The Field of Ice Read online

  FIRST WORDS OF ALTAMONT.

  About eight o'clock in the evening, the grey snow clouds clearedaway for a little, and the stars shone out brilliantly in the sky.

  Hatteras seized the opportunity and went out silently to take thealtitude of some of the principal constellations. He wished toascertain if the ice-field was still drifting.

  In half an hour he returned and sat down in a corner of the hut,where he remained without stirring all night, motionless as ifasleep, but in reality buried in deepest thought.

  The next day the snow fell heavily, and the Doctor congratulatedhimself on his wise forethought, when he saw the white sheet lyingthree feet thick over the scene of the explosion, completelyobliterating all traces of the Forward.

  It was impossible to venture outside in such weather, but the stovedrew capitally, and made the hut quite comfortable, or at any rateit seemed so to the weary, worn out adventurers.

  The American was in less pain, and was evidently gradually comingback to life. He opened his eyes, but could not yet speak, for hislips were so affected by the scurvy that articulation wasimpossible, but he could hear and understand all that was said tohim. On learning what had passed, and the circumstances of hisdiscovery, he expressed his thanks by gestures, and the Doctor wastoo wise to let him know how brief his respite from death wouldprove. In three weeks at most every vestige of food would be gone.

  About noon Hatteras roused himself, and going up to his friends,said--

  "We must make up our minds what to do, but I must request Johnsonto tell me first all the particulars of the mutiny on the brig, andhow this final act of baseness came about."

  "What good will that do?" said the Doctor. "The fact iscertain, and it is no use thinking over it."

  "I differ from your opinion," rejoined Hatteras. "Let me hearthe whole affair from Johnson, and then I will banish it from mythoughts."

  "Well," said the boatswain, "this was how it happened. I didall in my power to prevent, but----"

  "I am sure of that, Johnson; and what's more, I have no doubtthe ringleaders had been hatching their plans for some time."

  "That's my belief too," said the Doctor.

  Johnson's Story. --P.11]

  "And so it is mine," resumed Johnson; "for almost immediatelyafter your departure Shandon, supported by the others, took thecommand of the ship.

  I could not resist him, and from that moment everybody did prettymuch as they pleased. Shandon made no attempt to restrain them: itwas his policy to make them believe that their privations and toilswere at an end. Economy was entirely disregarded. A blazing fire waskept up in the stove, and the men were allowed to eat and drink atdiscretion; not only tea and coffee was at their disposal, but allthe spirits on board, and on men who had been so long deprived ofardent liquors, you may guess the result. They went on in thismanner from the 7th to the 15th of January."

  "And this was Shandon's doing?" asked Hatteras.

  "Yes, captain."

  "Never mention his name to me again! Go on, Johnson."

  "It was about the 24th or 25th of January, that they resolved toabandon the ship. Their plan was to reach the west coast ofBaffin's Bay, and from thence to embark in the boat and follow thetrack of the whalers, or to get to some of the Greenland settlementson the eastern side. Provisions were abundant, and the sick men wereso excited by the hope of return that they were almost well. Theybegan their preparations for departure by making a sledge which theywere to draw themselves, as they had no dogs. This was not readytill the 15th of February, and I was always hoping for your arrival,though I half dreaded it too, for you could have done nothing withthe men, and they would have massacred you rather than remain onboard. I tried my influence on each one separately, remonstratingand reasoning with them, and pointing out the dangers they wouldencounter, and also the cowardice of leaving you, but it was a merewaste of words; not even the best among them would listen to me.Shandon was impatient to be off, and fixed the 22nd of February forstarting. The sledge and the boat were packed as closely as possiblewith provisions and spirits, and heaps of wood, to obtain which theyhad hewed the brig down to her water-line. The last day the men ranriot. They completely sacked the ship, and in a drunken paroxysm Penand two or three others set it on fire. I fought and struggledagainst them, but they threw me down and assailed me with blows, andthen the wretches, headed by Shandon, went off towards the east andwere soon out of sight. I found myself alone on the burning ship,and what could I do? The fire-hole was completely blocked up withice. I had not a single drop of water! For two days the Forwardstruggled with the flames, and you know the rest."

