in all +probability have perished; but now I hope that we shall be able to +support existence until another spring, when we may expect the +appearance of a ship to take us off." + +Our plans being arranged, Andrew told us to lie down and try and get +some sleep, saying that he would keep watch in case any prowling bear +should pay us a visit, besides which he wished to attend to the mate. I +begged him, however, to let me sit up for a couple of hours, promising +to call him, should I fancy that our injured companion required his +assistance. He at last consented. In a few minutes he and the rest of +the party were fast asleep. I carefully made up the fire, then, after +some time, feeling drowsy, I took my rifle, and went outside the cavern. +The night was tolerably light, indeed the darkness in that latitude was +of short duration. As I looked in the direction where the body of the +walrus lay, I fancied I saw two or three white objects on the rocks. At +first I thought that they were piles of snow or ice; but, watching them +attentively, I observed that they were moving, and I had no doubt they +were bears attracted by the body of the dead walrus, on which they +expected to banquet. I now regretted that we had not had time to carry +off the skin, which would of course be torn to pieces and rendered +valueless. I was much tempted to try and shoot the bears, which I might +easily have done while they were feasting, but I considered that I ought +not to leave my post, and I did not like to awake Andrew, who required +all the rest he could obtain, I therefore returned to the cave and sat +down by the fire, thankful for the warmth it afforded. When I judged I +had been on watch a couple of hours, I aroused my brother. + +"You were right in not trying to shoot the bears, for even had you +killed one the others might have set upon you, and we cannot afford to +lose another of our party," he said. "Lie down now, as you have a long +journey before you; and I shall be glad if you can bring the men over +here before another night sets in." It was broad daylight when my +brother awoke me and the rest. The mate appeared somewhat better, and, +as he had no feverish symptoms, Andrew expressed his belief that he +would recover. Having breakfasted and done up a portion of the cooked +venison for provisions during our journey, Ewen and I set off, leaving +Croil to assist my brother in taking care of the mate. Andrew charged +us not to expend our powder on birds, or we might have shot as many as +we required. Every hour they were arriving in large flocks on their way +to still more northern regions, where they might enjoy the long summer +day without interruption. I will not describe the journey, which we +managed to accomplish in about six hours. Sandy, who came to meet us, +reported that the men were behaving well, thankful for the food we had +sent them; but, as far as he could judge, it would be impossible to get +the boat round for the present, either over the ice or across the land. +All hands therefore were ready to obey the directions Andrew had sent +them. While Ewen and I rested, they made up the loads each man was to +carry. As to launching the boat among the rocks which fringed that side +of the island, it was clearly impossible unless in the calmest weather, +without the risk of her being knocked to pieces; for the sea continually +rolled in huge masses of ice, which with thundering sound were shivered +into fragments. It seemed surprising that we had escaped, when we +looked at the spot where we had landed. + +"We are all ready, and if you and Ewen think you can trudge back by the +way you have come, we'll set out at once," said Sandy. + +"All right," we answered, springing to our feet and taking our rifles, +with a few articles--all the men would let us carry--we led the way. + +The men, however, had not taken any of the shattered boat, or oars, or +spars, and it would, therefore, be necessary to make another journey to +bring them across. The other boat was turned bottom upmost, out of the +reach of the highest tide, with the things we had to leave placed under +her. We took longer to perform the journey back than we had occupied in +coming, as the men, with their heavy loads, could not proceed as fast as +Ewen and I had done. On approaching the bay we looked out for Croil, +whom we expected to see on the watch for us. He was nowhere visible. +We shouted to give notice that we were near, but no reply reached us. + +"He is probably in the cave assisting the doctor," observed Ewen. "I +hope the mate is not worse." + +On getting near the shore, however, we saw my brother, who had just come +out of the cave. He waved to us to hasten on. + +"Thank heaven you are come!" he said. "I am very anxious about young +Croil. He went away a couple of hours ago to collect drift-wood, and +has not returned. I could not leave the mate, who still continues in a +very precarious condition, to look for him, and I fear that some +accident has happened; probably he has been attacked either by a walrus +or a bear, and, if so, I fear that he will be added to our list of +casualties." + +"We must find him at all events," I answered. "Should he have been +attacked by a bear, we shall discover some traces which will show what +has happened to him." + +The men, having deposited their loads, tired as they were, dispersed in +all directions. Sandy, Ewen, and I went to the northward under the +cliffs. Every moment I expected to see the mangled remains of the poor +lad, or traces of his blood, should a bear have carried him off. Of one +thing we felt sure, that he would have kept as close as he could to the +beach, where he might hope to meet with drift-wood. Before long, +however, our progress was stopped by cliffs which jutted out into the +sea, though we saw that there was a continuation of the beach farther +on. We had, therefore, to climb up and try to find a way down again to +the level of the water. It was no easy task to climb the cliff, but we +accomplished it at last. We went on for some distance, but so +precipitous were the cliffs that it seemed impossible that we should be +able to descend with any safety. Every now and then we peered over +them, and as I was doing so I thought I saw an object lying close to the +base some way on. I felt almost sure that it was a human being, while +not far from it was what looked like the wreck of a boat. That it was +poor Croil we could have little doubt, and that he had been killed by a +fall from above appeared too probable. + +Sandy, who was of this opinion, told Ewen and me to wait while he +hurried back to obtain a coil of rope which he had brought from the +boat, as also the assistance of some of the other men should they have +returned. Ewen and I accordingly went on, and, carefully looking over +the cliff, to our sorrow discovered that it was indeed our poor +shipmate. That he had fallen from such a height without being killed +seemed impossible. + +"Take care that we do not share his fate," I observed to Ewen, as I got +up to ascertain if there was any less precipitous part near at hand, by +which we could descend without waiting for the rope. + +As far as I could discover there were no marks on the edge of the cliffs +to show from whence he had fallen. Going on a little further I found a +narrow ledge, which apparently sloped downwards. Very likely he had +attempted to make his way by this ledge to the shore. From its extreme +narrowness I felt that it would be folly to trust myself to it, and that +I should probably fall as he had done. + +While looking about I heard Ewen exclaim-- + +"He is moving, I saw him lift his hand!" He then shouted out: "Hullo! +Croil, we are coming to help you." + +It was a great relief to know that the lad was alive, though it made us +still more anxious for the return of Sandy. At last he appeared. Now +came the question, Who should descend? It was a hazardous task. Sandy +insisted on going down, but I felt that I would much rather descend than +have to hold the rope. + +"No, no," said Sandy, "I'll trust you. I'll stick this stake into the +ground, and if you hold on to the upper end the rope will be firm +enough." + +While we were securing the rope as Sandy proposed, a man with another +length of rope came running towards us. It was fortunate he brought it, +for the first was not sufficiently long to reach the bottom. Our +preparations were speedily made, and Sandy, with the activity of a +sailor, sliding over the edge of the cliff, glided down by the rope +until he reached the spot where Croil lay. I fancied that I heard him +shout out for help, so I told Ewen to hold on to the stake, and, taking +hold of the rope, slid down as Sandy had done. I saw him, as I reached +the bottom, supporting Croil in his arms. + +"I did not want you to come, Hugh, but as you are here, you can help me +in getting up the laddie. There is still life in him, but he has had a +shaking which might have broken every bone in his body, though I cannot +discover that any are broken. We must hoist him up gently, for he +cannot bear any rough handling, that's certain." + +I suggested that we should make a cradle from the wreck of the boat +which had tempted Croil to try to reach the beach. + +Sandy had some small line in his pocket; I also had another piece, and +Dick Black--the man who had come to our assistance--had brought a whole +coil, which he threw down to us. We soon formed a cradle, in which we +placed the lad, securing it to the end of the rope. We had, besides +this, lines sufficient to enable me to stand below and assist to guide +it in its ascent. Sandy then swarmed up to the top, and he and our two +companions began to hoist away while I guided the cradle from below. I +was thankful to see Croil at length safely placed on the top of the +cliff. The rope was then let down, and making a bow line in which I +could sit, I shouted to the rest to haul away. I felt rather +uncomfortable as I found myself dangling in mid-air, for fear the rope +should get cut by the rocks, but I reached the top without accident. I +was thankful to find that Croil had come to himself, though unable to +describe how he had fallen. + +"We must mark this spot, to come back for that wood; it will be a +perfect god-send to us, for we shall want every scrap of fuel we can +find," I observed. + +The cradle enabled us to carry Croil without difficulty to the cave, +where my brother at once attended to him. + +Wonderful as it seemed, not a bone in his body was broken, nor had his +spine received any injury, which Andrew at first thought might be the +case. He thus hoped that the lad might get round and in a short time be +as well as ever. He was far more anxious about the mate, who still +remained in a precarious condition. + +Supper over and a watch being set, we all lay down inside the cave, with +our feet to the fire which blazed in front of it. And thus passed the +third night of our residence on the island. + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +Sandy and my brother had now become the real leaders of the party, as +the mate was too ill to issue orders. We speedily built a hut with sods +and stones, and roofed it with the boat's sails. It proved a far more +comfortable abode than the cavern. We also collected all the drift-wood +we could find, including that of the wrecked boat which had so nearly +cost Croil his life. On examining the quantity, however, we saw that it +was utterly insufficient to last us through a winter. My brother, +therefore, proposed that we should cut turf and dry it during the +summer, and advised that the hut should be much increased in size, with +two outer chambers, by which the inner room could be approached and but +a small quantity of cold air admitted. A lamp of walrus' blubber or +bear's grease would be sufficient tor warm it at night, provided that +the walls were thick enough to keep out the cold. Our stock of powder +being small it was necessary to husband it with the greatest care, and +we therefore agreed to shoot only such animals as were necessary to +supply ourselves with food. + +I killed three deer and a bear which one night paid us a visit, and +Sandy killed two walruses which he found asleep on the rocks. From the +appearance of the ice Sandy hoped at length that he would be able to +bring round the boat. For several days a huge mass had been seen +floating by, carried on apparently by a strong current, while that in +the bay had either melted or had been blown out by the wind. He +accordingly set off with the boat's crew, carrying provisions for +several days' consumption. Ewen and I meantime made our way northward +to explore the part of the island we had not yet visited. We saw that +it was of far greater extent than we had supposed, and that we should +perhaps have to camp out two or three nights if we persevered in our +attempt. + +As Andrew had charged us to return before nightfall we were about to +direct our steps homewards, when Ewen's sharp eyes discovered a peculiar +looking mound at the top of a headland some distance to the northward. +As it would not delay us more than an hour we hurried on. Below the +headland was a bay, on the shores of which we saw a hut. Could it be +inhabited? If so we might meet with some one whose experience of the +country would be of the greatest use. We were considerably disappointed +on entering the hut to find it empty. It had apparently been for a long +time deserted. Without delay we climbed up the top of the headland. We +examined the cairn carefully, and found that it was built round and +contained a bottle, on opening which I discovered a paper having a few +lines apparently written with the burnt end of a stick. They were in +English, but so nearly illegible that it was with difficulty I could +read them. What was my surprise when I made out the words-- + + "Left here by the whaler _Barentz_. Saw her drift out to sea, beset + by ice. Fear that she was overwhelmed, and all on board perished. + Spent the winter here. A sloop coming into the bay, hope to be taken + off by her. + + "David Ogilvy." + +Here was a trace of my long-lost brother; what had since become of him? +Had he got off in the sloop and returned to Europe, or had she been +lost? Had the former been the case, we should have heard of him before +we sailed. We hurried eagerly back to discuss the subject with Andrew. +It was dark before we reached the hut. We talked and talked, but could +arrive at no conclusion. Andrew feared for the worst. The boat had not +arrived, indeed we scarcely expected to see her that day. Next day +passed by and she did not appear. Two more days elapsed. We were +constantly on the look out for her. I proposed going over to try to +ascertain what had happened. The mate was getting somewhat better, and +I took Andrew's place that he might go out and take some exercise while +in search of a deer. I was talking with Mr. Patterson, who spoke +hopefully of getting away before the winter commenced, when Ewen rushed +into the hut exclaiming-- + +"A sail, a sail! She's standing for the bay." + +"Go and have a look at her," said Mr. Patterson; "I was sure we should +get off before long." + +I rushed down to the beach, where I found the rest of the party +collected, gazing at the approaching vessel. + +She was the _Hardy Norseman_, trim and taut. There was no doubt about +the matter. On she came, gliding over the now smooth ocean. A shout of +joy burst from our throats. All our troubles were over, as we thought. +She stood fearlessly on, evidently piloted by one who knew the harbour, +and at length came to an anchor. Her sails were furled immediately, and +a boat approached the shore. + +As she got nearer we saw that the boatswain was steering. His boat had +then got off and fallen in with the ship. Such, indeed, he told us, as +he sprang on the beach, had been the case. Had he not done so she would +have passed on, supposing that we had all been lost; for, although +short-handed, the captain had determined on prosecuting the fishery +until the weather compelled him to return. + +Carrying the mate and Croil, who--as Andrew said--had turned the corner, +we were soon on board, heartily welcomed by all hands. Our hut and +store of fuel were left for the benefit of any other unfortunate people +who might be cast on the island, but the meat and skins were, of course, +carried with us. + +As the sea was now open to the northward, we sailed slowly on, the boats +frequently being sent in to shoot walruses or seals, of which vast +quantities were seen on the rocks and floating ice. We were now off the +coast of Spitzbergen. Passing some islands, we pulled on shore in +expectation of obtaining some walruses. We had killed several, when we +saw among the rocks a number of eider ducks which had just laid their +eggs. The first mate and boatswain, who were in command of the boats, +ordered us to land with the boat-stretchers in our hands, when we rushed +in among the birds, knocking them over right and left. While they lay +stunned, we were directed to pull off the down from their breasts. We +were thus employed for several hours, during which we collected an +enormous quantity of eider down, as well as a vast number of eggs. On +returning on board, the skipper sent us back for a further supply. As +we obtained nearly four hundred pounds of down, and as each pound is +worth a guinea in England, the skipper was well pleased with our day's +work, more so than were the poor ducks, deprived of their warm +waistcoats and eggs at the same time. Happily the stern ice saves them +from frequent visits of the same description. + +As we were pulling along we caught sight of a walrus asleep on a rock. +Without disturbing the animal, Sandy and two other men landed. His +harpoon was soon plunged into the side of the walrus, while the end of +the line still remained in the boat. A fierce struggle commenced. The +walrus, rolling into the water with head erect and tusks upraised, came +swimming towards the boat, regardless of the spears thrust at it, and +had almost gained the victory, when a shot through its head put an end +to its existence. The next day, having again landed, we killed a number +of seals by concealing ourselves behind the rocks on the shore, while +they lay enjoying the warm sun on the ice. Andrew, Ewen, and I were +some what ahead of the rest of the party, when we caught sight of a bear +lying down under the shelter of a hummock. We were intending to stalk +him, when we saw a seal sunning itself upon the ice, some distance off. +The bear crept from behind his place of shelter, and began to roll about +as if also to enjoy the sun. The seal lifted up its head, when Bruin +stopped, lying almost on his back, with his legs in the air, and his +eyes directed towards his expected prey. The seal dropped its head, and +the bear began once more to move forward, again to stop and remain +perfectly motionless until the seal's eyes were closed. Again Bruin +advanced, when the seal, which must have been somewhat suspicious of the +hairy creature, looked about it. For yet another time Bruin stopped, +until, the seal's suspicions once more lulled, the bear got near enough +with one leap to bound upon his prey, when, before the seal was dead, he +began tearing away at its flesh. We determined to put a stop to his +supper. While he was thus employed and less on the watch than usual, we +crept up to him and a shot through his head prevented him from gaining +the water. We thus got both bear and seal. + +I forgot to mention the two young bears which had been carried on board, +and had become great pets with the men. We added to our menagerie a +couple of young walruses, which we caught after their mothers were +slaughtered. One went by the name of Dick, the other Harry. They and +the bears looked suspiciously at each other, but wisely kept apart. The +walruses were somewhat of a nuisance; for, being of an independent +character, they walloped about the deck, and at night roared far louder +than did the bears, which, frightened at the loud noise, slunk into +their kennels. We fed the walruses on gruel, which seemed to suit them +very well. At length, one evening while Andrew and I were seated in the +cabin, as Captain Hudson was on the point of going on deck, we heard a +tremendous noise, as if some huge body had fallen down, followed by a +cry and some pretty severe expressions from the skipper. + +On rushing out, we found him sprawling on the floor with Master Dick, +who had come rolling down the hatchway, walloping and flopping on the +top of him. Having extricated the captain, who was fortunately not much +the worse for his tumble, we hauled the slippery little monster up on +deck, and took it to its proper resting-place--a big tub in which it +ought to have been confined. + +Though whales were somewhat scarce, we killed walruses and seals +sufficient to satisfy the skipper, a good many bears, and a vast number +of birds. We continued steering north, keeping away from the land, the +sea being almost entirely open, with masses of ice and occasionally +icebergs floating about. Not a creature of any sort was seen on the +ice, but little auks and sea parrots in vast numbers rose and perched on +the gently rippling sea. + +The wind having fallen we got out lines to fish for sharks, and soon +caught one twelve feet in length. It was hoisted on board by a block +and tackle, when, its liver being cut out, Sandy, blowing through a +tube, inflated the stomach of the creature, which was then thrown +overboard. The object of this was to prevent the body from sinking, +when its brethren would have devoted their attention to its remains +instead of to the blubber with which the hooks were baited. + +We caught several in the same way. Each liver yielded almost its entire +weight of a fine fish-oil, undistinguishable from cod-liver oil, though +I do not know if it possesses the same qualities. Again a light breeze +from the eastward springing up, we made further progress. A hail from +the crow's nest announcing that a sail was in sight made us all look +out. Having a soldier's wind we were approaching each other from +opposite directions. As the stranger drew near we watched her with much +interest. Captain Hudson and the first mate were examining her through +their glasses. + +"If that's not the _Barentz_ it's her ghost!" exclaimed the captain. + +"It's a ship of her size, at all events," observed the mate; "she looks +as if she had spent a long time in the ice." + +The moment I heard this, my heart leapt with joy at the thought that we +should find our brother David on board, until I recollected the cairn +and the document he had left behind him. Could he, after all, have got +on board his ship, or could he hare been lost while she had escaped? + +As the wind was very light a boat was lowered, and Andrew and I having +jumped into her pulled away that we might as soon as possible learn what +had happened. We were soon clambering up the stranger's sides. On her +deck stood a gaunt and famished crew. As our eyes ranged over their +countenances we in vain sought that of our brother David. + +"What ship is this?" was the first question we put. + +"The _Barentz_," answered her captain, stepping forward. + + +"Is David Ogilvy on board?" inquired Andrew. + +"I regret to say that he is not," answered the captain, at once +quenching all our hopes. "He was on shore, when we were driven off the +land and afterwards carried northward, where we were beset in the ice +from which we have only just escaped. Had he been with us, the lives of +some of our poor people would have been saved, and the health of all +preserved." + +On hearing that our ship was the _Hardy Norseman_, the captain expressed +his wish to come on board in our boat, all his own having been lost, or +been rendered utterly unserviceable. I need not say that he received a +warm welcome, while Captain Hudson promised to supply him and his crew +with all the fresh provisions and antiscorbutics he could spare. The +captain of the _Barentz_ was much grieved on hearing of our fears of +David's fate. Still, as I looked at his ship, I could scarcely hope, in +her battered condition, that she would reach port in safety. + +Thus, had my brother remained on board it might have been his lot to +perish with all the rest. Captain Hudson suggested that he and his crew +should come on board. This he positively declined doing. Having got +his ship out of the ice and escaped after being shut up for two winters, +he fully believed that he should be able to take her home. Andrew again +went on board the _Barentz_ and prescribed for the sick men among the +crew. It was not until the next day, when a breeze sprang up, that we +parted company, little supposing at the time what was in store for us. +We now found ourselves constantly surrounded by dense mists which made +it difficult to avoid the enormous icebergs and floes, which floated on +the surface of the water. Happily for us, the sea was perfectly calm, +or broken into light wavelets by the gentle breeze. The ceaseless and +melancholy sound produced by the waste of ice disturbed the silence +which would otherwise have reigned over the ocean world. + +Sad and solemn was the picture presented to us by the unbroken +procession of icebergs, which, like the ghosts in Macbeth, floated by to +disappear in the warmer regions of the south. Constantly, too, there +came the roar of the ocean swell as it broke among the icebergs and +caverns, or the splash of water like a distant cataract as it fell from +the lofty summits of the bergs, mingling with the crackling noise +emitted by the masses of ice as they struck each other or their summits +were broken off. Sometimes an iceberg would overturn or the top come +hurtling down with a crash into the sea, covering the water with foam, +and sending the birds which had perched there flying in all directions +to seek a more secure resting-place. + +We were now never without the light of the sun. According to its +nearness to the horizon, the effects produced varied greatly. During +the night the sky was of a deep ultramarine, while the icebergs, clothed +with a rosy hue, appeared to have gone to sleep. Even the cascades from +the bergs ceased to flow, and few sounds broke the silence. Sea-gulls +and divers could be seen sitting round the edge of a floe with their +heads under their wings. The whole region presented a strange and weird +aspect. On we sailed, the icebergs at every mile becoming more numerous +and of larger dimensions. As I looked ahead it seemed impossible that +we could force our way between them, or escape being crushed by the vast +masses which ever and anon came toppling down from their summits, but +the desire to obtain a full ship lured us on. + +As the sun rising in the heavens sent down his warm rays, we could see +numerous seals basking on the floes, or on some projecting point of a +berg. Some of the boats were constantly engaged in shooting or +harpooning the creatures, while others were kept in readiness to go in +chase of the walruses which frequently made their appearance, though we +did not always succeed in getting near them, as, diving beneath a 'berg, +they did not rise again until the opposite side was reached. + +The mate and Croil were now perfectly recovered, and enabled to take a +part in everything going forward. Their services were required, for, in +consequence of the hands we had lost, we all had work enough to do. I +went in one of the boats, whenever I could get a chance. I was bound +otherwise to remain on board and assist in managing the ship while they +were away. Frequently we had enough to do, as we floated among the +bergs and floes, to escape those which came drifting towards us, driven +on by some under-current, more than by the wind. The broken state of +the ice induced our captain to believe that we should as easily get out +of it as we had made our way into its midst. He was more inclined to +this opinion, when we suddenly found ourselves in the open sea with +scarcely a floe or berg in sight. Had we met with whales we might have +cruised about in chase of them, and not proceeded further, but only a +few appeared ahead to the northward, and those we failed to kill. + +"Never fear, lads," said the captain as the boats returned on board, the +men looking blank at their want of success. "We shall fall in with +plenty more in the course of a day or so, or it may be in a few hours, +and we may still get a full ship, and be south again before the summer +days begin to shorten." + +The pack-ice, Captain Hudson told us, was this year much further north +than he had ever known it, but he thought that a good sign, and he hoped +to find lanes through which we might make our way into ponds seldom +reached by whalers, where we might kill the fish faster than we could +flense them. + +Voyagers during the Arctic summer day require sleep as much as at other +times, though often it has to be obtained at very unequal intervals. +Having been awake for the best part of twenty hours, I had turned in--I +don't know whether to call it one night or one day--when I was aroused +by a tremendous blow on the ship's bows, which made her quiver from stem +to stern. I was rushing on deck with my clothes in my hands, not +knowing what might happen, when I found that she was forcing her way +through a stream of ice, and that ice surrounded her on every side. A +strongish breeze was blowing, and the canvas was being reduced to +prevent another such encounter, which might produce serious +consequences. Finding that nothing was really the matter, I quickly +dived below again to put on my clothes, when I once more hurried on +deck. As I was looking round my eye was attracted by a dark object at +some distance on the starboard bow. I pointed it out to the captain, +whose glass was directed towards it. "It is a vessel of some sort. A +Russian or Norwegian sloop. She has been nipped probably, for she seems +to lie on the ice, out of the water; but whether her crew are still on +board, or have made their escape in their boats, it is hard to say." + +"We must go and ascertain," exclaimed Andrew; "our brother David was +taken off by a vessel of that description, and for what we can tell, he +may be on board." + +"It will be impossible to reach her," answered the captain; "there is no +lane leading in that direction. If you attempt to cross the ice it may +open at any moment, giving you little chance of escaping with your +lives." + +Still Andrew entreated that he might go, and proposed making an +expedition, three or four of us joining ourselves together by a long +rope. We consulted the boatswain, who at once volunteered to form one +of the party, as did Ewen and Croil. The captain, after ascending to +the crow's nest to examine the ice, gave us leave, and allowed us to +take one of the boats which would carry us part of the way, charging us, +however, not to delay a moment longer than was necessary. Quickly +procuring a long rope, we jumped into the boat and pulled ahead of the +ship, along a lane which opened out to the eastward. Our further +progress was soon stopped. Having fastened ourselves together at the +distance of four or five fathoms, each provided with a long pole, we +leapt on the ice, Sandy taking the lead, we three lighter ones followed, +and my brother brought up the rear. We had some hummocks to climb over, +but generally the surface was level, and we made rapid progress, but +still the sloop appeared much farther off than I had supposed. I saw +Sandy try the ice when he was doubtful of its consistency, as he went +along; but, satisfied that it would bear him and consequently any of us, +he pushed forward. + +I eagerly looked out expecting to see some people appear on the deck of +the sloop. As we drew nearer I uttered a loud shout in which my +companions joined, but no one replied. Could all those on board be +dead, or had she, as the captain supposed, been deserted? I asked +myself; and the dread seized me that we should find David frozen or +starved to death. Such things had too often occurred before, and might +have happened in this instance. In my eagerness I could not help +shouting to Sandy to go on faster. + +"More speed the less chance we shall have of getting there, my boy," he +answered, stopping to strike the ice in front of him with his pole. He +drove it through. "There, you and I should probably have had a cold +bath," he observed as he turned aside to find more secure footing. + +We had to make a considerable round to a sort of bridge, where two floes +had overlapped. We crossed safely, and now the sloop appeared not a +quarter of a mile ahead, her dark hull partly heeling over, and her +shattered mast standing out sharply against the white back-ground. The +distance was soon passed over. Once more we shouted out before we began +to clamber on her deck. Sandy and I, being the first up, eagerly looked +down into her after cabin. It was half full of water. No one could be +seen; so hurrying on to the other hatchways, we peered down them. It +was tolerably evident that no one, alive or dead, was there. So far, +then, our worst fears were not realised. + +"Look here!" said Sandy to me, "the crew may have made their escape in +their boats and have been picked up by another craft. See, the sails +are unbent and all the ropes carried off. If it was worth while getting +a wetting we should find that nothing remains of value below, either +fore or aft." + +That such was the case, a further examination fully convinced us. Still +Andrew and I would have been thankful if we could have discovered some +traces of our brother, should this have been the sloop he had got on +board. The boatswain, however, remarked that numbers of vessels of the +same description came northward during the summer, that it was just as +likely he had never set foot on her deck, and that we might find he had +got home safe before us. + +According to our promise, the instant our inspection was over, we +commenced our return journey. As the ice was becoming firm, we cast off +the ropes and separated from one another, each man taking his own +course. I thus got to a considerable distance from my companions. I +was still some way off the edge of the floe, though in sight of the +ship, and could make out the boat approaching to take us off, when up +started from behind a hummock a huge polar bear, which probably mistook +me for a walrus or seal, and therefore its lawful prey. My first +impulse was to run, instead of Standing still and facing my enemy as I +ought to have done. I had very nearly gained the edge when what was my +horror to see that the bear was within twenty paces of me. A glance +round showed me the boat, still some way off, while my companions were +at too great a distance to afford me assistance. I now did what I +should have done at first, stopped and rammed a bullet into my rifle. +The bear stopped also, sitting up on its haunches, to examine me more +particularly. Could I have got off my shaggy coat, I would have thrown +it at him, to attract his attention, for I guessed his next movement +would be to bound upon me and press me in his terrific embrace. All I +could do, however, was to throw my cap at him, when, dropping down on +all fours, he began to smell at it. Now was my time to fire a shot +which I hoped might kill him. Should I miss, I knew too well that I had +not the remotest chance of escape. Mustering all my nerve, I levelled +my rifle and pulled the trigger. The bullet must have gone through his +brain, for, without making another move, he rolled over and giving one +struggle was dead. + +I should have fallen on the ice and rendered thanks to heaven for my +preservation, but in reality I could not for some seconds move a muscle. +I could scarcely persuade myself that the huge monster, which had just +before appeared so terrible, was now a mass of flesh. + +The shouts of my companions in the boat who had seen the occurrence +aroused me, and, soon arriving, with the rest of the party, they hauled +the huge carcase on board the boat, and we returned in triumph to the +ship. + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +After visiting the unfortunate sloop, a fair lead appeared, with a pool +of considerable size to the northward. Making all sail we stood on, +hoping to find whales sporting within it. Before, however, we reached +the pool the wind dropped, and the boats were sent ahead to tow the +ship. This mode of progression was, however, before long rendered +impossible, by the closing of the floes. We had continued to warp her +along by carrying out ice anchors, and working the windlass. We looked +anxiously ahead, for the lane was becoming closer and closer, and it +seemed not impossible that we should be compelled to form a dock to save +the ship from being nipped. Saws were got ready, and every other +preparation made for cutting a space in the ice sufficient to hold the +ship. At length the captain seeing that the pool itself was +contracting, gave the word to commence the work. All hands were +required for the task, some used the saws, and others hauled away the +blocks as they were cut out. It was hard work, but no one grumbled, as +our lives might depend upon our getting it accomplished in time. +Scarcely was it finished, than the floes closed, not with such force as +we expected, but with quite enough to have crushed our stout ship into a +pancake. Instead of such being the case, we floated free from harm in +the basin we had formed. Here we were doomed to lie until the ice +should open again and set us free. Some dark objects, which we guessed +were seals, were seen on the edge of the pool. To employ our time, we +set off to try and kill some of them. + +Ewen had been eager to distinguish himself