Beadle's Pocket Library (no. 116) (1886 03 31)
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Copyrighted, 1886, by Beanz ann Apams. Published Weekly by Beadle and A > Vole [kaze Meester eee ae ee ge ts mie tetin. Cees No. 98 WILLIAM St., New YorK. zy CAPT FRED WRMIAK SSS SSS ——S THERE, IN THE VERY HEART OF THE ICEBERG, GLEAMED THE RUDDY LIGHT OF 4 FIRE,
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LOST IN THE POLAR REGIONS, : BY CAPTAIN FRED. WHITTAKER, AUTHOR ©F ‘‘THE SEA OAT,’ “THE DUMB PAGE,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. WHAT CAME OF A DAY’S FISHING. “Srrapy, Rube, steady, or he'll have ye over- board.” eried Uncle Jabez. ‘‘ Here he comes, the varmint! Geerewsalem! That’s a ten-pounder!” Reuben Macy did as he was told, for he had been brought up, sailor fashion, to obey orders, The boat was dashing along at racing speed before a rattling northerly breeze through the opening be- tween Nantucket and Tuckanuck Islands, the best blue-fish ground on the New England coast, right in the teeth of the flood tide, which was running like a mill-race, The seas came sweeping down toward them, great green walls crested with white foam, and it seemed every moment as if one must come aboard; but the sharp cutwater surmounted them without an effort, and away went the little craft, mounting and descending the huge billows like a cork, while the white mainsail swelled above, and Uncle Jabez sat jammed up in the stern-sheets to windward, with his feet braced against a rib on the ort side, as he hugged the tiller and kept the Lively lly steady on her course. He had the wind on his starboard quarter, but the force of the opposing seas was so great, that it needed a careful hand and watchful eye to keep the Lively Sally from jibing without warning almost any minute. Unele Jabez, with his red face seamed into count- less wrinkles, his fringe of gray whisker round the chin, his half-shut, bloodshot eyes peering from un- der shaggy brows, looked as if he was in his right lace at that helm in just such acommotion, Jabez ffin was a born and bred Nantucketer, a sailor to the backbone, and now that he had retired froin the quarter-deck and blue water, he never seemed so happy as when ploaring the green swells round his native island, teaching his nephews how to take the voracious fish that swim the blue Atlantic. They wete both in the boat with him to-day, Reu- ben and Jonathan Macy —the only relatives besides their mother that Jabez Coffin had possessed for forty yearsand more. He was an old bachelor, left an orphan in early manhood, with one little sister, twenty years younger than himself, who in due time had fallen in love with and married handsome Jona- than Maey, mate of the whaler in which Jabez had made his way to fortune, beginning as a foremast hand and ending as captain and owner of her and another craft. But that was very nearly twenty years before our story commences, and the good ship Sarah Jane was lying idle at the wharf in the hirbor, while the Pride of Nantucket, Jonathan Macy, master, was now sup- osed to be somewhere up Davis’s Straits, looking ‘or seals and furs among the Esquimaux. While the Pride of Nantucket was away—over a year now—thetwo young Macys staid at home with their Uncle Jabez, their mother and one girl cousin, Kate Macy, a wild hoyden of seventeen, of whom we shall soon hear more. The boys were longing for the day when they would be able, like their father, to go to sea; and Uncle Jabez used to inflame their fancies with all sorts of sea-yarns, like the grim old salt that he was. Jonathan Macy, the younger was now a fine boy of nineteen, and his brother Reuben, who had just struck a blue-fish, was seventeen. _ _ “Steady, Rube, steady!” again called out Uncle Jabez, warningly, as the lad showed symptoms of Jabez Coffin, Skipper. Jabez Coffin, Skipper ; great excitament, for it was his first blue-fish. ‘Haul him in, and don’t let your line slack a bit, or he’ll unhook himself, sure. There he jumps!” Rube keys a steady haul on the line as he was bid, and out of the water leaped a blue-fish, about sixty feet from the boat, shaking his head savagely, asi determined to unhook himself. “Haul him in hard, Rube,” cried Jonathan from the other side of the boat. He had not gota bite yet, and the waves were tossing the Lively Sally up and down in such a way that the lines were constant- ly slackening. Steadily Rube hauled, though the line almost cut through his mittens, and at last the fish was pulled in, fighting hard all the time. Then his brother came to his help, and both boys, with one good swing, landed the blue-fish in th bottom of the boat. Back to your line, Jon'than. Yonder’s a slick |” shouted Unéle Jabez, exci edly at this moment, and Jonathan jumped, for he had been out in the open- ing before, and knew what a ‘‘slick” meant. _ The blue fish, when in large crowds, are in the habit of exuding a sort of oi] which calms the water for some little distance around the school, so that the fish can see their prey—mo:sbunkers, eels and shiners—more clearly. Right, into the slick steered the Lively Sally, and in another moment both boys were fast to a pair of ten-pounders, while the “skittering lines” on the riggers, with their shining squibs jumping over the waves, were seized by another pair; so there was the Lively Sally, with four fish hooked, and only two boys to pull them in, if they could. Jonathan brought his prize on board first, and then turned his attention to the skittering line on his side, which had a check cord from the boat to draw it in without disturbing the outrigger. He pulled with all his might. for, though he was a strong young fellow, six foot high, he had hooked a twenty-pound fish this time, and a twenty-p vund blue-fish can fight like a tiger. By the time he had it on board, the Lively Sally had run nearly a mile out to sea, and then he turned to mele his companion. Reuben was much smaller and slighter than his elder brother and had much harder work. He had not got in his fish yet, though it was close to the boat, shaking its head as viciously as ever. As Jonathan came to help him, Reuben gave a last effort and swung his prey—as he thought—into the boat. Alas for the vanity of human hopes and green fishermen! The blue-fish stru. k the gunwale instead of the inside of the boat, and Reuben had the morti- fication of seeing his prize, with one last shake. rid itself of the hook and vanish in the green waters. He wos ready to cry with his