  A long silence followed the gloomy recital, broken at length byHatteras, who said--

  "Johnson, I thank you; you did all you could to save my ship, butsingle-handed you could not resist. Again I thank you, and now letthe subject be dropped. Let us unite efforts for our commonsalvation. There are four of us, four companions, four friends, andall our lives are equally precious. Let each give his opinion on thebest course for us to pursue."

  "You ask us then, Hatteras," said the Doctor, "we are alldevoted to you, and our words come from our hearts. But will you notstate you own views first?"

  "That would be little use," said Hatteras, sadly; "my opinionmight appear interested; let me hear all yours first."

  "Captain," said Johnson, "before pronouncing on such animportant matter, I wish to ask you a question."

  "Ask it, then, Johnson."

  "You went out yesterday to ascertain our exact position; well, isthe field drifting or stationary?"

  "Perfectly stationary. It had not moved since the last reckoningwas made. I find we are just where we were before we left, in 80 deg.15" lat. and 97 deg. 35" long."

  "And what distance are we from the nearest sea to the west?"

  "About six hundred miles."

  "And that sea is----?"

  "Smith's Sound," was the reply.

  "The same that we could not get through last April?"

  "The same."

  "Well, captain, now we know our actual situation, we are in abetter position to determine our course of action."

  "Speak your minds, then," said Hatteras, again burying his headin his hands.

  "What do you say, Bell?" asked the Doctor.

  "It strikes me the case doesn't need long thinking over," saidthe carpenter. "We must get back at once without losing a singleday or even a single hour, either to the south or west, and make ourway to the nearest coast, even if we are two months doing it!"

  "We have only food for three weeks," replied Hatteras, withoutraising his head.

  "Very well," said Johnson, "we must make the journey in threeweeks, since it is our last chance. Even if we can only crawl on ourknees before we get to our destination, we must be there intwenty-five days."

  "This part of the Arctic Continent is unexplored. We may have toencounter difficulties. Mountains and glaciers may bar ourprogress," objected Hatteras.

  "I don't see that's any sufficient reason for not attemptingit. We shall have to endure sufferings, no doubt, and perhaps many.We shall have to limit ourselves to the barest quantities of food,unless our guns should procure us anything."

  "There is only about half a pound of powder left," said Hatteras.

  "Come now, Hatteras, I know the full weight of your objections,and I am not deluding myself with vain hopes. But I think I can readyour motive. Have you any practical suggestion to offer?"

  "No," said Hatteras, after a little hesitation.

  "You don't doubt our courage," continued the Doctor. "Wewould follow you to the last--you know that. But must we not,meantime, give up all hope of reaching the Pole? Your plans havebeen defeated by treachery. Natural difficulties you might haveovercome, but you have been outmatched by perfidy and humanweakness. You have done all that man could do, and you would havesucceeded I am certain; but situated as we are now, are you notobliged to relinquish your projects for the present, and is not areturn to England even positively nece
ssary before you couldcontinue them?"

  "Well, captain?" asked Johnson after waiting a considerable timefor Hatteras to reply.

  Thus interrogated, he raised his head, and said in a constrainedtone--

  "You think yourselves quite certain then of reaching the Sound,exhausted though you are, and almost without food?"

  "No," replied the Doctor, "but there is one thing certain, theSound won't come to us, we must go to it. We may chance to findsome Esquimaux tribes further south."

  "Besides, isn't there the chance of falling in with some shipthat is wintering here?" asked Johnson.

  "Even supposing the Sound is blocked up, couldn't we get acrossto some Greenland or Danish settlement? At any rate, Hatteras, wecan get nothing by remaining here. The route to England is towardsthe south, not the north."

  "Yes," said Bell, "Mr. Clawbonny is right. We must start, andstart at once. We have been forgetting our country too longalready."

  "Is this your advice, Johnson?" asked Hatteras again.

  "Yes, captain."

  "And yours, Doctor?"

  "Yes, Hatteras."

  Hatteras remained silent, but his face, in spite of himself,betrayed his inward agitation. The issue of his whole life hung onthe decision he had to make, for he felt that to return to Englandwas to lose all! He could not venture on a fourth expedition.