as a harpooner, and he and I +went together. Observing a couple of seals, we crawled towards them so +cautiously, that we got near enough, without waking them, to dart our +weapons. As we rose to our feet, I struck mine with all my force into +the head of the animal nearest me, almost pinning it to the ice. Ewen +was not so fortunate, for although he fixed his harpoon into the +animal's body, before he had time to take a turn with the line round a +rough point of ice near at hand, the seal plunged into the water, and +he, holding on to the rope, was dragged after it. + +I shouted out to him to let go, which, as may be supposed, he right +willingly did, and fortunately was able to catch hold of my line which I +threw to him, when I hauled him up safe again on the ice. His first +impulse was to look over the edge, hoping to recover the line, but that, +with the harpoon, had disappeared. + +"Thank you, Hugh, for saving my life," he said, "but I wish you could +have caught the harpoon and line, for I shall be laughed at as a +bungler." + +I did my best to console him, and Sandy, who soon afterwards came up, +assured him that many a now famed walrus and seal hunter had commenced +his career with equal want of success. + +Several other seals had been killed, and the rest having been frightened +away, as there was no chance of capturing any more, we commenced our +return, Ewen assisting me in dragging our prize to the boat. A few +hours after we got on board, once more the ice opened, and all sail +being made we stood on, our hopes renewed of being able to capture as +many whales as we required. + +"We shall have a full ship!" cried the captain, rubbing his hands as we +lay in the pool with a whale on each side, which had been killed within +an hour after we reached the open water. Others were spouting in all +directions, and two boats being away, it was hoped that we should have a +couple of fish ready to take the place of the others, the moment the +flensing was finished. But as I had already seen the rapid way in which +the ice changes its position in those regions, I was not too sanguine. +Scarcely had the blubber from the two whales been stored below, than the +ice was seen to be moving, and as the boats were towing up a third +whale, it began to close in on us, the large pool becoming a broad lane, +while other channels disappeared altogether. Notwithstanding this the +whale was brought alongside, and every effort was made to flense it +rapidly. Still the ice was coming closer and closer. A favourable +breeze just then sprang up, and a narrow lead which ran towards an +expansive pool opened out before us. By remaining where we were we +might get crushed before we could flense the whale, and with great +reluctance the captain ordered it to be cast off and sail made. + +We had not got a quarter of a mile, when, looking astern, we saw that +the spot where we had floated was one sheet of ice. + +"Better luck, next time," said our skipper, who was always anxious to +encourage the men. + +That luck however was not for us. The lead as we advanced became +blocked up with floating masses, some of them monster icebergs, amid +which we forced our way until the wind dropped. + +The boats were now sent ahead, some to tow, others to shove away with +long poles the ice which impeded our progress. At length we reached an +ice hole, when the boats being hoisted on board, we made sail, hoping to +find a lead on the opposite side, but we were to be disappointed--no +opening could be discovered. + +We, as usual, made fast to a floe, and the captain after a visit to the +crow's nest, expressed his intention of returning southward. + +The announcement was received with a cheer by the crew, but there was no +wind, and we had to wait for a breeze to carry us back the way we had +come. That way was, however, no longer open: the pools were lessening +in size, and in a few hours not a single spot of clear water could be +seen. + +Again and again the crow's nest was visited, but each time the same +report was brought. It was very evident that we were closely beset. +Still our brave captain did not despair, and promised that, should the +ice open again, it would not be his fault if the ship failed to make her +way through it. + +The object of the voyage, for the time, was entirely forgotten, all we +thought of was to effect our escape. Never for a minute night or day +was the crow's nest empty, some one being always on the look-out to +report the state of the ice. I frequently went aloft. Ice alone was +visible in whichever way I looked: here piled into immense masses, huge +fragments of glaciers detached from the neighbouring shores either of +Greenland or Spitzbergen; there broken hummocky slabs resting against +each other in every variety of form; or else vast level plains, over +which it appeared that a sleigh might travel for miles without +impediment; but water there was none, and I could scarcely hope that +that frozen expanse would ever again break up sufficiently to allow us +to force our way through. We knew that at all events we should have to +encounter, to the southward, the numberless icebergs and the dense floes +through which we had before passed. Had we found my brother David I +fancied that I should have been happy, but his fate was still shrouded +in mystery, and even if we escaped we should have to return without him. + +The sun now remained between two and three hours below the horizon, but, +short as was the night, the holes we had bored to obtain water were +frozen over in the morning. Still we hoped that an equinoctial storm +might break up the ice-fields and set us free. Before, however, we had +been many days in this position, a dark streak was seen to the +southward. + +"There's water there," observed the captain with confidence in his tone; +"it may be the open ocean." + +Almost immediately afterwards other tracks were seen indicating leads +through the ice, and at length some appeared so near that the captain +determined to open a passage through our floe to reach them by blasting +and sawing. Hope revived within us that we should get through. +Laborious as was the process, we persevered. Every fathom gained made +us fancy that we were so much nearer liberty. The wished-for storm at +length began to blow; the ice broke up. All the sail the ship could +bear was spread, and away we steered with her head to the southward. +What cared we now for the thundering blows received on her stout bows. +We were determined to be free. Freedom we believed we should obtain, +when to our dismay the first mate, who had gone aloft, announced a dense +floe with icebergs ahead: to run against, it would have ensured our +destruction, and we were compelled to steer to leeward of a floe, when, +furling all sail, we made fast to it. The wind falling, a dense fog +came on. The sounds which reached us showed that the ice was still in +violent commotion, and, in the hopes that a passage might be found, the +captain dispatched two of the boats to try and find a way. + +I went with the first mate. We had gone some distance, when he +announced that he saw an opening, and immediately headed the boat +towards it. Looking up we could see a huge iceberg towering above our +heads. We had great hopes that we had entered a lane through which the +ship might pass, but the thickness of the atmosphere prevented us from +seeing far ahead. The mate however was convinced that he was right, and +we were about to put back when again the wind began to blow with a +violence far greater than before, and the sea tossed and tumbled, moving +the mass of ice about in a manner which threatened our destruction. The +turbulence of the waters proved that the mate was correct in regard to +there being an open sea to the southward, and we bent to our oars with +all our strength, that we might return to the ship, and take advantage +of the opening. + +I remember that we were passing close under an iceberg, when I heard a +terrific crash, and all was dark, and I knew that I was beneath the +water. By a violent effort I rose to the surface, and the next instant +found I was clinging to the ice. The force of the sea threw me still +further on the berg until I was beyond the reach of the waves. + +My position was awful in the extreme. The snow began to fall, driving +against me with fearful force. I looked round but could nowhere see the +boat or my companions. I alone had been saved from instant death, to +perish, I believed, in a more lingering manner. + +I expected ere long to drop off into the sea or to be frozen to death, +still I resolved to struggle for life. How the time passed I could not +judge. Every moment seemed an hour. Looking round, the fall of snow +seemed lessened, and I caught sight of the ship. It appeared to me in +the indistinct light that she was being dashed furiously against the +berg, and that her destruction was inevitable. Should she founder I +knew that my chance of life was slight indeed. I felt inclined to slip +off and terminate my suffering at once, rather than attempt to cling on +until overpowered by the cold; but I felt that it was my duty to prolong +my existence to the last, and I did my best to secure myself by placing +my feet on a ledge below me. I was conscious, however, that my mental +and physical powers were both failing me. I looked for the ship, but +could nowhere see her. Had she, with my brother and all hands, +foundered? Such appeared too probable. Dreadful was the thought. I +was fast sinking into insensibility when I heard a hail, and on looking +down saw Sandy with an ice-pole in his hand, clambering up the berg +towards me. In another moment his arm was around my waist, and I knew +no more until I found myself in the boat and heard my preserver shout-- + +"Shove off, lads, he'll come round in time." + +Opening my eyes I saw that the boat was pulling away from the berg, but +I could nowhere perceive the ship. Were my fears then for her realised? +I wanted to ask Sandy, but it seemed as if the power to speak had left +me. Again and again I tried, but my lips refused to move. + +"What is it, laddie?" asked Sandy, perceiving the efforts I was making, +as he bent down his ear for a moment to my mouth. + +I managed to utter "The ship." + +"She's all right," he returned; "she managed to weather the berg, and is +now brought up to leeward of the floe, but she had a narrow scrape of +it, and we thought for certain that she'd be knocked to pieces." + +My mind felt greatly relieved, but Sandy having to attend to the +steering of the boat I could not again attract his attention. I was +anxious to know what had become of the boat. I did not suppose it +possible that she could have escaped. After some time I managed to +utter the word "boat" loud enough for him to hear me. + +"It is a sad business, the poor fellows are all lost. We saw the wreck +dashing against the base of the floe, and that drew our attention to +you. Although we saw you at a distance we at first took you for a +seal." + +I asked no further questions. Some twenty minutes or more passed away +before we reached the side of the ship. It was surprising that during +the time I did not perish from cold. I was hoisted on board, and Andrew +had me carried below immediately and put to bed with warm appliances to +my feet and chest. At first I suffered great pain, but at length I +began to feel a sensation of comfort and dropped off to sleep. I +afterwards found that Sandy's boat had not gone back to the ship as I +supposed, but that the foggy weather clearing off she had got under +weigh, hoping to find some channel, and that she had discovered the one +we were attempting to pass through when the mass of ice had fallen upon +us. + +On awaking I felt greatly recovered, but my brother would not allow me +to leave my bed. I observed that he looked very grave. I inquired if +anything had happened. + +"The loss of the first mate and the boat's crew is a serious matter," he +answered, "but our own position is critical in the extreme. We have +failed to get through among the icebergs, and are now passing through a +lead to the westward. It is possible that we may get out by it, but if +not we shall, too probably, be beset for the winter." + +"We'll get through, doctor, don't be cast down," exclaimed the captain, +who had overheard my brother's remark. "We must keep up the spirits of +the men, they're rather low at having lost so many of our ship-mates." + +I knew from the sounds that the ship was still making way. Sooner than +Andrew had expected I was all to rights. On once more going on deck, I +found that the captain was in the crow's nest, looking out for a further +lead, of which, from where I stood, nothing could be seen. There were a +few water holes and openings in the ice, none of them, except the one in +which we floated, being wide enough to admit the ship. The sun was +sinking towards the horizon, and a night of three hours' duration was +approaching. The captain on coming down ordered the ice-anchors to be +carried to the floe to windward, and the ship to be made fast. + +"We shall be out of this in a few hours, lads, I hope," he said. "The +ice will open again soon, though at present I see no lead to follow." + +Andrew sent me below soon after this. I was struck, when awaking at +night, with the perfect silence which prevailed everywhere. It was +evident we were not moving. The next morning when I went on deck, to my +dismay I found that the pool in which we floated was completely frozen +over. The crew were cutting away the ice from round the ship. It was +thick enough to bear them. While they were thus employed, the floes +around them began to move, emitting a rustling sound, or perhaps I might +liken it to a suppressed roar. The ice in the pool cracked in all +directions, and one slab was forced over another. The violence of the +movement increased on every side. We could see huge masses of ice +rushing together, one being piled over the other, until the appearance +of the surface became completely changed. Every moment it seemed as if +the ship herself would be nipped. The ice tumbled and tossed about in a +most fearful manner, filling the air with shrieks and howls, for I can +liken the noise it produced to nothing else. The hitherto level floes +became piled up into mountainous masses, towering many fathoms above the +deck. We could do nothing to preserve the ship. The captain, believing +that any moment might be her last, ordered the crew to bring their bags +and the provisions which we always kept ready for such a catastrophe up +on deck. Should the ship be crushed where could we go for safety? The +boats would be destroyed if placed on the ice. Though we might escape +to it, we could only expect to be utterly overwhelmed. + +We could now see water round us in various directions, but we were too +closely beset to obtain any chance, unless some lane should unexpectedly +open by which we might reach one of the pools to the southward. In +about a couple of hours, however, the commotion ceased, but as it did so +our chance of escape lessened. The cold became greater than we had yet +felt it, and every floe and mass of ice was soon securely bound +together. Although we had not had time to form a dock, one made by +nature had preserved us. + +Next day there was no change, except that the distant lanes and pools +appeared to be closed. Although our captain must have seen that there +was a great probability of our having to winter in the ice, he was +unwilling to dishearten the crew by preparations until it was absolutely +necessary. We, in the meantime, for the sake of taking exercise, made +excursions over the ice, generally accompanied by some dogs. + +Of course we carried our rifles, and Sandy, with some of the men, took +their harpoons, on the chance of finding a seal or walrus on the ice or +coming up to breathe through a water-hole. Ewen and Croil and I set off +from the ship one morning, expecting to shoot some snow-buntings or +other birds, or perhaps, should we get near a water-hole, to kill a +seal. We carried provisions with us, as the air invariably made us +hungry. The captain had charged us not on any account to lose sight of +the ship. We had gone on and on, looking back every now and then, +seeing her clearly enough. At last Ewen proposed that we should sit +down under the lee of a huge hummock and take our lunch. Croil and I +were perfectly willing to do this. We had finished our repast, which as +may be supposed did not take us very long, when Ewen, looking up, +exclaimed, "Where is the ship?" + +She was not to be seen. + +"Stay! I'll climb to the top of this ice-hill, and I shall soon make +her out from thence," said Ewen, placing his rifle against a block of +ice near the spot where he commenced his ascent. He found the task a +pretty hard one. + +"Perhaps we shall find it more easy on the other side," I observed to +Croil. + +We both moved on, looking out for a part which we could both more +readily climb up. We were not disappointed; it seemed so easy, indeed, +that, slinging our rifles over our backs, we made our way up, expecting +to meet Ewen at the top. We had nearly reached it, when we heard him +shout out-- + +"Hugh, Croil, take care. I see a large bear coming along; he'll be up +to us presently." + +We looked in the direction Ewen pointed, and there, sure enough, we saw +a large shaggy monster coming along leisurely, and sniffing the air as +if he had scented us. Croil and I waited until Ewen joined us. + +"We must shoot him, or perhaps he'll manage to make a dinner off one of +us," I exclaimed. + +"Dear me, and I left my rifle at the bottom of the hummock," cried Ewen. + +"Then stay where you are, and Croil and I will see what we can do," I +answered. "Should I miss, Croil, do you take a steady aim, while I +retreat and reload." + +This was agreed on, and we descended the hummock to a spot whence we +thought we could take a better aim at the bear. Just as we reached it, +what was our surprise to see Master Bruin seize Ewen's rifle and begin +to walk off with it, looking round cunningly as he did so, as if +perfectly aware that he was carrying off the means we possessed of +injuring him. + +"Fire! fire!" cried Ewen, "or I shall lose my gun." + +Ewen's voice made the bear stop, and I advanced as fast as I could, +being partially concealed by a projection of the hummock. Taking a +steady aim, I pulled the trigger. My bullet struck the bear on the +shoulder. He instantly dropped the rifle, and, turning round with a +fierce growl, bit at the wound, but did not attempt to run off. This +enabled me to reload. Fortunate it was that I had time to do so, for +Croil, not being a good shot, missed; when the bear, growling horribly, +and showing his teeth, began to move towards us; then, sitting up on his +hind paws, he looked about him to make us out more clearly. I told +Croil to reload and to