disappointment, but Uncle Jabez comforted him with the remark: “Never mind. Rube. They often do that. Haul in the other and look out for him, Help him, Jon’- than.” The two boys, thus encouraged, hauled in on the cheek line with little difficulty, for the fish was pretty well tired out after its rapid mile run. dragged by the nose, and was nearly drowned besides. In it came with a rapid pull, and was almost up to the boat, when another fish—a perfect monster to the eyes of Reuben—darted through the waves close to the quarter of the Lively Sally. and swallowed blue- fish, bait, line and all, ina moment! Then came a sudden lurch of the boat, both boys nearly ov: rboard, and Uncle Jabez roared out: ne go! Let gothe outrigger! I's a hoss-mack- ered! But before either could obey. came a snap and twang as the line parted, and both boys fell over backward into the bottom of the boat, while the horse-mackerel darted away rejoicing. “Waal, boys,” said Uncle Jabez with a sort of rueful grin, as they picked themselves up, ‘this sort of thing is what they call fisherman’s luck, and blamed hard luck at that. Ef your father was only aboard, I’d be even with that critter, for never did I |
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 3 see a straighter dart than Jon’than’s; but ’tain’t no use— “Let me try the harpoon, uncle,” interrupted Jonathan eagerly. “Please let me try it. I've struck porpoises before this, and we can take that fellow home to mother, if you'll let me.” Uncle Jabez shook his head doubtfully. “Ye don’t know what a hoss-mackerel is, boy. They goes up to two thousand pound, sometimes. Ef you could strike that feller—and mind I ain't sayin’ you could—he’d give us a tow cut, mebbe a matter of five miles, and— Gee-rewsalem! Ef he ain’t there again, the varmint.” Sure enough, the huge fish, in shape and manners almost the Rorkrae of the blue-fish they were after, but measuring seven or eight feet in length, leaped from the water near the boat and was seen to dart ahead of them, straight toward a second slick, which they were approaching. nele Jabez eyed him critically and then nodded his head to Jonathan, saying: “You kin try him, boy, ef you want. He ain't over six hundred.” In a moment Jonathan had darted to the bow of the Lively Sally, and was hauling out from under roe half-deck the harpoon and line that alway s lay there, In a very few minutes, young Jonathan had the strong harpoon-line, a hundred fathoms long, out with its reel in place at the extreme bow, in the step oh cent for its reception, and stood ready with his arpoon poised, by which time they were almost on top of the slick. *‘Isee him—no, it’s another—there’s another still —a school!” exclaimed the young harpooner, in low tones of extreme excitement, as he stood with one hand braced against the mast and supporting a coil of line, while the other held his harpoon. ‘Get the lance, Rube! Quick!” “ Keerful, boy, keerful!” cried Uncle Jabez, warn- ingly, as he saw Jonathan abandon his hold of the mast and poise his harpoon over his head. But Jonathan was toointent on his prey to hear the caution. With a’swing of the body he sent his weap- on back to the length of his arm and then darted it forward into the waves. One glance down, an ex- clamation of triumph, and tnen he sprung to the mast again and set his foot on the whizzing reel. Hardly had he done so, when the boat received a great shock and Uncle Jabez cried out: * Let him have the line, all there is, or he'll have ye overboard!” In less than a minute the hundred fathoms were all out and nothing was left but the reel stand, a strong iron bar, Jet into a hole in the stem, calculated for just such strains. The occupants of the boat were sensible of the end of the line being reached by the shock to the Lively Sally and her immediate increase of velocity. She was going free, with a spanking breeze on her star- board quarter, but now she seemed fairly to fly through the water, while her sail began to flatten in a yay that showed she was almost in advance of the wind, Uncle Jabez, cool as_ a cucumber, saw this, and called out to the young harpooner: “Come in, Jon'than, and let go the halyards. Give the varmint somethin’ to drag.” Jonathan understood the hint, and immediate] stooped down to the cleats at the foot of the mast, let go peak and throat halyards, and jumped back into the waist to draw in the fluttering canvas, while Unele Jabez jibed the boom over amidships by a turn of the helm til the sail was safely secured. Then they became sensible that they were being towed along by a monster fish of some kind, so that the seas swept aft to the hatch combing every in- stant, and would have come aboard but for the ex- treme buoyancy of the Lively Sally. There was nothing to do but to sit down in the cockpit, dipper in hand, ready to bail out, while the fish exhausted itself, “How big was the feller you struck, and how did you strike him, Jonathan?” asked the old sailor in one of these struggles. “Well, uncle, I don’t want to brag, but I should say he was about as long as our boat,” was the quict reply. “I caught him in the side just over the sound-bladder, but I guess I didn’t send it in deep enough, or he wouldn't pull like this.’ Uncle Jabez put on a serious expression of face as he said: ‘**J-e-rewsalem! boy, ef so be he’s as long as this boat, he must be a two-thousand-pounder, and he’ll lead us a chase.”’ - CHAPTER II. WHAT THE FISHERMEN FOUND. Wuen Uncle Jabez delivered his opinion on the size of the fish, Jonathan looked serious; but Ret- ben. who was full of excitement. exclaimed: ‘* Won't that be splendid! Why we can feed half Nantucket!” Uncle Jabez screwed up his wrinkled face in a curious grin, “P'r'aps—ef we get him aboard—but he ain’t here yet,”’ was his only reply. “Oh, but they’ve taken just as big ones in Gaspe Bay, uncle,’’ was the quick reply. ‘I was reading about them in Scoit’s American Fishes only yester- day, and he says that they take them of all siz s.” Uncle Jabez made no reply. Like most men who have risen from the ranks by practical experienee, he had very little faith in books in matters of which he knew anything, though he had a great respect for ‘“‘Varnin’,” as he called it, in the abstract, Reuben, the youngest and favorite son of his sister, Sally Macy, had always been fond of books, and ha enjoyed a much better education than his eldest brother on that account, When he was six he could read better than Jonathan, who was then eight, and by the time the boys were