  The Doctor finding he did not reply, added--

  "I ought also to have said, that there is not a moment to lose.The sledge must be loaded with the provisions at once, and as muchwood as possible. I must confess six hundred miles is a longjourney, but we can, or rather we must make twenty miles a day,which will bring us to the coast about the 26th of March."

  "But cannot we wait a few days yet?" said Hatteras.

  "What are you hoping for?" asked Johnson.

  "I don't know. Who can tell the future? It is necessary, too,that you should get your strength a little recruited. You might sinkdown on the road with fatigue, without even a snow hut to shelteryou."

  "But think of the terrible death that awaits us here," repliedthe carpenter.

  "My friends," said Hatteras, in almost supplicating tones;"you are despairing too soon. I should propose that we should seekour deliverance towards the north, but you would refuse to followme, and yet why should there not be Esquimaux tribes round about thePole as well as towards the south? The open sea, of the existence ofwhich we are certified, must wash the shores of continents. Natureis logical in all her doings. Consequently vegetation must be foundthere when the earth is no longer ice-bound. Is there not a promisedland awaiting us in the north from which you would flee?"

  Hatteras became animated as he spoke, and Doctor Clawbonny'sexcitable nature was so wrought upon that his decision began towaver. He was on the point of yielding, when Johnson, with his wiserhead and calmer temperament, recalled him to reason and duty bycalling out--

  "Come, Bell, let us be off to the sledge."

  "All right," said Bell, and the two had risen to leave the hut,when Hatteras exclaimed--

  "Oh, Johnson! You! you! Well, go! I shall stay, I shall stay!"

  "Captain!" said Johnson, stopping in spite of himself.

  "I shall stay, I tell you. Go! Leave me like the rest! Come, Duk,you and I will stay together."

  The faithful dog barked as if he understood, and settled himselfdown beside his master. Johnson looked at the Doctor, who seemed ata loss to know what to do, but came to the conclusion at last thatthe best way, meantime, was to calm Hatteras, even at the sacrificeof a day. He was just about to try the force of his eloquence inthis direction, when he felt a light touch on his arm, and turninground saw Altamont who had crawled out of bed and managed to get onhis knees. He was trying to speak, but his swollen lips couldscarcely make a sound. Hatteras went towards him, and watched hisefforts to articulate so attentively that in a few minutes he madeout a word that sounded like Porpoise, and stooping over him heasked--

  "Is it the Porpoise?"

  Altamont made a sign in the affirmative, and Hatteras went on withhis queries, now that he had found a clue.

  "In these seas?"

  The affirmative gesture was repeated.

  "Is she in the north?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you know her position?"

  "Yes."

  "Exactly?"

  "Yes."

  For a minute or so, nothing more was said, and the onlookers waitedwith palpitating hearts.

  Then Hatteras spoke again and said--

  "Listen to me. We must know the exact position of your vessel. Iwill count the degrees aloud, and you; will stop me when I come tothe right one."

  The American assented by a motion of the head, and Hatteras began--

  "We'll take the longitude first. 105 deg., No? 106 deg., 107 deg.? It isto the west, I suppose?"

  "Yes," replied Altamont.

  "Let us go on, then: 109 deg., 110 deg., 112 deg., 114 deg., 116 deg., 118 deg.,120 deg."

  "Yes," interrupted the sick man.

  ]

  "120 deg. of longitude, and how many minutes? I will count."

  Hatteras began at number one, and when he got to fifteen, Altamontmade a sign to stop.

  "Very good," said Hatteras; "now for the latitude. Are youlistening? 80 deg., 81 deg., 82 deg., 83 deg."

  Again the sign to stop was made.

  "Now for the minutes: 5', 10', 15', 20', 25', 30',35'."

  Altamont stopped him once more, and smiled feebly.

  "You say, then, that the Porpoise is in longitude 120 deg. 15', andlatitude 83 deg. 35'?"

  "Yes," sighed the American, and fell back motionless in theDoctor's arms, completely overpowered by the effort he had made.

  "Friends!" exclaimed Hatteras; "you see I was right. Oursalvation lies indeed in the north, always in the north. We shall besaved!"

  But the joyous, exulting words had hardly escaped his lips before asudden thought made his countenance change. The serpent of jealousyhad stung him, for this stranger was an American, and he had reachedthree degrees nearer the Pole than the ill-fated Forward.

  CHAPTER III.