stand by me with his rifle, that I might use it +should my next shot not take effect. I prayed that my aim might be +steady, and fired. Croil and Ewen raised a shout of joy as they saw the +bear roll over, kicking his legs in the air. We let him kick, while I +again got my rifle ready for action. We then advanced, intending to put +the bear out of its misery, while Ewen, slipping down from the top of +the ice-hill, ran to possess himself of his gun. The bear's struggles, +however, soon ceased, and we had not to expend any further powder and +shot upon him. + +"How are we to get him to the ship?" exclaimed Croil. + +"Where is the ship, rather?" I asked. + +"I saw her clearly enough from the top of the hummock," said Ewen. "I +was going to cry out when I saw the bear. We may drag the carcase part +of the way, and then get some of the men to come and cut it up, and +transport the remainder on their shoulders," said Ewen. + +This plan was agreed to; by going round the hummock we could see the +ship, though she appeared a long way off. We hoped, however, by +returning with so valuable a prize, we should be excused for having gone +further than we ought to have done. We found that it was no easy matter +to drag along the huge carcase over the ice, even where the surface of +the floe was perfectly smooth. At last we had to give up the task, but +how we were to find our way back to where we had left the bear was the +difficulty, as the fur could not be distinguished at any great distance. +At last Croil produced a red handkerchief from his pocket, which we +secured to the end of a pole we had carried for the purpose of trying +the ice. He then stuck it through the bear's body, with the iron head +fixed in the ice. Though the bear could not be seen, the handkerchief +could be distinguished at a long distance off. We were pretty well +tired when we got back to the ship, and the captain was beginning to +find fault with us for having gone so far, when we told him of the bear, +and he immediately sent four hands, under the command of Sandy, to bring +it in, or at all events the skin, and as much of his flesh as they could +carry. We three offered to set off with them, but I was secretly not +sorry when the captain remarked that we had taken enough exercise for +one day, and ordered us to go below and get some rest. + +It was getting dark when Sandy's party returned with our prize, cut up, +however, into bits. They were received with a cordial welcome, as all +hands were glad to get some fresh meat, which we had not tasted for many +a long day. + +CHAPTER SIX. + +Pretty well tired with the day's exertions, I turned into my berth. +Silence reigned round the ship: not a sea-bird's cry, not the slightest +sound from the ice reached us. I dreamed that I was once more at home, +climbing over the heathery hills of my native land, when I felt the ship +heaving and rolling, her stout timbers creaking and groaning, as blow +after blow was dealt on her sides and bows, while noises resembling +shrieks and howls came from every direction, filling the air. + +Slipping into my clothes I rushed on deck, where everyone else had gone. +Dawn had broken. A furious gale was blowing, and the ice, as far as +the eye could reach, was in violent commotion, while long lanes or broad +pools were opening out to the westward and southward. The captain +ordered as much sail as the ship could carry to be set. + +"We may yet get free, lads!" he cried. + +The announcement was received by shouts from the crew. They were +willing to encounter the onslaught of the floes, so that we could force +our way out through their midst into open water. The captain or Mr. +Patterson were constantly aloft looking out for leads, but I observed +that in spite of their anxiety to find these openings to the southward, +the ship's head was generally pointed to the west. At any moment, +however, we might find a channel open to the southward. We had long +lost sight of the coast of Spitzbergen, and were approaching that of +Greenland. Sometimes the lines led us even more to the northward, +towards some wide pool, from which no other channel was seen by which we +might escape to the open ocean. The course of the ship reminded me of +that of a hare, turning now to one side, now to the other, in her +attempt to escape from the dogs. Frequently we rushed against the ice +with a force which made every timber quiver. But the stout bows were +prepared for the shock, and the ice bounded off and the way was clear. + +Several days we continued to sail on, sometimes gliding smoothly through +the narrow lanes, at others rushing like a battering ram against the +floes which impeded our progress. Still, at the end of the time, we +appeared to be no nearer the moment of our escape than at first. Masses +of ice lay to the southward which closed up directly we began to +entertain hopes of reaching them, forming an impenetrable barrier across +the course we had to steer. + +Again the wind fell. For another day we struggled manfully, sawing and +blasting the ice to reach a pool beyond which clear leads were seen. +The night came down on us while we were secured to a floe. The next +morning the ice had closed round our ship, and we were once more in its +vice-like grasp. Observations were taken, and it was found that, +instead of being nearer the south after all our exertions, we, with the +whole mass of ice in which we were locked up, were drifting to the +northward. All hopes of escaping were abandoned. The broken and rugged +state of the ice prevented the possibility of our traversing it with +sleighs or dragging boats over it, either to the southward or to the +coast of Greenland. Between us and the far-distant shore we should +probably find an open space of water which, without the boats, it would +be impossible to cross. + +We had now to make up our minds to spend the winter in the ice, and wait +for the summer to get free, should the ship in the meantime escape being +crushed, a fate we knew full well might at any moment overtake her. We +were fast to a level floe of great thickness, almost smooth enough in +some places for skating, had we possessed skates to amuse ourselves. +The inevitable being known, our spirits rose; we formed plans for +passing our time and preparing the ship to enable us to endure the cold +of an Arctic winter; we even joked on our condition. Ewen suggested +that if we were to drift at the rate we were now going we might become +discoverers of the North Pole. + +So solid was the ice everywhere around it appeared to us that no further +damage could happen to the ship, and that all we had to do was to wait +patiently until she was liberated during the next summer. + +Cold as were the nights, the sun during the day made the air pleasant +when the weather was calm, if not almost too hot for exercise in our +Arctic clothing. As before, excursions were undertaken in search of +walruses and seals, with a slight hope of meeting with a whale, which +might come up to breathe in a pool. + +Sandy, Ewen, and I, with two other men, started from the ship; Ewen and +I carrying our guns, Sandy his trusty harpoon and line, the men +additional harpoons and spears, with a small sledge for dragging back +any large game we might kill. It was of the greatest importance to +obtain fresh meat to keep away that dreadful complaint, scurvy. + +We had crossed our floe, as we called the mass to which we were +attached, and were making our way westward in the direction of the land, +hoping that from the top of some hummock we might chance to see it. +Should the worst come to the worst, we must contrive to get there, and +look out for some of the people, who we had heard say are good natured +enough, though rather too fond of blubber to make them pleasant +messmates in a small hut. + +Ewen and I had dropped some way behind our companions, when we saw them +turn to the northward towards an ice-hole, which we had shortly before +discovered from the top of a hummock. We were about to follow, when +Ewen declared that he saw a bear in an opposite direction stealing along +amid the broken ice. + +We hurried on in the direction he had seen the animal, hoping soon again +to catch sight of it. An extensive hummock was before us: I agreed to +go round one side, while he took the other. I had parted from him +scarcely five minutes when I heard him utter a loud cry for help. I +hurried back, expecting to find that he had been attacked by the bear. +What was my dismay then to see neither him nor the bear, but I +distinguished a black spot just above the ice near where I had left him. +I rushed on, when I saw Ewen's head projecting out of a water-hole +while his hands were holding on to the ice. + +"Help me, help me, or I must let go," he shouted. Fortunately I had +brought a coil of light rope, which I carried over my shoulder. Undoing +it, I drew as near to the hole as I could venture. To tell him to catch +hold of the end would have been mockery; in attempting to do so he might +have sunk. I therefore made a bow-line knot, which I jerked over his +shoulders, he then first let go one hand, then the other, and while he +clung tightly to it, with considerable exertion, I managed to draw him +up out of the water. His rifle, when he fell, he had thrown from him, +so that except for the discomfort of being wet and the ill effects which +might arise, he was not the worse for the accident. Unwilling to lose +the bear, we continued our pursuit after it. If it had been in the +neighbourhood it had taken itself off, and we could nowhere discover it. + +We accordingly pushed on in the direction Sandy had taken, keeping at +the same time a look out for the bear, examining the nature of the ice +as we went along, to avoid another tumble through it. There had been a +slight fall of snow which enabled us to follow in his track, which we +fortunately discovered when at length reaching a hummock, we climbed to +the top to look out and ascertain how far he had got from us. + +"I see a black spot on the ice. It must be a man. Can anything have +happened to the others?" exclaimed Ewen. "He is coming this way." + +We descended and ran on to meet him. It was one of the men who had been +sent back, he said, to look for us, as the boatswain had become anxious +at our non-appearance. When he saw Ewen's condition, he advised that we +should go back to the ship, as it might be dangerous for him to remain +in his wet clothes. Ewen, however, insisted on going forward, declaring +that as long as he was in exercise he did not feel the cold. + +On crossing another hummock, we caught sight of Sandy with his +companions. They were bending over a hole in the ice, Sandy with his +harpoon prepared to strike at some object in the water. One of the men +made a signal to us to keep back. We guessed at once that Sandy +expected to find either a seal or a walrus rise to the surface, and was +eagerly waiting to harpoon it. We accordingly halted to see what would +happen. Presently Sandy stood up, holding his weapon ready to strike; +then down it came, and he and his companions seized the end of the line +and held fast. We rushed forward to their assistance, and arrived just +in time to prevent their being drawn into the water-hole or having to +let go the line. "Hold on, lads, hold on!" cried Sandy. "It's a big +bull walrus I suspect from the way the fellow tugs." Taking a spear he +advanced to the edge of the hole, when he plunged it into the body of an +object invisible to us; he then sprang back, and in another instant a +huge head and shoulders, with an enormous pair of tusks and flappers, +appeared above the surface. + +"Haul away, lads, haul away," he shouted, putting his hand to the rope +to give us his assistance, when out came, with a loud flop, a large +walrus. The creature on seeing us endeavoured to work its way on, +opening wide its jaws and threatening us with its tusks; but as it +advanced we ran back, until Sandy, taking the third spear, sprang +towards its side, into which he deeply buried the weapon, almost pinning +the animal to the ice. It still struggled violently, and as we had no +more spears I advanced towards it with my rifle, and shot it through the +head, when it rolled over perfectly dead. It was a prize worth having. +The difficulty would be to get it back to the ship. We rolled the body +on the sleigh, to which we secured it. + +We got on very well over the smooth ice, but when we arrived at a +hummock we had to exert all our strength to get the carcase up to the +top. We then let it roll down again to the opposite side. As we had a +good many hummocks to pass, our progress was slow, and the day was +waning when we caught sight of the ship. Sandy asked Ewen and me to go +forward and obtain assistance. This we very gladly did, for all the +party were pretty well worn out, and we felt that we could haul no +longer. + +I was also particularly anxious to get Ewen into his bed, as his +underclothing was still wet. On our arrival the doctor took charge of +him; and I volunteered to lead back four of the men, whom the Captain +had directed to go and assist Sandy. There was no time to be lost. The +sky had become overcast, and there was every appearance that we should +have a heavy snow storm. We little knew, however, what was coming. +Tired as I was, I set off with the men to try to find Sandy. I felt +pretty sure that I could steer a course to the spot where I had left +him, from having taken the exact bearings of the ship. Though we had +seen the ship in the distance, it was not so easy to distinguish three +men surrounded by hummocky ice. In a short time after we had set out, +the expected snow began to fall, and very heavily it came down. I was +afraid that, although we might find Sandy, we should be unable to drag +back the body of the walrus. This would be provoking after the +exertions we had already made. I was truly thankful when we at length +caught sight of our shipmates amid the falling snow. They gave a cheer +as we approached. The ship was no longer to be seen, and they, not +without reason, feared that they might have missed her; and they were +indeed, when we found them, steering a course which would have carried +them some way to the westward of her. It was a lesson to us in future +not to go far from home, unless in the finest weather, without a +compass. All hands immediately tackled on to the sledge, and we set off +as fast as we could move. I went ahead trying to make out the ship, but +the thickening gloom and the fast falling snow concealed her from sight. +At last I thought of firing off my rifle. No reply came. I fired +again and again. + +At length I heard the report of a musket followed by the boom of a big +gun. Both appeared much farther off than I expected, though I thought I +could judge the direction from which they came. I waited until my +companions approached and then led them on. I fired again and was +replied to from the ship. + +I was thankful when we got alongside and our prize was hoisted on deck. +Coarse as was the meat it was eaten with as much gusto as if it had been +some delicate luxury. + +While we were in the act of stowing away the blubber, the ship began to +move and the ice round us to heave. Every instant the motion increased, +and the scene I have before described was enacted but in a more fearful +degree. The ship groaned and strained, and the masts quivered as if +about to fall. The masses of ice on the outer floe began to break up, +and in a few seconds rushed over the more level parts, some remaining +with their edges towards the sky, others falling with tremendous crashes +and shivering into pieces. We could see some through the gloom rising +high above our decks, and we knew at any moment that they might come +toppling down upon us and crush the stout ship. Our sense of hearing, +indeed, told us more clearly than our eyes what was taking place. The +captain, in a calm voice, ordered the crew to make preparations for +quitting the ship. The boats were swung out on the davits, so that they +could be lowered in a moment, with sails, provisions, and tools ready to +put into them, while the men brought up their bags and blankets, and put +on their warm clothing. The doctor got his medicine chest ready; the +armourer opened the magazine and divided the arms and ammunition. Sacks +for sleeping in were added to the articles, and all stood waiting for +the order we expected every moment to receive to quit the ship. We +stamped about the decks in vain attempting to keep ourselves warm, for +no fires had been lighted, lest the stoves being overturned might set +the ship in flames. + +All night long the fearful uproar continued, the ice pressing with +greater and greater force against the sides of the ship. The carpenter +was ordered to sound the well. He reported that the water was rushing +in through unseen leaks. + +Should the ship sink our fate would be sealed. Our hope was that she +might be pressed up on the ice, and that the wreck might preserve us +during the winter. At daylight the pressure ceased, but out hope of +saving the ship was gone. On examination it was found that many of her +stout ribs were broken and her planks forced in, while she herself was +lifted several feet above the level of the ice. This made it probable +that instead of sinking, should a further pressure ensue, she would be +forced up altogether our of the water. We spent the rest of that +anxious day in making further preparations for quitting the ship. Yet +another night we remained on board, when in the middle watch we were +aroused by the boatswain's voice, summoning the men to leave the ship. +The fearful commotion of the ice showed that there was no time to lose. +The boats were lowered and dragged off towards the centre of the floe. +Every man knew what he had to do and worked steadily, and the articles +which had been prepared were placed near the boats. The crew worked +like a party of ants toiling backwards and forwards, struggling on with +loads on their backs, which under ordinary circumstances they could +scarcely have attempted to carry. Our fear was that the masts might +fall before our task was accomplished. Mercifully, time was given us. +Nothing of absolute necessity remained, and we were engaged in setting +up a couple of tents which might afford us shelter until we could erect +ice houses. + +As day broke we saw the masts of our ship swaying to and fro, while the +huge hull, as if by some mighty force below, was lifted up, and then +down they came, the foremast first, dragging the mainmast and mizen +mast, and the vessel lay a forlorn wreck on the top of the ice. + +"It is far better to have her so, than at the bottom of the sea, lads," +exclaimed Sandy, "so don't let us despair; though she'll not carry us +home, she'll give us stuff to build a house, and enough firewood to last +us through the winter. We're a precious deal better