twelve and fourteen respectively, Jonathan was so disgusted with school life that he begged to be allowed to ship in a coaster and earn bis living, so that Reuben could be sent to High School and College as the “smart one" of the family. The consequence was that now, when Jonathan was nineteen, he was a first-class seaman, strong and active, but knowing very little of books, while Reuben was a slender, pale-faced boy with a bi head, an entbusiastic reader, and quite a skillfu amateur in various branches of science taught at Harvard, from which college he was now absent on vacation, But while we have been telling the internal affairs of the Macy family, the great horse-mackerel has been taking the Lively Sally out to sea, and by the time the speed of the monster began to slacken, the white sands of Nantucket were almost out of sight. “Now, boys,” observed Uncle Jabez, who had been keenly watching the line slapping into the waves ahead of them, “she don’t drag under any more, That feller’s weakenin’, Guess we'd better haul up and lance him, Rube, kin you help your brother?’ “*T think so, sir,’ was the reply in rather an of- fended tone, for Uncle Jabez had a way of treating Reuben in the light of a baby that was somewhat exasperating to the boy. ; “Waal, let’s see what ye kindo, You reel, while Jon’than hauls; and stand ready to hand your brother the lance when he gits nigh enough.” ** Ay, ay, sir!’ was Rube’s response in sailor fash- ion, at which the old man smiled. Now the boys of the Lively Sally began to rise from the strain to which they bad before been sub- | eee and presently they became aware that the ine was slackening and the boat driftiog on the waves, while the breeze, which had been quite strong over the shallow water, had died away almost into a calm. As soon as this happened Uncle Jabez, after a keen squint all around the sky, looking for clouds indicating squalls, left the tiller and joined his
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ar nephews in the task of hauling up to the big fish, Two hands at the line made aqntok EF rotigy till their prey, feeling the smart of the harpoon under the renewed strain, gave another rush forward, leaped out of the water not two hundred feet from the boat with a mad fling, and revealed to their eyes a monster of his breed. No sooner was the leap over than the line slacken- ed, and Uncle Jabez hauled in witb all his might, cryin, 3 «| Bice he comes, boys, tryin’ another game. Reel in, Rube. Don’t let that line kink ef on vally our lives. Lance! lance!” Reuben sent the reel whizzing round as fast as he was able, using up the line as it came in, and shoved the lance out on the bow of the boat beside his uncle at the same time, In ‘a very few moments they could see the great fish heading straight for the boat with open mouth, and Uncle Jabez caught up. the lance. ‘Haul in hard, Jon’than,’’ muttered the old man, in excited tones, as he grasped one of the stays and Jeaned over the side in his eagerness. Jonathan obeyed with all his power. The great fish pulled and leaped, but was not strong enough to stand the pain any longer, as the line drew the barbed harpoon, flesh and all, toward the boat. At every fresh fom the line slackened, and Jona- than hauled in the line promptly, securing it by the cleat and his foot. At last the fish was close beside the boat, and began to flap its huge tail against the gunwale, when Uncle Jabez plunged the lance into its gills. burying it up to the shaft. Seizing the line before the float could follow it overboard, the old man hauled out the keen weapon, which offered no resistance, and out flowed a torrent of blood from the fish, dyeing the sea crimson. Again and again did Uncle Jabez lance the great horse-mackerel in the gills, and at each thrust its struggles became fainter, till at last it lay on the water dead, “ And the next question is, boys, how shall we git ae critter to hum, for we can’t haul him aboard no- ow. *“ Why not cut it up and leave the head and tail and all but the meat here?” asked Reuben, a little bane r Uncle Jabez favored him with a nod of approval this time, *The books hain't sp’iled ye, arter all, Rube. That’s jest what we'll do with the varmint. Git a Jine round his head Jon’than, and I'll make his tail fast If we don’t have a good twelve hundred o’ fresh fish for your ma to-night I’m a lubber.” In five mintites they had the fish secured alongside of the now motionless Lively Sally, and lay rocking idly on the ground swell, the wind having sunk to a mere catspaw. Overbead the sky was pale blue, with not a cloud to dim the expanse, and Reuben in- uired* ‘How shall we get home with our fish to-night, uncle? It looks as if the wind was all gone.” The old man cast a keen glance to the southward, and then observed: . “Don’t you be skeered "bout wind. We'll have all the wind we want to get home to-night; lucky if we don’t git more’n we kin stand under,” . They took the great carcass of the fish alongside with nooses of rope at head and tail, and then Uncle Jabez exercised his skill as an old whaler in remov- ing the flesh from the skeleton. With deft and skillful cuts, that showed he knew the anatomy of his prize by previous experience, he detached the whole of the flesh of one side from the backbone and ribs to which it adhered, hauled it on board with the help of the boys, and cut it into slabs of manageable s'ze as it came over the gunwale, till four hundred pounds of good solid brownish flesh lay on the floor of the cockpit, and Uncle Jabez ob- served: Jabez Coffin, Skipper. we have some hooks a sight larger than any we’ve ‘ot here to turn the varmint over, T’other side’ll nave to go to the sharks, 1 guess. Yon’s one of ’em, waitin’ now.” As he spoke he was leaning over the side, | \bbing idly away at the remains of the carcass, when the keen lance nad in between two of the ribs into the stomach of the horse-mackerel, and instantly pet Beard the unmistakable ‘clink’ of steel on Lass | 2 Uncle Jabez started with surprise. ‘‘Geerewsa- lem!’ he exclaimed, “ef the warmint hain'’t got a votile in his insides, call me a lubber |” : Reuben burst out eagerly: “T know! It must be a bottle some poor fellow has thrown overboard with a letter inside and the fish has swallowed it. Getit quick, uncle, for here comes ashark!”’ There was much excitement in the boat as the old sailor worked his keen lance to and fro, cut asunder the soft bones of the horse-mackerel, then thrust his bare arm into the hole he had made and pulled oub a eee junk-bottle, sealed up with a care that told of the errand on which if had been sent, Then the remains of the fish were cast loose, and they could see the shark rushing eagerly after it. “ Histe the sail, Jon’than, for here comes the wind,” observed Uncle Jabez as he went to the tiller, “You, Rube, you’re the best scollard, so you kin read what’s in the bottle; for ef 1 ain’t mistook thar’s a@ paper in there.” onathan set the sail, and the boat began to beat her way toward the land as Reuben opened the mys- terious bottle. Of course there was a paperinit. They had known that as soon as they saw the care with which it was sealed up. A paper there was, evidently torn from a ship’s om book: and the blurred writing told of the haste with which it had been committed to the deep, probably in some moment of extreme peril. But what made Reuben start and stare so at the faded characters? “What is it, Rube, what is it?” hurriedly asked Unele Jabez, for that boy bad turned pale. * T's father’s writing !” A dead silence of dismay was broken by Uncle Jabez, who said in a husky voice: ‘Read it, Rube. Let’s hear the worst!” Tn trembling tones the boy obeyed. It ran thus: “Whoever picks this paper up, I beg them, for God’s sake, to take it to Captain Jabez Coffin, of Nantucket. The ship Pride of Nantucket was nipped by the ice, August 19th. 1873, in latitude 84 deg, 87 min. north, longitude from Greenwich 76 deg, 40 min. west, and is now sinking in Smith’s Sound, We are taking to the boats. Gd have mercy on us all. JONATHAN Macy, Master.” For several minutes no one spoke, and then Jona- than groaned out: ‘*My poor mother! What shall we do?’ Uncle Jabez compressed his lips in a determined way as he answered: “Do? about it! My poor little Sally!’ The last words broke out in spite of himself as the weather-beaten old salt hastily brushed the back of his hand across his eyes and turned away his head, To him the mother of these boys was still the “little Sally” of yore, his baby sister; and the thought of what this message would be to her was the hardest trial of all to him, Presently he turned to the boys, who both sat, pale and speechless, as if stunned, and observed in a tone of ill-assumed cheerfulness: “Don’t be downhearted, boys. He mayn’t be— dead—arter all, I’ve knowed many—oh, my poor little Sally!” 4 Uncle Jabez fairly broke down and could say no more for some time. till the increasing wind and “There, boys, I guess that’s all we kiv get without | darkening sky turned his attention to their own safe- We've got to find him, boys, that’s all }
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4 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 5 a eee ty, and the next hour was passed in a hard struggle with a stiff northeaster. During all this time Uncle Jabez said not a word, nor did his nephews, but all were thinking their hardest, and the result of the old man’s cogitations revealed itself as they went up the wharf, Captain Coffin laid his hand on Reuben’s shoulder there and said: “Listen awhile, boys; I’ve suthen to say to ye. I don’t believe Jon’than’s dead, but I do think he must have been in a bad fix when he writ that let- ter. Now, I want you to keep up your mother's spirits and jest remember this: We're goin’ to sind hum, ulive or dead. The Sarah Jane lies at the wharf, and, if need be, ’'ll spend every cent I’ve got left in the world to find Jon’than in that ship. The Pride’s gone, but Jon’than ain't, and we're goin’ to find him, You hear me! Waal, then, put on your best faces and don’t let your mother think there’s any real danger, if you vally her life. Now come in!” - Then Uncle Jabez led the way to the house CHAPTER III, KALATOONAH AND KABLUNET, Two months after the events recorded above, a small ship was plowing the waters of Baffin’s Bay in the latter part of June. A heavy gale was blowing from the northeast, and the sky was covered with gray clouds, while a drizzling mist beat in the face of Jabez Coffin, walking the quarter-deck, covered up in his oilskin suit, with’a flapping sou’easter tied under his chin, Presently, as Uncle Jabez turned in his uneasy walk on the slippery deck, a head rose from the eabin-hatch and out sprung a female figure with a gay laugh, coming sliding down the steep incline of the deck into the lee scuppers and bringing up against the bulwarks, **What cheer. Uncle? How's ber head? My! don't it blow, just!” cried this new-comer, ail in a breath, as she turned a pair of particularly saucy gray eyes on Captain Coffin. It was evidently a girl, from the voice and the smooth face, but the dress was far more like that of aman and a sailor, for Katherine Macy—more com- monly called Crazy Kit—was such a born hoyden that she abhorred the slavery of long skirts and continued, at seventeen, to wear a costume more common at the tender age of seven. A round sailor-hat, a long pea jacket coming near- ly to the border of her short blue skirts, and tall in dia-rubber boots might have suited a child, but were out of place on most young women; and yet no one ever thought of commenting on Kitty Macy’s dress as unsuited to her. She wasso strong and lithe, so active and plucky, that every one said she ought to have been a boy, and as far as her own tastes went she was boy all over. An orphan since the age of three, her father had been drowned in a wreck when within sight of his home at Nantucket, and her mother had died after the shock only a few days later, leaving tiny Kitty to the care of her uncle, Jonathan Macy, who cared for her ever after, The pet and plaything of the Macy family and old Uncle Jabez, as she always called him—though he was no relative—Kate had grown up to be what the Nantucket folks called ‘‘smart as a steel-trap, but wild as a hawk.” All the advice and reproof in the world would not keep her off the water, where she was as much at home as any of her boy comrades; she could pull an oar or sail a boat as well as any sailor in Nantucket. and joined to these accomplishments that of swimming like a fish. “ Well, uncle,” began Miss Hoyden, throwing back the curls that came blowing into her face—the most feminine thing about her—‘* where are we now?” “Off Whalefish Islands, monkey,” growled Uncle yee eg like a good-natured bear, “ Where’s yer Aufit Sally and the boys, Kitty?’ ‘Aunt Sally's asleep, and Rube’s working away at his tiresome old latitudes in the cabin, like a book- worm as he is. As for Jon’ than, Lleft him getting on his sea-boots to come on deck.’ Just then along quavering cry came from aloft where the look-out was stationed; the well-known ery of, ‘‘ LAND on!!!” itty Macy clapped her hands, “Hooray for lend! Whereaway?”’ She answered the hail of the mast-head with her customary saucy independence, and the answer came back: ‘Broad away on the weather bow, miss,” Hardly were the words out cf the lookout’s mouth than away went miss up the main rigging, straining her eyes to,get a glimpse of the Jand. But she did not go far. Before she reached the maintop, something attracted her attention on the sea below, looming out of the fog, and she stopped, screaming out: “Oh, uncle, look, look! Here's a boat!” Old Uncle Jabez hurried to the lee bulwarks where Kitty was pointing, and, sure enough, there was a boat of some kind, skimming up and down the great seas and coming toward the Sarah Jane. Kitty hurried down the rigging just as her two cousins, attracted by the noise on deck, came out of the cabin, and ina few minutes all the ship’s eom- pany who were awake were crowded on the side of the ship, watching the approaching stranger. Such a boat and such a boatman Kitty and her cousins had never seen before. ‘The.craft in which he sat was a long, slender canoe, completely decked over, and spparcunly made of the thinnest of parchment, so thin that, as the waves washed over it, one might see the outlines of the man’s legs and the skeleton of his boat through the transparent covering. The boatman satin a little round hole in the mid- dle of his flimsy craft, clothed in a jacket of sealskin which fitted tightly over a circular rim to the open- ing, while his sleeves were tight at the wrists, and he wore a hood all round his face. In fact, he seemed, boat and all, to be perfectly water-tight, for he went over or under the tops of the waves with equal in- difference, plying a long double-bladed paddle, first on one side then on the other, ‘ “Who is it, uncle? what is it?” asked Kitty, eager- “Tt’s a kayacker,” answered the old sailor, ‘‘an Esquimaux from Disco. I guess they‘ve pried us from shore, If so, this feller’s the pilot, and L ought to know him.” “Look, there’s another,” suddenly eried Reuben, pointing; and, sure enough, through the haze came skimming a second canoe, a trifle smaller than the first, and carrying a second figure, point for point like the other, save that the hood of this one rose to a peak, crowned with the tail of a fox, “Here's his twin brother,” laughed Jonathan. as this second kayacker came skimming along; but Uncle Jabez gave a dry sniff as he said: “That’s all you know, youngster. That’s a qal, though I never seen one in a kayack afore. Gee- rewsolem! If the critter ain’t comin’ aboard \” “ Ain't they darlings! My! don’t I wish I had such a boat!” cried Kitty, in ecstasy, as she watched them; and then they were both close aboard and re- mained hovering on the top of a wave like two sea- gulls, abeam of the ship, which had just hove to. *““Hayee! Sheep! sheep!" cried one of the kay- ackers—the man—in a high, shrill voice. ‘Rope, cappen, rope, mebbe!”’ Shale Jabez made a silent sign aloft, for he was not given to noise on his own ship. and one of the sailors, who had climbed out on the lee main-yard- arm, flung a line right on top of the kayack. The Esquimaux caught it dexteronsly and passed a ng bowline around himself and his frail craft, ‘ * All right, cappen! Mebbe you hoist away now,” yelled the shrill voice; and ina moment more, man and kayack were swung clear of the water, and ‘
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came flying on board like the end of a pendulum! Both landed on the deck with hardly a bump, and in another moment the active kayacker had cast off the line and was yelling to the man on the yard- arm: “Hayee, you man! Mebbe you bring in Kablunet, too. e my darier,”” Uncle Jabez gave an affirmative nod, and the man at the yard-arm bastily gathered up the slack of the line and cast it out to the girl, who sat in her canoe a little way off. Kablunet, if that were her name, proved as quick as her father, and came flying on board at the end of the whip with equal safety and grace. By the time she was inside the bulwarks, the old Hsqui- maux had cast off his hide band which lashed the skirt of his jack to the kayack’s manhole-rim, and had drawn himself out of his shell, Then all his grace and activity were gone in a mo- ment, Thecurious gazers saw a short stout man, not more than five feet high, with a round smooth face, high cheek-bones and little black eyes, a dark brown skin and a general Indian look about him. He was dressed in a suit of brown sealskin, and looked lumbering and unwieldy as soon as he stood up. Yet his flat face was the personification of shrewdness and good-humor if it were not hand- some, and Kitty could hardly help laughing as he turned to Uncle Jabez saying in his shrill tones: “How do, cappen. Mebbe you got glass rum ‘board, hey? Baecer, hey? The Kalatoonah, best pilot in Disco, Rum and baccer, hey?’ “Give Mr. Kalatoonah a paper of tobacco and a glass--a small glass, miud, steward—of rum,” said Uncle Jabez with a smile. ‘* And what will the lady have for herself, Kalatoonah? How comes it that you allow her out in a kayack? I thought your women were only let into the oomiaks,.’™* Kalatoonah’s face changed from its usual merry grin, and he took Captain Coffin to one side and said in a mysterious tone: “No say nothing—Kablunet hear you, she sink shi reat witch—/ab to let Kablunet go in kayack —all mans ’fraid.” Captain Coffin smiled and looked rather curiously at the girl, who had just disengaged herself from th» hole of her canoe. Kate Macy and the boys were staring at her with great interest. Kablunet, though a girl, was much taller than Kalatoonah, and in fact would have passed for a tall woman even among Europeans. Her face was en- tirely different from that of her Esquimaux com- panion, peeing a keen aquiline profile, large dark eyes, and a small red-lipped mouth with beautiful teeth. The shape of her countenance was oval. and its expression melancholy and tbat As for being Kalatoonah’s daughter that did not seem possible, for no sort of likeness existed between them. The girl wore a cap plumed with the tail of a white fos, and her other garments were just like those of Kalatoonah—a jacket and trowsers, met_by high boots reaching to the middle of the thigh,’ The materials however were very different from those of the kayacker’s rough garments, being composed of the costly fur of the blue fux—a delicate dove color —while her boots were dyed a bright scarlet, and a searlet sash was wound round her waist, giving a picturesque effect to the whole dress. 