off than many poor +fellows have been." + +Not allowing the men a moment to think of their misfortunes, the captain +at once set them the task of building a house, partly from the planking +of the ship, and partly with ice. It consisted of an inner chamber with +two outer ones, and a long passage leading to it, and several doors, so +that the outer could be closed before the inner were opened. We had a +sky-light, made from a piece of double glass on the top, and a chimney +to afford ventilation and to allow the smoke to escape. While the men +were engaged in forming it, the captain, my brother, Ewen and I set off +to reach the summit of a berg with our sextants and spy-glasses, hoping +that from thence, while we took observations we might catch sight of the +Greenland coast. We carried with us also a small flag and staff, which +we might plant on the top should our expedition prove successful. + +The labour of walking over the hummocky ice was great, for though at a +distance it looked tolerably level, we had constantly to be climbing up +and sliding down elevations of considerable height. As the days were +getting short, we had little time to spare. We had to keep a look-out +also for holes which exist often in thick ice, kept open by whales and +other monsters of the deep which come up to breathe. + +"I hope that we may fall in with bears," said Ewen; "the chances are, +some old fellow will scent us out." + +"I shall be very glad to see them," answered the captain. "It would +prove that the moveable floes are already connected with the land ice, +as bears very seldom swim across a broad channel; but I fear that this +immense field on which we stand is still drifting northward, and that +none will venture off to us." + +At last we got to the foot of the berg for which we were aiming, and +commenced its ascent. + +"Why it's a mountain and not an iceberg!" cried Ewen. "I see rocks +projecting out of it." + +The captain laughed. + +"Those are mere stones sticking to it," observed Andrew; "they were torn +off when the berg was separated from the glacier of which it once formed +a part. Vast rocks, far larger than those we see, were at one period of +our globe's history, carried over the surface to great distances, and +deposited in spots where they are now found, while the marks produced by +the bergs are still visible in many localities. If this berg were to be +stranded on some distant shore, it would gradually melt leaving the +rocks it carries behind it, which a geologist would perceive had no +connection with any strata in the neighbourhood, and he would, +therefore, at once justly conclude that the rocks had been brought to +the spot by a berg." + +These remarks were made as we stopped to rest on our way up. We +quickly, however, continued the ascent. Andrew, who carried the flag, +was first to reach the top, and, waving it above his head, shouted +"Land, land!" then, working away with an axe, he dug a hole in which he +planted the staff. + +We all soon joined him, when, descending a short distance, the captain +surveyed the distant coast, now turning his glass horizontally, now up +at the sky. I asked him what he was looking at. + +"Curious as it may seem, I can see the shape of the mountains in the sky +better than by directing my glass at them; besides which I observe a +dark line which indicates a broad channel running between us and the +land ice. It shows that I am right in my conjectures, and that the +field is still moving northward. It must come to a stop one day, and +when it does we must be prepared for even more violent commotions than +we have yet experienced." + +The captain calculated that the land we saw was nearly thirty miles off, +and that the channel ran about midway between us and it. + +It was a question whether we should attempt this long journey during the +autumn, or wait for the return of spring, spending our winter in our +houses on the ice. The point could only be decided when the field +ceased to move. One thing was certain, it would be impossible to get +the boats over the hummocky ice, and thus we must depend upon our feet +to reach the shore, while we dragged our stores after us. + +"We must wait no longer here, lads," said the captain who had just +finished his observation. "If we do we shall be benighted, and may have +to spend a long night without shelter." + +We hurried down the berg and directed our course towards the ship, but +whether or not we should reach her appeared doubtful. + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +It was evening when we got back to the encampment. On casting our eyes +towards the ship, her appearance, as she lay overlapped with masses of +ice on her beam ends, could not fail to produce a melancholy feeling. + +"She'll never float again!" exclaimed the captain with a sigh. "We must +make the best of things, however, as they are." + +The men had progressed with the house. It was already habitable, though +much more was to be done to enable us to bear the piercing cold of an +arctic winter. + +Next day was employed in getting everything out of the ship, which could +be reached, likely to be useful, as she could no longer afford us a safe +shelter. We began to cut away the bulwarks, the upper planks, and +indeed all the wood we could get at, to serve for fuel as well as to +strengthen the house. While thus employed, the fearful sounds from +which we had for some time been free, again assailed our ears. There +was a sudden movement of our floe, while all around us, and especially +to the northward, we could see the ice heaving and tumbling, huge masses +falling over, and floes rising one above another. Should our floe be +subject to the same violent pressure, a slab might slide over it and +sweep us to destruction. Even should some of the more active manage to +climb to the top, our house and boats and stores must inevitably be +lost, and those who might have escaped at first would, ere long, be +frozen to death. + +The hours we thus passed, not knowing at what moment the catastrophe +might occur, were terrible in the extreme. To work was impossible. At +length, however, the disturbance ceased. The intense cold quickly +congealed the broken masses together, and we were able to turn in and +sleep soundly. + +The next day all was quiet. The captain was of opinion that we should +move no further north, and that, should our floe become detached, we +might expect to drift to the southward. + +The captain's observations showed that at present we were stationary, +but it was still doubtful whether our floe was or was not united to the +main body. The captain, Mr. Patterson, my brother, the boatswain and I, +had been discussing the subject one evening as we sat in the hut, and +were afterwards talking of the Aurora Borealis when I agreed to go out +and ascertain if any of peculiar brilliancy was visible. + +On emerging from the hut, I gazed up at the sky. An Aurora was blazing +brilliantly, forming an irregular arch, from which showers of rays of +many colours spread in every direction. I was watching it with intense +admiration, and was intending to go back and call my companions, when +one of the dogs which had followed me gave a loud bark. It was answered +by a growl. Looking over the ice I saw two enormous shaggy monsters, +who, sniffing the air, advanced cautiously towards me. The brave dog +dashed forward. In vain I called him to return. + +Satisfied that our visitors were Polar bears which must have come from +the main land, I hurried back, closing the door behind me to prevent +them from entering. The captain, mate, and my brother seized their +rifles, as I did mine, hoping to kill one or both of the intruders. As +we opened the door, a loud cry uttered by a dog reached our ears. One +of the bears had seized the animal and was carrying him off, satisfied +with his prize. The other was creeping on towards the hut. Our bullets +quickly settled him, and he rolled over. We then gave chase to the +other who was carrying off the dog, but we were compelled to stop and +reload, and by the time we had done this, so rapidly did the animal run +that he was far beyond our reach, and all hope of rescuing our canine +companion was over. We regretted the loss of the brave dog. It was a +lesson to us not to let the others loose until we were ready to assist +in attacking any similar visitors. The bear was quickly skinned and cut +up. The skin would serve us for clothing, the fat for fuel, the meat +for food. This visit of the bears showed us that the field of which our +floe formed part must be attached to the land-ice. Our captain being +anxious to visit the shore, intending, should a favourable spot be +found, to form our winter quarters on it--we agreed to set out the next +morning. + +Much to our disappointment, when the time came, the captain was unable +to go. He was very unwell, and my brother forbade him to take the +journey. As he did not improve, Andrew was unable to leave him, and it +was finally settled that the mate, Sandy, Ewen, Croil, another man, and +I should form the party to proceed to the land. We had a small sledge +which had been manufactured some time before. To this we attached our +remaining dogs, and loaded it with stores of ammunition and provisions, +including food for the dogs. Each of us carried also a small load as +well as our rifles and long poles to assist our progress. Our +companions cheered us as we set off, several accompanying us part of the +way from the camp. We were by this time pretty well accustomed to +travelling over the ice, but we had great difficulty in making our dogs, +who had not been well trained, pull together, and the mate, losing +patience, declared that he would rather drag the sledge himself, and +that he wished the dogs back again. + +"If he were to try it for half an hour he would change his tone," +observed Sandy to me; "the doggies will get along well enough in a few +days." + +"In a few days!" I exclaimed, "I thought that we should get to the +shore by night-fall." + +"Many a night will fall before we reach it," answered Sandy. "If we +could go in a straight line over smooth ice, at a jog trot, the case +would be different. We shall have to make our way in and out among the +bergs and hummocks, and maybe to take a long circumbendibus to avoid any +waterholes in our course; we are very likely to fall in with some, solid +as the ice appears hereabouts." + +I soon found that Sandy was perfectly correct in his prognostications. +For the early part of the first day we got on well enough. We had our +choice of climbing over numerous ridges from ten to twenty feet in +height, or going round until we could find a passage between them. We +had thus made less than three miles when the night closed in on us. We +then put up our tent, lighted our lamp, and crept into our sleeping +sacks. Though our quarters were rather close, we were more comfortable +than I could have supposed possible. We had a long night, and with the +first streaks of dawn, having breakfasted inside our tent on coffee +boiled over the lamp, we again proceeded. Our dogs, I should have said, +slept outside, and they formed a sufficient guard to give us notice +should any bears approach. + +The next day we made even less progress than on the first, though we met +with no accident to hinder us. Sometimes we dragged the sledge over the +hummocks, and sometimes we went round them, the dogs preferring the +former method, as while we toiled they sat up on their tails watching +our proceedings with infinite satisfaction. + +The next night I was awakened by hearing a rustling sound, which I +guessed was snow falling, but I soon dropped asleep again forgetting all +about it. In the morning I saw that the sides of the tent were +considerably pressed in, and on drawing aside the curtain which closed +the front, a mass of snow fell inside. Looking out, what was our dismay +to find that we were entirely surrounded. Travelling which was before +difficult would now be doubly so. However, on further examination we +found that, having chosen a sheltered spot under a hummock, the snow had +drifted round us. + +We easily, therefore, forced our way out, roused up the half-buried +dogs, whose noses showed their whereabouts, and having taken our morning +meal doubled up our tent and then trudged forward, Sandy leading. We +followed in line, thus making a path for the dogs who without difficulty +kept up with us. Before long we came to a berg from which extended +north and south a line of hummocks. It seemed to bar further progress. +To ascertain which course to pursue, we agreed to climb to the top of +the berg, leaving Ewen and Croil to take charge of the sledge. The +mate, Sandy, and I, at once commenced the ascent. It was no easy work, +and we ran great risk of slipping down again and breaking our limbs. +Still, by persevering, the top at length was gained. We could see the +land very clearly to the westward, and between it and us the ice +appeared far more level than any we had hitherto passed over. To the +north it was utterly impracticable. To the southward we discovered a +passage which we hoped to reach in the course of the day. The mate's +belief was that we were close upon the land-ice, and that by pushing on +we could reach it by nightfall. + +Having made these observations we prepared to descend, but we found that +the chance of falling when doing so would be far greater than when +ascending. It appeared, however, from where we stood, that there was a +slope on the southern side where we might get down with comparative +ease. There was, however, a projecting ledge which must be knocked away +before we could reach the slope. We had brought ropes with us, and +Sandy passing one round his waist, begged the mate and me to hold it at +the other end while he advanced with his staff at the point of which he +had secured a huge lump of ice. Using this us a sledge hammer, he began +knocking away at the ledge, and after a few blows the whole mass giving +way went thundering down the slope. + +"It's just as well to clear that off," he observed, "or it might have +come down on our heads." + +This was the more likely when he told us that he had observed a deep +crack, which had induced him to make the attempt to knock the ledge +away. + +We now descended and rejoined Ewen and his companions, who had been +greatly alarmed at seeing the mass of ice come rattling down, supposing +that some accident had happened to us, while they had with difficulty +restrained the dogs from galloping away from them. + +We now directed our course southward, and were not disappointed in +finding a passage through the hummocks, which enabled us to get on the +smoother land-ice. We had, however, soon to camp. To render our tent +warm, having cleared away the snow, we built a wall round it which +sheltered us from the wind. + +On the evening of the second day after this, we reached the shore, which +rose bleak and barren before us. Yet it was a satisfaction to set our +feet on firm ground. We landed in a small bay, the shore for a short +distance shelving up to the foot of the cliffs, which--as they extended +round to the east--would, we agreed, afford us shelter from the more +bitter blasts of winter. The rocks were bare and rugged. Here and +there a few lichens appeared, which to our eyes, long unaccustomed to +anything of a green tint, seemed very pleasant. + +"This will do!" cried the mate, "if our shipmates can reach this, we may +pass the winter far better than we should have done on the open floe." + +As we had but a few more minutes of daylight, we hurriedly pitched our +tent on a level spot close under the rocks, piling up the snow around it +as before. + +The mate was anxious to return at once with the news of our success, and +to guide the party to the shore. He hoped, with a good night's rest, to +be able to set off early in the morning, and to perform a great part of +the distance before night-fall. + +Sandy suggested, that it would be as well if some of us remained, as it +would be necessary to carry but few articles on the sledge, and the dogs +would the more easily perform the journey. He offered to go with Ewen +and Croil, but to this the mate would not agree, and announced his +intention to set off with Croil, leaving the rest of us to build a snow +hut for the reception of the party. + +We had brought, I should have said, a couple of lamps with sufficient +oil. We were therefore provided with one of the chief necessaries of +life. We hoped also to shoot a bear, or perhaps some birds, to increase +our stock of provisions. + +When morning returned, however, a storm was blowing outside the bay, +though within we were tolerably sheltered from its fury. To have +attempted to cross the ice while it continued would have been madness. + +The mate and Sandy therefore assisted us in putting up a hut. We had +abundance of snow from a drift collected on the opposite side of the +bay, though we soon exhausted that which lay immediately round us. The +storm, however, increased to such an extent that we were compelled to +take shelter within our tent, which, had it not been surrounded by a +snow wall, would inevitably have been blown down. As we sat crowded +together in our tent, waiting for the cessation of the storm, the +howling and roaring of the wind among the rocks in no way served to +raise our spirits, but rather increased the gloomy forebodings of evil +which stole over us. + +The mate announced his intention of taking a look round, to see what +prospect there was of the weather clearing. + +"Stay here, lads," he said, taking up his gun, "there's no reason why +you should be exposed to the cold. I'm more accustomed to it than you +are." + +"Not more than me, sir," said Sandy; "I'll go with you, if you like." + +"No, no, boatswain. You stay and look after the others. You are older +than I am, at all events, and require more rest." + +Saying this the mate went out and closed the door of the tent. + +Ewen, Croil, and the seaman were asleep. Sandy and I talked on for some +time. + +"Wonder the mate doesn't come back," said the boatswain. "I'm afraid +something has happened to him. He can't have lost his way on the ice, +but he may have slipped over a rock, or into a seal hole, if any are to +be found close in shore." + +We waited a little longer, and at length Sandy, starting up, exclaimed, +"We must go and look for him." + +Just then our ears were saluted by a loud roar, which made the rest of +the party jump up. We all hastened out. No one was to be seen. + +"Where did the sound come from?" asked Sandy. "I thought it was quite +near." + +"From the other side of the rock," I answered. + +We hastened towards the spot, in the direction to which I pointed. We +all had our guns in our hands ready for an encounter with a bear, which +we expected to see. What was my horror on getting round the rock to +discover the mate on the ground, a huge shaggy monster standing over +him. We crept on, afraid, should we shout, that the bear might carry +off his victim. Whether the mate was dead or alive, we could not tell, +but he lay perfectly still. Sandy was leading, but he was not a +first-rate shot, and I would rather have trusted to my own rifle. At +last the bear made a movement, and Sandy, thinking he was going to bite +the mate, fired, but he only wounded the animal in the back. What was +my horror to see it seize the mate by the body and scamper off with him. +We all fired, but dared not aim at the animal's head, believing that +the mate was still alive, for fear of killing him. I stopped to reload, +as did Ewen. + +"After him, lads," shouted Sandy, but the bear was far too fleet for us +to overtake, and to our grief and dismay disappeared with his victim +behind the rocks to the northward. + +We searched in vain for our companion. Though we traced the way the +bear had gone by the crimson stains on the white snow, it convinced us +that the poor mate was killed. To follow further would have been +useless. With sad hearts we returned to our tent, almost frozen by the +cold blast, to spend the most melancholy night we had yet passed. + +We had now to settle on our future proceedings. Sandy had become the +leader of the party. He proposed returning to the ship, but none of us +wished to be left behind, and preferred rather to undergo the toils and +risks of the journey than to remain on shore. But of this Sandy would +not hear. He declared that he could go very well with only one of us, +and that the other three by remaining--I acting as officer--could manage +well enough by ourselves. + +At last I gave in, and Sandy with the seaman set off as soon as the wind +had abated. We watched them as they made their way over the plain of +ice, their forms diminishing into mere dots, then finally disappearing. +We in the meantime were working away to complete our hut and to render +it as habitable as possible. The flesh of the bear we had killed +afforded us an ample supply of food, while the fat served to increase +our stock of fuel. There was probably drift-wood on the shore, but +except a few pieces which stuck up above the snow, we could obtain none. +We took care of every scrap we could find, not to burn, but to +manufacture into such articles as we might require. In the crevices of +the rocks we discovered some low creeping plants which in any other +region would have been bushes, but were here a mere collection of twigs, +no thicker than our little fingers, just appearing above the ground. We +agreed that each should take certain duties, and it was settled that +Croil should stay at home and look after the hut, employing himself in +either cooking or scraping the bear's skin to make it fit for use as a +covering. Should we kill a sufficient number of bears, we intended to +fasten the skins of some of them together so as to form a roof to our +hut, while others would make great-coats or bed coverings. + +Soon after Sandy and his companion had departed, Ewen and I took our +guns both for the sake of exercise and to try and shoot bears, +reindeers, or musk oxen which we thought it possible might be found in +that region. We were not aware that the latter animals had migrated +southward by that time, or indeed that they were likely to be found only +on level ground where the depth of the snow was not sufficient to +prevent them from getting at the moss or lichens beneath. I was +thankful to have Ewen as my companion. He had greatly improved since he +came on board and showed that he possessed qualities which I did not +before suspect, so that I felt for him as I should for a brother. The +atmosphere had become calm and comparatively warm though the snow +remained hard and crisp. + +Ewen and I kept under the cliffs and were tempted to make our way much +further south than we had hitherto gone, in the hopes of discovering +some opening into the interior of the country. We at last reached a +part of the cliffs where, though very rugged, they were less precipitous +than in other parts. The sun was sinking behind them, but we still had +abundance of daylight for exploring. Ewen offered to climb to the top +in the hopes of obtaining an extensive view and perhaps of finding level +ground where we should have the chance of finding deer or oxen. There +was no reason why we should both run the risk, for a risk there was, +though a slight one. + +"Let me make the attempt alone, while you remain below, and point out to +me the best path to take," he said. + +I did not much like to do this, but he declared that if I insisted on +going he would give up the expedition. As I saw the sense of his +proposal, I consented, and he commenced climbing up, rifle in hand. He +had gone some distance when I saw a creature creeping along the rocks +above his head, and directly afterwards, as it came more into sight, I +saw that it was a huge bear. I shouted to him, to draw his attention to +it, should he not have discovered the animal. He stopped and began to +descend to a position from whence he could take a steady aim at the +monster, should it come within his reach. What was my horror directly +afterwards to see two other bears crawling out from among the rocks by +which they had hitherto been concealed, evidently having discovered him. +It seemed impossible that he should escape. I shouted to him, when he +again began clambering up the rock. To my dismay, as he did so the +first bear crawled down and seated itself on a point so as to intercept +him. + +The two other creatures got closer and closer with the evident intention +of seizing him. I trembled for his safety, and hurried to the nearest +spot from which I could take a steady aim. + +"Never mind the fellow above you," I shouted. "If you will shoot the +ere nearest to you, I will manage the other, and we will then tackle the +third if he attempts to come down." + +I could well enter into Ewen's feelings. It was surprising, in the +perilous position in which he was placed, that he should have retained +any presence of mind. + +Following my advice, he sat himself down on the rock and took aim, +waiting until I should fire. + +"Now!" I cried, and we both pulled our triggers at the same moment. + +I own that I trembled lest either one or both of us might miss, in which +case it seemed impossible that he should escape destruction. As the +smoke cleared away from before my eyes, I saw the bears in motion, but +instead of advancing they both fell back and came tumbling down the +cliff close to where I was standing. I rapidly loaded, as did Ewen. We +had still another antagonist to contend with, whom he must tackle alone, +for I could not help him. + +Just as I expected to see the bear crawling down the rocks to seize my +friend, to my infinite satisfaction, the creature, alarmed by the +reports, turned tail and began clambering up the cliff. + +I shouted to Ewen not to shoot, as, should he only wound the bear, it +might in its rage turn and attack him. I also had to look after one of +the others, who though wounded, was not dead, and recovering from its +fall, was looking about apparently for the foe who had injured it. On +espying me it began to advance, growling furiously. As blood was +flowing from behind its shoulder, I hoped that it might soon drop, but +in the meantime it might tear me to pieces, and perhaps treat Ewen in +the same way. To run from a bear is at all times very dangerous, unless +to gain protection of some sort at no great distance; for the bear-- +clumsy as it looks--can run much faster than a man. I, therefore, +having reloaded my rifle, stood with it ready to send a shot through the +animal's head. I waited until the wounded bear was almost close upon +me, and I could not refrain from uttering a shout of satisfaction as it +rolled over perfectly dead. Ewen in the meantime, approaching the +other, had finished it by firing a bullet through its head. + +"I wish that we had the sledge to take home the meat and skins," +observed Ewen, "but we must carry as much as we can." + +Our fear was that, should we leave the meat, other bears, of whom there +appeared to be a whole colony in the neighbourhood, would come and +devour it. We managed to get off the skins, which were likely to prove +most valuable to us; and, loaded with them and a portion of the meat, we +returned to the hut, where we found Croil anxiously looking out for us. +He too, had seen a couple of bears moving across the bay, and was afraid +that we might have been attacked by them, and suffered the fate of the +poor mate. + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +We now waited in anxious expectation for the arrival of our shipmates, +but they did not appear. The days were getting shorter, the nights +longer. The cold was increasing. Often and often we gazed out over the +ice. As far as we could judge no change had taken place in it. A vast +snow-covered plain, with here and there mountainous heights of ice could +be seen extending as far as the horizon. Unfortunately we had not +brought a telescope, or we thought that we might have discovered our +friends. At length we began to entertain the most serious apprehensions +as to their fate. + +We had one evening turned in, and, having closed the door of the hut, +had lighted our lamp and composed ourselves to sleep, when Ewen roused +me up. + +"I heard a shout!" he exclaimed, "they must be coming." + +We slipped into our day clothing, and hurried out, carrying our rifles +in our hands, for we never moved without them. + +Again there was a shout: we replied to it with all our might. Some one +was evidently approaching. More clearly to show our position, I fired +off my rifle, and sent Croil in to light a small piece of drift-wood the +only thing we possessed to serve as a torch. Again and again we +shouted: at length we caught sight through the gloom of night of some +dark spots moving over the snow. + +"Hurrah!" cried Ewen, "there are our shipmates!" Soon after he had +spoken I discovered three of the dogs dragging the sledge and two men +following them. The one was Sandy, the other Hans the seaman. + +Hurrying forward we led them up to the hut. Sandy could scarcely speak. + +"We are well-nigh starved, and I thought we should never get back," he +said at length. + +"Where are our shipmates? Why haven't they come?" I asked. + +"I'll tell you all about it when we have had some food and rest. Can +you give us something to eat?" + +"Plenty," I answered, leading him and Hans into the hut, while Ewen and +Croil unharnessed the poor dogs, who looked well-nigh famished. Ewen +gave them some bears' flesh, and they devoured it with a greediness +which showed that they had gone long without a meal. + +We soon had some slices of meat frying on our stove and some snow +melting. After the two weary travellers had eaten, and drank some hot +coffee, Sandy gave us the alarming intelligence that he had been unable +to reach the camp. On arriving at the edge of the land-ice, what was +his dismay to discover a wide gap between it and the field in the midst +of which our friends were encamped, and which was in motion drifting +southward. Still, hoping that it might again come in contact with the +land-ice, he determined to move in the same direction. He caught sight +indeed of a flag and what he took to be a portion of the wreck, though +at so great a distance that he did not suppose the sound of his rifle, +which he fired off, would be heard. No object indeed would have been +gained had it been so, as it would have been impossible for one party to +communicate with the other. For two days he followed the floe, but the +distance between it and the land-ice increased. At length the ice over +which he was travelling became so rough that he could proceed no +further; he lost sight of the floe and its living freight, and was +reluctantly compelled to return for want of food. One of the dogs gave +in and it was killed and eaten. The last morsels had been consumed the +day before he and Hans reached the hut. Their joy at finding us still +there may be imagined, for had we by any chance fallen in with natives +and accompanied them to the south, they fully expected to perish. + +As soon as the meal was over, the two weary travellers lay down to +sleep. Croil imitated their example, while Ewen and I sat up by the +light of the lamp, I mending clothes and my friend engaged in preparing +a small tub for holding bear's grease to serve us for fuel. Our +conversation naturally took a melancholy turn. The thought that the +floe on which were my brother and his companions might be dashed to +pieces, and that they would perish miserably, was painful in the +extreme. We thought more of them, indeed, than of ourselves, though our +position was truly perilous. Our only shelter during the intense cold +of an Arctic winter was an ice hut. Hitherto the bears we had shot had +afforded us food and fuel; but they might take their departure, and we +should then have no other food on which to depend, until the return of +spring should enable us to kill walruses and seals. No ships, even in +the summer, were likely to penetrate so far north, for few whalers had +got so near the pole as the _Hardy Norseman_ had done, and destruction +had overtaken her. + +"Still I have heard that people have wintered in Nova Zembla and +Spitzbergen, even with fewer means of supporting themselves than we +possess," observed Ewen. "We must not despair, Hugh, but trust in God; +Sandy's return to us is greatly to our advantage; for with his harpoon, +when our powder is expended, he will be able to kill seals, and furnish +us with food." + +"I am thinking of my brother Andrew, and the hopelessness of finding +David," I replied. + +"But we do not know that he and the rest of the party are lost, and if +your brother David is alive he may still make his escape wherever he may +be." + +At last Ewen and I, having trimmed the lamp that it might keep alight, +and maintain sufficient warmth in the hut, carefully closed the door and +lay down to sleep. + +There was no necessity for keeping a watch as was the case on the floe, +nor had we the dread of an attack from hostile natives, for no human +beings were likely to come near us. We should have been heartily ready +to welcome any Esquimaux should they find us out. + +I awoke at the usual hour, just before day-break, and getting up trimmed +the lamp which had almost gone out, and set to work to prepare breakfast +for my companions. + +After a time I called up Ewen and Croil, but we allowed Sandy and Hans +to sleep on, keeping the breakfast ready to give them the moment they +should awake. It was noon before they opened their eyes, when having +taken the food we offered them they fell asleep again. It was several +days, indeed, before they got over the fatigue of their journey. + +Sandy, when once himself again, was as anxious as any of us to make +preparations for passing the winter. We talked of pushing southward to +seek a more level region, but the lofty hills in the distance, without +the appearance of any spot on which we could land, made us hesitate. As +the days were now only of three hours' duration, we feared that we +should not have light for more than a very short journey, and it was +impossible to endure the cold for any length of time after the sun had +gone down. We had already a good supply of bear's meat, but it was +important to get more. Our store we had buried in a pit close to the +hut, so that no roving bears could get at it. They are in no way +particular, and would quite as readily feast on the flesh of their +relatives as on any other meat. We had frequently seen their tracks +made during the night close outside the hut, but they must have taken +their departure, like spirits of another world, before dawn. They were +not as hungry at this time of the year as they would be further on, when +no seals were to be caught and the deer and other animals had migrated +southward. At length the sun sank beneath the horizon, not again to +rise until the end of a long winter's night. The cold too had become so +intense that we could only keep ourselves warm in the hut with the door +closed and the lamp alight, but then it was almost too hot. We had, +therefore, to make a window through which we could admit fresh air, +without the necessity of opening the door; but when there was any wind +we were obliged to fill up the aperture with snow, for the smallest +orifice admitted a draught of air which pierced the hand like a needle +when held up to it. The poor dogs had to be taken inside, for though we +had built kennels for them close to the hut, there was a great risk of +their being carried off by bears while we were asleep. Those "monarchs +of the realms of ice," as they are poetically called, had scented us +out, and scarcely an hour passed but one made his appearance. Sometimes +they got off, though we killed no inconsiderable number, thus adding to +our stock of food, while their skins enabled us to make our beds as warm +as we could desire. At length, however, they became more daring and +troublesome, so that none of us could go out of the hut alone lest we +should be carried off. + +We had expended by this time so much of our powder that we had resolved +to use no more of it until the return of spring, when we should require +it on our journey southward. + +How the winter went by I can scarcely describe. We had no books, but +were never idle, being always employed in manufacturing articles with +our knives, either from bones or pieces of drift-wood, or making shoes +and clothing from the bears' skins. + +We were thus employed, having opened the window to admit some fresh air, +and a few rays of the returning light of day, when, looking up, what +should I see but the snout of a bear poked through the aperture, +evidently enjoying the odours arising from some steaks frying on our +stone. + +Not at all disconcerted by the shouts we raised, for the sake of getting +the savoury morsels, he began scraping away at the snow walls, in which, +with his powerful claws, he could speedily have made an alarming breach. + +Sandy, jumping up with his harpoon, which he had been polishing, in his +hand, darted it with all his might at the bear. Fortunately his weapon +did not stick in the animal's throat, or he might, I confidently +believe, have pulled down the whole structure in his struggles. + +Uttering a roar of pain, the bear started back. His roar was repeated +by several other bears outside, who must have joined it from sympathy, +echoed by the dogs from the inside, who jumped about eager to attack +their foes. + +Ewen was about to open the door, when Sandy stopped him. + +"Let us see how many of these gentlemen there are outside, for I've a +notion there are more than we should wish to tackle," he observed. + +He and I looked out of the window, when we