2 This singular creature now stood in the midst of the ship's deck, looking round her wistfully, when Uncle Jabez observed: * Kayack means simply ““man’s boat” and “‘oomi- ak’ **woman’s boat.” The oomiak is a large flat- bottomed craft; sharp at each end, but made just in the same way as the kayack, with a very light wooden frame covered with sealskin as thin-as parchment. It holds as many as ten or fifteen peo- ple. No Esquimaux man will ever condescend to en- ter an oomiak. He regards his own swift but danger- ous craft as the only thing fit to carry a man and a seal-hunter, Jabez Coffin, Skipper. ““Why, Kalatoonah, I was here only ten years ago, and you were not even married then, How does this girl come to be your daughter?” The little pilot screwed up his chim into a funny sort of grin and whispered back: ““No speak dat way, cappen. She my daughter, she say, and no mans dare say notings. Cappen, I tell you she great much ice witch.” Kate Macy overheard the remark, and turned to see if the girl had done the same, but Kablunet was apparently engaged in inspecting the rigging and the weather, for her eyes were roaming aloft, and she walked to the weather side of the ship and peered out to windward. Presently she came back to Kalatoonah, Jaid her hand on his arm, and said some words in the harsh Esquimaux tongue. The little pilot nodded, and said to Captain Coffin: ““Cappen, Kablunet say we hab sun in minute. Ice coming down. Make sail” ““* All right, Kalatoonah, if you say so. Fill the maintopsail, Mr. Folger, and stand on. The pilot knows his way well enough,” The mate obeyed orders, and the Sarah Jane once more leaped forward over the waves like a living creature. Kabluret, after on¢ glance over the crew, earnest and searching, asif seeking a face she knew, hurried away and walked to the quarter-deck, pass- ing Captain Coffin, and approaching the little group formed by Kate and the two Macy boys. In the same earnest manner she scanned them from head to foot. when a smile of pleasure appeared on her face, and she extended her hand to Kate Macy, saying some words in a strange, soft language, very different from that in which she had spoken to Kalatoonah. Kate, half curious and half puzzled, took the prof- fered hand and replied in English: ** Hoy do you do?” With a frown the strange girl threw away the hand, uttered a sort of impatient, despairin » groan, and turned to Reuben, whom she greeted in the same words that she had used to Kate. To the surprise of every one, Reuben immediately answered in the same tongue, when the girl uttered acry of joy and clasped him around the neck, burst- ing out crying and kissing him. Before the astonishment had ceased, Kate Macy suddenly pulled the stranger away, calling out angrily: “How dare you kiss my cousin?” In a moment the face cf the wild girl changed from intense emotion to bitter anger, as she uttered a sort of sob of despair, then drew the knife in her belt and turned on Kate. Uncle Jabez started for- ward between them in alarm, when the mood of this singular being again changed; she thrust the knife back in her belt and burst out into a flood of angry words in the same soft language in which she had addressed Reuben, then rushed to her kayack and sprung with it on the bulwarks, from whence she plunged overboard into the boiling sea in the midst of the fog, which swajlowed her instantly just as it broke loose from the vessel under the rays of the sun, The sun had come, as Kablunet said, and the wind had changed, but the girl had vanished as if she had never been, and Cap‘ain Coffin ejaculated: £ “What in the world is the matter, and what did she say, Rube? The gal’s crazy, I do think,” “No, uncle,” answered the boy, in a tons of some feeling, ‘she is a Spanish girl who has not heard her own tongue for eight years, Oh, Kitty! why did you insult her? She said—think of it—that she came to us hoping to find Christians, and that we were worse than savages, and she called on Heaven to punish us for rejecting an orphan’s prayer.” * Svanish!” cried Uncle Jabez, amazed. ‘ Why, Saleoet, who is this girl? Is she not one of your people?’ Kalatoonah was ghastly pale, and his teeth were chattering with superstitious fear as he replied: “No, no, cappen! She witch—vi/ch, I tell you~
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 4 come in storm—go in storm— She— Hayes!!! Stalboard |} 1” ‘A He ended in a perfect shriek of agonized warning to the helmsman, and pointed wildly to the bow. There, not three hundred feet away, towered a huge iceberg, hitherto hidden by the fog, and the ship was running direcily on it before the wind. CHAPTER IV. THE ICEBERG, For a moment all was confusion on board the ship, the crew gazing at each other panic-stricken; and then the man at the wheel hauled at the spokes like mad, assisted by Jonathan Macy, who sprung to his side without orders. while Jabez Coffin roared: “Port braces! Haul for your lives! Let go the starboard braces, Haul, I say!” a Recovering their presence of mind, the sailors rushed to their posts and pulled the yards round; while the ship, with a wide, sweeping curve, sheered away from the face of the great berg, shaving it so close that they could feel the rain of melting ice ponring down the side of the white precipice and ashed in their faces by the eddying wind, as they gathered away in the new direction. “ Geerewsalem! that was a close call,”’ observed Uncle Jabez, wiping the sweat from his forehead, as he surveyed the peril they had just passed, ** That darned gal must ha’ seen it in the fog, and that was what she meant by calling on Heaven to punish us. oon my lad, what was that she said to you rst? . Reuben flushed a little as he answered: “She spoke beautiful Spanish, uncle, You know I picked that up at college. She asked meif I could talk it, and I said: ‘Si, senorita, un poco!’ That's all, ‘ Yes, miss, a little!’ And then, Kit, here, flew at her. Lsuppose the poor creature was glad to find some one spoke her tongue; for it’s easy to see she’s no Esquimaux, though how she came here in Green- land is the wonder.” As he spoke Kalatoonah called out to the com- fcr ied ““Hayee! cappen, mebbe you git anchor ready. Good ground bimeby.”” 