saw no less than three huge +bears close to the hut, while the fellow we had wounded and several +others were visible further off, watching the proceedings of their +friends, whose evident intention it was to break in if they could, to +eat the savoury steaks we were cooking, and us into the bargain. +Notwithstanding our intention of not using our fire-arms, we must either +kill the baars if we could not drive them off, or run the risk of being +torn to pieces by them. + +As they seemed resolved to pull our hut down for the sake of getting at +us, we loaded our fire-arms and prepared for the defence of our +fortress. Sandy desired me to take my post at the window, and to shoot +down as many as I could, while he with the rest of the party opened the +door and sallied out to attack the invaders. I advised him, however, to +wait and see the result of my shots, unless the bears should actually +begin to tear down the walls. Taking aim at the nearest, I fired. The +thick smoke prevented me for some seconds from seeing the effect of my +shot. Great was my satisfaction when I perceived the bear struggling on +his back in the snow. + +Ewen then handed me up his rifle, and while he reloaded mine, I took aim +at the next bear, which I knocked over in the same fashion as I had the +first; but strange to say, their companions, instead of being frightened +and running away, came growling up as if resolved to revenge their +deaths. + +On seeing this, Sandy, who was looking over my shoulder, calling the +rest of the party, opened the door, and fired a volley, all hands +shouting at the same time at the top of their voices. + +One of the bears fell; the rest, terrified and pursued by the dogs, who +bolted out, took to flight. We called off our canine attendants, who +were, however, very unwilling to return, coming slowly back, and every +now and then facing round and barking furiously at the retreating bears. + +Four of the animals had been killed, and we had made, as Sandy observed, +"a good morning's work." It took us some time to cut them up and stow +the flesh away in our pit, while the preparation of the skins gave us +abundant occupation, though not a pleasant one in the confined hut. + +Day after day went by; the sun remained longer and longer above the +horizon; while the warmth sensibly increased, when there happened to be +no wind, although the air was still cold enough to make our thick +clothing indispensable. + +We now began to make preparations for our journey southward, which must +be performed before the land-ice should begin to break up. + +I suggested that some of the party should first make a trip with part of +our provisions, sufficient for three or four days, to the south, and +there form a depot, so that we might not run the risk of starving should +we fail to kill any animals, and this was agreed to. + +Sandy and I drew lots which of us should go, and which remain at the +hut. + +The lot fell on him to go, and he chose Hans and Croil to accompany him. +I confess that I would far rather have gone, but having agreed to the +proposal, I felt bound to yield to his wishes. + +The party set off the next morning with the tent, and as much bear's +meat as they chose to carry, and a portion of the remainder of our other +stores. Ewen and I saw them off, not without some forebodings of evil, +and then returned to our hut to employ ourselves as usual. + +We never allowed the time to hang heavily on our hands, though we would +have given a great deal for a book of any description, especially for a +Bible, for that could have been read over and over again with advantage, +whereas any other book would have been quickly got through. We +calculated that Sandy would be absent a week or ten days at the utmost. +The ten days had elapsed, and Sandy had not appeared; a fearful +snow-storm, with a violent wind, had, however, come on, and confined us +to the hut, and we concluded that he and his companions had pitched +their tent, and had halted until it should be over, and that we might +thus expect to see them at any hour. + +Still days went by after this, and they did not come. + +"Can they have deserted us?" asked Ewen. + +"I am sure that they have not willingly done so," I replied. "Some +serious accident I fear may have happened to prevent them from +returning." + +Our position had now become critical in the extreme. In a short time +the ice might leave the shore, and our escape from the bay would be +impossible. + +We resolved at once to set out. Should the party be returning, we might +perhaps meet them. If not, we must push on as long as our strength +lasted. Having accordingly packed up our meat, our lamp, our stock of +oil, and our ammunition, we set out. + +We might find shelter in some cavern in the cliffs, or if not we could +build a snow-hut of sufficient size to contain us. We might even +venture to sleep out on calm nights, covered up in our blankets. + +Before quitting the spot we closed the door of our hut, to prevent the +ingress of bears, for we might possibly have to return to it, though as +the warmth of the sun increased it would melt away. + +We trudged on manfully, both feeling in better spirits than we had done +for some days. On our right rose lofty cliffs, and occasionally vast +masses of ice formed into glaciers a mile or more in extent, while on +the left stretched out a vast field of ice, out of which rose numerous +bergs of fantastic shapes, but no open water could we discover. + +For the first day we got on very well. As the light decreased we built +a snow-hut in which we could comfortably rest, with an entrance so small +that no bear could have suddenly pounced upon us, while we kept our +rifles ready to shoot the intruder should one appear. Next night we did +the same, though we felt very tired when the work was over, and but +little inclined to start the next morning at sunrise. We had, indeed, +miscalculated our strength. It seemed easy enough to walk straight +ahead over the ice for several hours a day; but we found that, though +the ice was sometimes smooth, we had frequently to clamber over +hummocks, so that our progress was slower than we had expected. At last +Ewen declared that, unless we could take a whole day's rest, he could go +no farther. + +My fear was lest, while we were inside our hut, Sandy and his companions +might pass us. I agreed to take a short journey only, and offered to +watch while Ewen slept. This he did not like to let me do, but I over +persuaded him, and, while he turned in, I walked about the outside of +the hut, sometimes climbing to the top of a hummock near at hand in the +hopes of seeing our friends. The day closed in, however, without a +single object appearing, and the next morning, Ewen saying that he felt +stronger after his rest, we continued our journey. + +We had been travelling for a couple of hours or more, when we reached a +point beyond which a deep bay appeared. Should we go round it, or cross +from one side to the other? As far as we could discern, there was +nothing to tempt us to go out of our course. The cliffs were more +precipitous and lofty than those we had hitherto seen, with intervals of +vast glaciers of equal height. + +We had hitherto had the cliffs to guide us, but now should the snow +fall, or the weather become thick, we should not be able to distinguish +them. Clear weather was, therefore, of the utmost importance, so, +praying that it might continue, we pushed forward. + +Though we travelled all day, with but a few minutes' rest to take our +food, the opposite side of the bay appeared no nearer than at first. +Darkness came on, and not the faintest outline of the cliffs could we +discover. It seemed to us, as we crept into our hut, that we were in +the midst of the frozen sea. Fatigue happily brought us sound sleep. +When we got up in the morning, what was our dismay to find that a +violent storm was blowing, and that the snow was falling so thickly that +we had great difficulty in forcing our way out of the hut. In a short +time we should have been enclosed in what might have proved our tomb. +To travel was next to impossible; although on starting we knew the +direction to take, we were aware that we might very soon go wrong should +the wind change. We therefore remained in our hut, occasionally digging +away the snow to keep the passage clear. + +At last the snow ceased, and as we could make out the faint outlines of +the cliffs to the southward, we at once, shouldering our packs, pushed +forward. It seemed, however, that we had made no progress when again we +had to halt and build a hut. + +The three next days were but a repetition of those I have described; but +now our provisions had greatly decreased, as had our strength. The +cliffs on the other side of the bay had not been reached, and when we +got there, what were we likely to find? We had to confess to each other +that we should not have strength to go much farther. Still, we resolved +to struggle on as long as life remained. The snow had again begun to +fall, but not with sufficient thickness to compel us to stop. At last +Ewen suddenly declared that not another step could he stir. I offered +to take his rifle and his pack, but, when I made the attempt to carry +them, I found that I was unable to bear an additional load to my own. + +Poor Ewen sank down. "Go on," he said; "you may reach human beings, but +I fear that you will not." I could not bear the thought of leaving my +friend. Even should I reach the shore and find a settlement, he would +be dead before I could return. I proposed again encamping, but he had +not strength even to assist in building a hut. + +While I was endeavouring to encourage him, I fancied that I saw in the +distance to the westward some objects moving over the ice. They might +be bears--reindeers would scarcely have left the land. I looked more +attentively. While I was gazing, the snow almost ceased falling. + +"Look, Ewen, look!" I shouted, "those are men and sledges. They must +be Sandy's party, but they are too far off to see us. They are coming +nearer, however. Rouse up, old fellow; let us try to meet them." + +Ewen's strength seemed suddenly to return. We hurried forward, but we +both feared that they might pass by without discovering us. As we got +nearer to them we shouted, but our voices were hollow and low, and too +probably would not be heard. + +"I'll fire my rifle!" I exclaimed. "I wonder that I did not think of +doing so at first." + +The report had the desired effect. As we watched the strangers, to our +joy we saw that they were directing their course towards us. In a short +time we were among a party of Esquimaux, who seemed very much surprised +at seeing us, though what they said we could not make out. + +From the direction they had been travelling, we concluded that they were +bound to some place on the north side of the bay for the purpose of +spending the summer there. We tried to make them understand that if +they would turn back and carry us to some place where we should find +Europeans, we would give them our rifles, and anything else in our +power. After holding a consultation, during which they looked +frequently at the sky, they agreed to my proposal. Two of the party, +unloading one of the smaller sledges, made signs that Ewen should get +upon it. They then packed some provisions they had brought, together +with some of our loads and rifles, and signified that they were ready to +set off. + +Having rubbed noses with their friends, who continued their route to the +northward, we started in the opposite direction. + +CHAPTER NINE. + +Having no load to carry, I was able to keep up with the Esquimaux and +their dog-sledge till it was time to encamp, when Ewen, who had +recovered his strength more rapidly than I could have supposed possible, +offered to assist me in building a snow-hut. We tried in vain to learn +from the Esquimaux whether they had seen Sandy and his party, but they +failed to understand our signs as we did theirs. They were merry +fellows, though not pleasant companions in a snow-hut in one sense. +Notwithstanding this, we spent the night with a feeling of greater +security than we had enjoyed for some time. + +The following day we were passing close to an iceberg which, from its +appearance, I should have supposed could have withstood the fury of the +most violent storms. I was admiring its fantastic form, when one of the +Esquimaux seized my arm, while the other urged on the dogs at redoubled +speed. We had got a hundred yards from it, when without any warning it +suddenly capsized, and shivered into fragments, which glided along the +ice towards us. In an instant we were surrounded by pieces of ice, +pools of water and fissures, into which it required the greatest care to +avoid falling. We pushed on without stopping to look behind us, until +we were at a considerable distance from the spot. The Esquimaux did not +appear to think the occurrence at all unusual; but after this they kept +at a respectful distance from other icebergs of similar appearance. It +was a sign to us that the sun was gaining strength, and we could not +help fearing that the whole field of ice might before long break up. + +At length we approached the shore, the cliffs which had hitherto fringed +the coast running back some distance inland before they again appeared +to the southward. + +The Esquimaux pointed to the land towards which they directed the +sledge. + +We could, however, see no signs of dwellings, though we discovered some +objects moving about, which we supposed were human beings. On +approaching we saw a number of dogs in front of a snow-hut which rose +just above the ground. + +On seeing our canine friends they rushed forward, barking a welcome, +though I am not certain how they would have treated us had not our +Esquimaux guides driven them off. Directly afterwards a number of men, +women, and children came out of their huts in the neighbourhood, and +appeared to be enquiring who we were and what had brought us to their +settlement. + +The replies seemed to be satisfactory, for they began forthwith to rub +noses with us and then led us up to their dwellings. + +We tried to make them understand that it was our object to proceed +further south, where we could meet with our countrymen and other +Europeans. The cunning fellows, however, did not, as far as we could +make out, wish to go to the southward, but gave us to understand that we +were welcome to remain with them as long as we liked. + +Our guides having delivered us over to their friends, immediately set +off to rejoin the party we had met proceeding northward. This made us +believe that they expected the ice would soon break up, and that the +object of their journey was to secure summer quarters, when the rest +would rejoin them in their kayaks. + +Our new friends at once set to work to build for us an igloo, or hut of +ice, each block being about six inches in thickness, and a couple of +feet in length, cemented by snow. The domed roof was made of snow, the +key piece at the top being a large square slab. Our dwelling was about +sixteen feet in diameter and seven in height, with a passage of about +twenty feet, of sufficient height to allow a person to creep in on his +knees, having a small chamber at the end. + +While four of the men were engaged in building our hut, two others set +off into the interior, and soon returned with a large piece of +fresh-water transparent ice which was placed over the door to serve as a +window. + +The whole was completed within an hour, and a very comfortable abode it +was when lined with skins of bears and deer. We judged from the +advancing temperature, however, that it would not last very long. + +After we had been settled in our abode, our hosts invited us to come +into one of their huts of still larger dimensions to enjoy a banquet, as +we understood by the signs they made. Not wishing to offend them we +accepted their invitation, though we would gladly have remained away. + +The hut was crowded, and we could barely find sitting-room. A large +mass of meat and blubber from a walrus which had just before been +caught, was placed in the centre, when our friends, seating themselves, +cut off long strips of blubber, and applied the ends to their mouths. +It was wonderful to see the enormous quantity they swallowed, cutting +off with their knives the portion they were unable to engulf between +their teeth. With smiles they invited us to imitate their example. + +Hungry as we were, it was some time before we could bring ourselves to +put the horrible morsels into our mouths; but, finding that we were not +likely to get any other sort of food, we at length managed to eat a few +small pieces, our hosts appearing as much astonished at the smallness of +our appetites as we were at the huge quantities of the oleaginous food +they managed to consume. + +After eating a few pieces, we overcame the nausea we had at first felt, +and contrived to get down a tolerable meal. For an hour or more our +hosts continued eating, when each took a draught of some greasy looking +soup which had been boiling over the lamp in the centre of the hut. It +was offered to us, but we preferred some plain water which had been +produced from snow melted over their lamp. + +Observing that we declined to take any more of their dainty fare, they +made signs that they intended to go to sleep, by stripping off their +outer garments and stretching themselves on the skin-covered couches +which surrounded the hut. We gladly took the hint, and retired to our +own abode, which, although very much colder than the one we left, had a +decided advantage in being free from the horrible odour pervading the +other. When our door was closed our lamp soon brought the temperature +up to a comfortable warmth, and we slept with a sense of security we had +not for long enjoyed. + +The next day we tried to induce our hosts to accompany us to the south. +They could understand our signs, but had evidently made up their minds +not to go. They were very friendly, however, and allowed us to move +about as we pleased. We, being unwilling to become a burden to them, +determined if possible to kill a bear, or a deer, or walrus should we +fail to find any of the former animals. We accordingly started off with +our guns, leaving our packs behind us to show that we intended to +return. + +As the country to the southward appeared less rugged than that to the +north, we proceeded in the former direction, but found after a short +time that we could make but slow progress, so we descended to the ice, +intending to strike inland should we observe no more practicable +country. We had not proceeded far, however, before a heavy snow-storm +came on, which not only obliterated our tracks, but shut out even the +land from our sight. + +"We shall be wise to turn back," observed Ewen, "for if we don't we may +easily become bewildered." + +I agreed with him, and we at once determined to retrace our steps. We +walked on and on, supposing that we had the land on our left side. The +ice was tolerably level. We fancied that we had gone far enough to +reach the Esquimaux settlement. Still though we listened attentively, +we could not hear the voices of the inhabitants. We had scarcely taken +note of time, and we now, somewhat to our dismay, found that it was +rapidly growing dark. We hurried on, every now and then uttering a +shout in the expectation of hearing a reply. No reply came, however, +and we arrived at the alarming conclusion that we should have to spend +the night on the barren shore. To reach it we turned to the left, but +after going on some distance, we still failed to see the cliffs. + +"We must stop here, for I can go no further," exclaimed Ewen. "It would +be better to build a hut than to wander about and at last perish with +cold." + +I agreed with him, and although without any instruments save the butts +of our rifles, from which we withdrew the charges, we commenced +operations. As there was by this time abundance of snow, we were not +long in forming a hut of sufficient size to hold us both, either lying +down or sitting up. It would at all events prevent us being frozen to +death; though there was the risk, should the snow continue to fall, that +we might be buried alive. To prevent this, we agreed that one of us +should sit up and keep open a hole by thrusting through it the barrel of +a rifle. + +After I had had my sleep, Ewen roused me up. Endeavouring to keep awake +I every now and then seized my rifle and thrust the barrel through the +hole, when I was startled by hearing a creature scratching away at the +entrance of our hut. That it was a bear I had no doubt, and should the +animal succeed in breaking in, it might seize one or both of us, as, +lying down with our weapons unloaded, we should be completely at its +mercy. + +I roused up Ewen and advised him to reload his rifle while I did the +same, and I hoped that we should have time to shoot the intruder, before +he could seize us. We were, however, completely in the dark, though I +expected to get sight of our assailant directly it had torn away the +front of the hut. + +"Perhaps if we shout we may drive it off," said Ewen. + +I agreed with him, and we together raised our voices, but scarcely had +we done so than they were replied to by a loud bark, while the +scratching was continued with increased vehemence. + +"Why, that must be a dog!" cried Ewen. + +"And I know the voice," I said; "it is that of Bruno, our own Saint +Bernard." + +I called his name, when I was answered by a peculiar bark and whine of +recognition. + +No sooner had we arrived at this conclusion than, seconding the efforts +of the dog, we soon made an opening in the snow, and Bruno crept in and +began licking our faces and uttering barks to show his delight. + +"He must have scented us out in spite of the snow, and followed us +here," I exclaimed. "Can our shipmates be near?" + +That such was the case we had little doubt, and we agreed that should +Bruno show a wish to conduct us, we would accompany him. Scarcely had +we resolved on this, than Bruno ran out of the hut, and then came back +pulling at our trousers and leaving no doubt as to his intentions. We +therefore kept up alongside him as fast as we could move. He regulated +his pace to suit ours, otherwise in his delight he would evidently have +bounded away before us. At length, however, through the still falling +snow, we caught sight of what we concluded was the land, though in the +indistinct light we could not be certain that it was not a berg. + +We shouted, expecting to hear a reply from our shipmates; but, instead, +a voice answered which we knew to be that of an Esquimaux. Presently we +found ourselves at the village we had left. Several of our friends came +out of their huts, uttering exclamations of surprise at Bruno, and +driving back their dogs, who began furiously barking at him. He had +evidently conducted us to the nearest human habitations. Still we were +convinced that Sandy's party could not be far off. + +As verbal explanations were impossible, we tried to show by signs that +we had lost our way, and that the dog had found us. They then, guessing +that we must be starving, brought us a large piece of walrus flesh, the +greater portion of which, as may be supposed, we afterwards bestowed on +our faithful dog, who crept after us into our hut. Having eaten enough +of the meat to satisfy the cravings of hunger, we lay down and were soon +fast asleep. In the morning I was awakened by hearing the loud sound of +the rending and crashing of ice. On looking out I saw that the part of +the ice on which we had wandered was separated from that attached to the +shore, and was, with all the pieces beyond, in violent commotion. Had +we remained on it a few hours longer, we should inevitably have +perished. + +Our friends seemed highly pleased. We saw them preparing their harpoons +and lines. Some dark objects appeared on the edge of the ice, and +several of them immediately started off, one of whom we followed, +keeping, however, at some distance, so as not to interfere with his +proceedings. + +The objects we had seen were walruses. Though they immediately +afterwards slid off into the water, the Esquimaux continued his course +towards the spot with his eyes fixed on the water. He stopped; we saw +him lift his harpoon, and immediately afterwards the head of a huge +walrus appeared above the surface. It was but for a moment. The hunter +darted his weapon with all his force, and then unwound a long line which +he carried on his shoulder. With wonderful dexterity he played the +monster as a fisherman does the salmon he has hooked. Sometimes the +creature dived, and at others came up to the surface and looked as if he +intended to get on the ice and charge his enemy, but the hunter +retreated, keeping his line taut. + +The hunter, seeing we were watching his proceedings, made a sign to us +to approach. As I did so, having my rifle in my hand, I fired, and the +shot entering the creature's head its struggles ceased. The Esquimaux, +highly delighted, thanked me for the assistance I had given him. It was +not until several of his companions arrived that we were able to haul +the walrus upon the ice. Soon afterwards Ewen shot another in the same +manner, thus raising us high in the estimation of our hosts. The other +hunters were equally successful, and there was great rejoicing in the +village at the abundance of meat which had been brought on shore. + +Several kayaks were now brought out of a hut, where they had been +sheltered during the winter, and, being carried over the ice, were +launched into the open water. They were made of skins and entirely +covered over, with the exception of a small hole large enough to admit a +man's legs and the lower part of his body. Each hunter was provided +with a double paddle and harpoon. To the harpoon was attached by a line +a float made of a leathern bag inflated with air. + +One end of the harpoon line was secured just below it, the other end +being made fast to the head of the harpoon. About half-a-dozen hunters +had taken their seats, for they had observed, what we had not, a whole +shoal of seals not far off. They immediately made chase. We eagerly +watched their proceedings. Presently the seals came to the surface, +when the Esquimaux, paddling on, soon got into their midst. The harpoon +being darted, the shaft, which was shaken out of the head, was allowed +to be towed with the float after the seal. + +One after the other the hunters launched their weapons, and the seals +were seen swimming away in a vain endeavour to escape. The nimble +kayaks quickly overtook them, and the second harpoon seldom failed to +wound them mortally. Although they sank on being killed, the floats +served to show where they had gone down. One of the most wonderful +parts of the performance was the way in which the Esquimaux hauled up +the big seals and placed their bodies across their canoes; when, singing +songs of triumph, they returned to the ice, where friends stood by to +take possession of their prey. + +Without even getting out of their canoes, they again darted off, and few +returned without another seal. + +When we expressed our admiration of their kayaks, our friends showed us +several wonderful feats which they could perform in them. Two of them +started off together, one at right angles to the other, and almost in a +moment, without upsetting, the latter forced his canoe directly over it. +We saw a still more extraordinary feat. A man, having secured himself +tightly in his canoe with an apron fastened round his body, with a blow +of his paddle upset it, and with another brought it right again; and +thus he continued, turning round and round full twenty times or more, so +rapidly, that we could just catch sight of his paddle in the air before +it disappeared. + +Our friends had another kind of boat which they called an "oomiak." It +was straight-sided, flat, and square-ended. The framework was made of +whalebone and covered over with seal-skin, almost transparent. It was +three feet deep, about twenty-five long, and eight wide. It was +propelled by two paddles, while an old man sat with another paddle in +the stern to steer. On seeing this primitive sort of boat, the idea +struck us that by its means we might be conveyed southward. We tried by +every means in our power to induce our friends either to lend us one or +to go with us. + +We had already promised them our rifles, the value of which was greatly +increased now that they had seen their power. They had also taken a +great fancy to Bruno, and they at length gave us to understand that, if +we would make him over to them and give them a couple more rifles with +powder and shot, they would convey us as far as we wished to go. + +We were sorry to have to part with Bruno, but, at the same time, we were +convinced that he would be perfectly happy and well-fed in the realms of +snow, where he might revel to his heart's delight. + +We accordingly started the next morning with two men to paddle, and a +third to steer. The boat was also fitted with a very short mast, +stepped in the fore-part, and a sail composed of the intestines of the +walrus split open so as to form strips about four inches wide. These +strips were sewn together, and thus made a sail of great strength and +lightness. When the wind was favourable we were able to hoist it, and +it drove the oomiak along at a far greater speed than I should have +supposed possible. + +The people allowed us to take our rifles, having no doubt, apparently, +that we would give them up at the end of the voyage. The whole tribe +stood ready on the ice to see us off, and vociferously uttered their +farewells, which we returned in like manner. + +The weather was remarkably fine, and, although icebergs and floes +innumerable covered the surface of the water, we had no difficulty in +making our way between them. When one floe approached another, we with +ease jumped out and carried our light boat beyond the power of our +assailant. As we proceeded the floes became fewer and fewer, and we +made more rapid progress. At night we either landed on the shore or on +a fixed floe, and, creeping under the oomiak, slept on our bear-skins. + +We harpooned a couple of seals and shot a bear, which afforded us +abundance of food. We were standing along the shore one evening when, +under a cliff, what was our astonishment to see a light. The Esquimaux +were inclined to avoid the place; for, pulling away, evidently alarmed, +they assured us that the spot would not afford comfortable +camping-ground. + +We, however, were anxious to ascertain by what the light was produced, +feeling certain that some person must be on the shore who was making a +signal. At last we persuaded them to turn the boat's head towards the +beach. + +As we approached, what was our astonishment to see a man standing at the +mouth of a cave, and holding a torch which, in his eagerness, as we drew +near, he flung into the air. + +"Who are you?" shouted Ewen. + +"An Englishman," was the answer. + +We quickly leaped on the beach, and the stranger, advancing to meet us, +stretched out his hands. + +"Thank Heaven you have come, for I was very near perishing," he +exclaimed. "My powder and shot were expended, and I had consumed the +last remnant of the meat of the last deer I had killed." + +I replied that we had sailed in the _Hardy Norseman_, that she had been +lost on the ice, and that we had been separated from our companions. + + +"Why, that ship belonged to Dundee, the port I sailed from in the +_Barentz_." + +"Are you, then, her surgeon, David Ogilvy?" I asked in a trembling +voice. + +"I am," he answered. + +"Then I am your younger brother," was my reply, and we threw ourselves +into each other's arms. + +After recovering ourselves, I introduced Ewen, when my brother invited +him and the Esquimaux into his cavern. Though the entrance was small, +the interior was of considerable size, and had been made habitable by +means of skins and the wreck of the very sloop in which he had escaped. +Most of her crew, he told us, had left her in search of walruses, when a +storm arose, and she was driven among the ice on to the coast, the +remainder of his people perishing. He had providentially been able to +save two rifles and all the ammunition on board, together with the +larger part of her provisions. After finding shelter in the cavern, he +had discovered a path which led to the heights above. From thence he +had been able to make excursions into the interior, where he found +reindeer and musk-oxen in considerable numbers, together with mosses and +several herbs, with the qualities of which being acquainted he was able +to vary his food. + +The next morning we loaded the oomiak with as many of the skins as she +could carry, and proceeded on our voyage. To our disappointment we +found our further progress stopped by a large field of ice, which had +been driven against the shore or had remained fixed to it since the +winter. We must either cross it--and it might extend for several miles, +besides being covered with hummocks--or we must paddle out seawards and +try to get round it. The latter proceeding did not appear to suit the +ideas of the Esquimaux. Rather than be delayed, however, they consented +to make the attempt, as we persuaded them that a passage might be found +further out. After we had gone a short distance, on looking seaward, +great was our astonishment to catch sight of a flag. Presently +afterwards we saw some dark dots on the floe, which had apparently come +in contact with the field of ice at present impeding our progress. + +"Can it be possible that those are our shipmates?" exclaimed Ewen. + +"I have no doubt about it," I answered. "I see three persons; perhaps +they are Sandy, Croil, and Hans. I trust that the poor fellows have +escaped." + +To make sure I fired off my rifle, when the shot was replied to, though +the sound but faintly struck our ears. The Esquimaux had now not the +slightest hesitation of paddling out. + +As we drew nearer other figures appeared who came to the edge of the +floe. Among them was my brother Andrew. + +"It is our crew. The whole have escaped then," exclaimed Ewen, as we +made him out. + +To our infinite satisfaction, Sandy himself was the next person we +distinguished, and several others who had seen the oomiak came hurrying +across the ice. + +I have not time to describe the meeting of us three brothers, thus so +wonderfully preserved and reunited. Sandy had come upon the floe while +for a short time it remained fixed to the land-ice, and had arranged to +return the next morning to rescue us, when, to his dismay, he found that +it was in motion, and that any communication with the land was +impossible. The boats, being damaged, were unfit at present to be +launched, but the carpenters were very busily employed in repairing +them. It was the captain's intention to land as soon as they could get +opposite the settlement of Friedrichsthal, should the floe hold together +so long, or, should its disruption be threatened, to make the voyage in +the boats. We, of course, were willing to share the fortunes of our +friends. + +On returning to the oomiak we bestowed the rifles and ammunition we had +promised on the honest Esquimaux, to which we added several other +articles of a sort they valued. + +David, Ewen, and I were cordially welcomed by the captain, Sandy, and +the rest of the crew, who appeared to have suffered little from their +long exposure on the floe. The wreck of the _Hardy Norseman_, however, +had broken off and gone to the bottom. We had now the boats alone to +depend upon. Scarcely had the Esquimaux taken their departure and +paddled away than the floe began to move. As it did so I could not help +seeing our perilous position, for at any moment it might drive against a +berg, which might topple over and crush us. The wind, too, which had +until now been favourable, changed, and there appeared great probability +of our being again driven northward. Two days had thus passed, when the +look-out, who was stationed at a flag-staff on the top of a hummock, +shouted, "A sail, a sail!" + +All hands quickly joined him, when we beheld the joyful sight of a ship +standing towards us, some way to the southward. She could not possibly +fail, we thought, to see our flag. We were not mistaken. On she came. +As if to hasten her progress, some of us fired off our guns, others +shouted. Several of the men danced and clapped their hands, and others +wept and rushed into each other's arms. Then, as the ship approached +and began to shorten sail, we ran down to the side of the floe on which +she was approaching, and waved our caps and cheered. As the floe was +steady, she glided up alongside, and threw her ice-anchors on to it. + +"She's the _Barentz_!" exclaimed David, "though her appearance has +changed greatly for the better since I last saw her." + +The _Barentz_ she was. Having been refitted, she had been the first +ship to sail from Dundee in search of us, her captain calculating that, +having escaped with our lives, we should be found not far off from the +spot where providentially he had fallen in with us. + +The remaining stores and skins, together with those belonging to my +brother, and everything of value, were quickly hoisted on board, and the +_Barentz_, having already caught several whales, before long obtained a +full ship. Her head was then turned southward, and, after all our +wonderful adventures and hairbreadth escapes, we reached in safety the +port of Dundee. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +The End. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Arctic Adventures, by W.H.G. Kingston + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40693 *** |