4 Uncle Jabez nodded and went forward to superin- tend the process of anchoring, for he was a careful commander; and Reuben remained leaning on the affrail, gazing idly astern at the great grounded berg. As he looked, the mist, which had been driven away to the south by the changing wind came stealing up once more, and then out skimme the slender kayack of Kablunet, as the mysterious Ice Witch came in sight, just at the edge of the fog, till she vanished in a great blue cavern in the middle of the berg. “Strange creature!” muttered Reuben, as he gazed. ‘ How came she here and who is she?’’ Then his meditations were interrupted by the hoarse cry of ‘“ Let go!” and the sullen splash of the anchor told that the Sarah Jane was at rest. Al- most immediately the ship was surrounded by swarms of Esquimaux in their kayacks, while a big boat of the same flimsy materials—a skeleton cov- ered with parchment—came rowing toward them, propelled by six girls, and carrying in the stern- sheets a white man with yellow beard and civilized garments. This man, Kalatoonah told them, was Captain Nilson, the Danish Governor of Kronprinzen, come to pay them a visit. uben went below into the little cabin, which he found deserted, and was saluted at once by a voice from one of the state-rooms at the side. “Who is that? Is it you, Kate?” pues mother, it is 1,” he answered, and the voice replied: Ron, Reuben, have we got to land yet, my boy? Is there any news?” ““We have just anchored, mother. and the Danish Governor is coming aboard. He will have news,” There was a hurried rustle in the state-room, the door opened, and a pale, dark-eyed woman came o ut. ‘*Oh, Reuben,” she said, impulsively, ‘I had such a dream about your father!’ “Yes, mother?” The boy spoke soothingly, as one who was used to humoring the fancies of the invalid; for Mrs. Macy was such, MR bo Reuben, I saw him! He is alive! Iam sure of it! But before Reuben could answer her there came a clattering on the deck overhead, with the sound of steps, and the boy signed to her to listen, “It’s the Danish Governor, mother. Listen.” ‘*Mornin’, Cap, mornin’,’’ they heard Uncle Jabez ee “Glad to see you. How’s the ice up north?” ‘hey could not hear the answer distinctly, for it was made in a top base voice and in the guttural Danish-English that prevails among sea-going Danes. But they could make out something like: “Tag, Cap, tag. Ice pretty bad, but opening up. Ship nipped by Devil’s Thumb,” Reuben started as he heard it. He knew that the ‘*Devil’s Thumb" was a remarkable pillar of rock on theshores of Melville Bay where the ice was at its worst, and he feared that the nipped ship might be the lost ‘* Pride.” But he Jistened in vain. There ensued some other conversation, of which the listeners below could not catch the purport, till suddenly Kitty Macy uttered a glad cry and they heard her run to the companion-hatch, * Oh. aunty, aunty, they’ve seen Uncle Jonathan's ship. The Pride was here last year. Here comes the Governor to telkus.”” As she spoke heavy steps came down the com- panionway, and Captain Coffin entered the cabin escorting the Danish Governor. He proved to be a regular old sea-dog, round and jovial, fond of punca and pipes, and he satisfied them that he had seen the “Pride” the year before on her way to the north, and as soon as he heard that they had con.e after her asked if they didn’t want furs, They could buy jackets at a dollar apiece, trow- sers of sealskin and dogskin socks, with heavy seal- hide boots, at such prices that a complete qui- maux suit, hood, mittens and all, would not cost tendollars, And they would take American gold, *too—glad to get it. Was the ship ready for a winter in the ice? “Oh, yes,” replied Uncle Jabez. ‘ We've got the ship lined with cork, and felt over that, and she’s got a solid mass of timmer in her bows, with any quantity of beams and shores to keep her frém bein’ stove in. I’ve b’en in these latitudes before, and T know what a nip from the ice is, She'll lift right square out on top o’ the ice, this ship will, afore she starts a plank ora rib, and I’ve got her sheathed with an inch ef iron from stem to stern,” “Dat is goot, dat is goot,” replied Nillson, ap- rovingly. ‘*Dere was six whalers all nipped by the oes in Melville Pay last August, and every one went down to de bottom, smashed.” “ Ah, that reminds me,” said Uncle Jabez, with a start. “Do you know a gal called Kablunet?” The question produced a strange effect on the jolly Dane, who looked so grave that his host saw at’ once that something was the matter. “Yes, I know her,’’ he at length said. ‘You know, of course, that it is not her name,” a “Indeed!” and every one in the cabin waited to hear more with considerable interest. “No, indeed. Kablunet is the Esquimaux word for a white woman, that is all. They call us—you— Kabloonah, This girl is not an Esquimaux at all, though she makes that drunken dog, Kalatoonah, call her daughter, No, she comes from no one knows where, and the people say she is a witch, Then the Governor refused to say any more about her, and after a little more genera conversation he left the ship, inviting all hands to visit him at the
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“Palace,” as he dignified a small one-story wooden house, which was the only respectable mansion in Kronprinzen. The rest of the people lived in huts about two-thirds buried in the ground, where the whole family dwelt together in one room, much in the manner of pigs in a sty. Reuben had, however, taken into his head a great fancy to know more of this mysterious Kablunet or White Woman, who spoke Spanish and came from no one knew where, Without saying anything to any one on board about his design, he went ashore in the boat with his uncle. CHAPTER V. THE SPLITTING Of THE ICEBERG, Uncie Japez Corrin had very good success in his fur-trading, securing enough garments to make his whole crew independent of other covering in a winter in the ice, and it was with a sense of con- fidence and satisfaction that he returned to the ship and told the steward to serve supper in the cabin, The party were about to sit down when Jonathan suddenly remarked: ‘“‘Where’s Reuben? I’ve not seen him since we went ashore in the boat.” ‘* Waal,”’ observed Uncle Jabez, ‘‘that’s rather strange of Rube. Mebbe he cum aboard afore we did and is sleepin’ in his berth, Go look, Jonathan.” Jonathan went and returned with the report that no one was there, and inquiry through the ship de- veloped the fact that Reuben had not come on board, One of the sailors, however, said that he had seen Master Reuben paddle by the ship’s ae ibay in a na- tive kayack, heading out to seaward in the fog. Uncle Jabez jumped up with a pale face, evidently seriously alarmed, as he os eb ae ‘* Headin’ out to sea in this fog! The boy’s crazy. He’ll be lost, sure as fate. These fogs hangs on for weeks sometimes. Ring the bell hard, boys, hard! If he ain’t out of hearing, that’ll guide him here.”’ All hurried up on deck, and the ship’s bell was set tolling as hard as they could make it go, while Uncle Jabez had the little brass Signal-gun fired at inter- vals, to guide the belated Reuben into port. The unusual noise on board the ship soon attracted the attention of the people on shore, and brought a cloud of kayacks hovering round them like sea-gulls round adead whale. By questioning some of the owners of these kayacks, Uncle Jabez learned of Reuben’s late purchase, and the price paid therefor, The boy had secured a boat newly cévered with seal-hide, with all its appurtenances, in return for an old “ pepper-box "’ revolver of antique pattern. When Uncle Jabez heard this he gave a dry sort of laugh, and observed: “T guess we don’t need be skeered "bout Rube. Any feller that kin trade as smart as that, kin take keer of himself in a fog.” Nevertheless the old sailor did not fail to inform the kayackers that his nephew was lost, and to offer a big butcher-knife to the man that should find him. “What could he have gone away for?’’ said Mrs, Macy, as she looked away into the fog. Jonathan's face flushed as be answered: “T think, mother, he went after the girl Kablu- net, that came aboard with the oe this morning, I saw a kayack enter that grounded iceberg just as the fog closed; and there was Rube by our taffrail, staring out after it. He’s out in that grounded berg, and I’ll bot on it.” They were startled by a low groan from Uncle Jabez as Jonathan finished his story. ‘Then Lord ha’ merey on the poor boy!” he ejac- ulated; ‘for that berg’s goin’ to split as sure as—”’ He stopped short, when a loud crash like thunder was heard out in the midst of the fog, followed by the frightened screams of sea-gulls and the shouts of the kayackers in the fog. “She’s split, by thunder!’’ ejaculated the old sailor, aikable to control himself. ‘The Lord grant they were not inside the berg! Hold on, for there’s a big sea coming.” Jabez Coffin, Skipper. The kayackers out in the fog here uttered a sim- ultaneous cry of warning, long and shrill, and the sailors could hear the low roar of the surf on the rocks outside the harbor. Then the ship began to roll uneasily at her anchor; and every one, by an instinct of peril, caught hold of the nearest rope or belaying-pin for support. Presently Kate Macy, who was by the taffrail, screamed out: ‘*Look! look! Hold on tight.” But Jabez Coffin had his sister fast long before that, and stood with one arm round her and the other holding a shroud, waiting, Mrs. Macy shud- dered and hid her face in the old sailor’s breast after one brief glance astern. There, looming up out of the fog, came a smooth green hill of water, apparently as high as the ship's main-top sweeping eg ae down on them as they rode to anchor on the ebb-tide, stern out to sea. In another moment it was on them, The ship rose to meet it till the anchor snubbed her, when the great billows swept over the taffrail and cleared the decks in a moment, roaring down the open hatch- ways in a mighty torreut, and sending loose spars. boxes and bales washing down toward the shore o: Kronprinzen. As for the living beings, every one that could not hold on was washed overboard, including three sheep and a chicken-coop full of fowls; and, worst of all, Captain Coffin and his sister were dashed up against the foot of the mainmast, being torn from their hold at the mizzen rigging, That done, as if satisfied with its errand of harm, the monster wave spent itself on the beach of Kron- prinzen without doing further damage, and left the Sarah Jane tossing wildly to and fro on the succeed- ing billows, each less than the first, until the sea again subsided into calmness, CHAPTER VI. WHERE WAS REUBEN. Bur where was Reuben and where was Kablunet all this time? Jonathan and Kate were so busy at first that they had no time to think of this. There was Uncle Jabez down with a couple of broken ribs, and Mrs. Macy strangled into insensi- bility by the great wave, the cabin three feet deep with water and the hold nearly the same. By the time they had sent the two patients to pees berths in the state-rooms, and had the crew well to work at the panine clearing the water from the vessel, the wind had dissipated the fog almost entirely, and they could see for ten miles in any direction. But though the kayacks were plenty, dancing about on the white-capped swells. not a sign could be seen of Kablunet nor of Reuben. After awhile the men pe iy to come in slowly and unwillingly, as if they disliked to lose their promised reward, and brought the report that in their opinion the young Kabloonah must have been close to the berg when it broke up, and must have been pierced by a falling fragment, As for Kablunet, they only shook their heads mys- teriously when asked about her, and expressed an opinion that she was all right somewhere, no mat- ter where. She was a witch, and never so much at home as among dead men. This sort of stuff, delivered in broken English at such a time, had its effect on the sailors, already frightened by the accident to their ship and com- mander; and several old salts came aft to mate Fol- ger, now in charge of the vessel. to ask that he would set sail to return to Nantucket. ‘* There was no luck aboard the Sarah Jane with a crazy woman on board, and darned Greenland witches trying to swamp the ship. There was no luck on the ship, anyway, for she had sailed on Friday; and now the captain was down and going to die, They were not going to be put under no youngster like Jon’than Macy, who had never sailed in any craft bigger than a schooner before, and was no naviga-
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 9 tor besides. They wanted a sailor like Folger to lead them.” The mate—he was a big, brawny Nantucketer, and a devoted friend of Jonathan Macy, senior-—-heard them patiently through, and when they were all fin- ished, demanded: “Well, my lads, d’you know who owns this here ship and who fitted her out?’’ * Cap Coffin,” was the general reply. “Jess so. Cap Coffin, Well, and ef he dies, who owns this ship?’ There was a puzzled silence, till an old seaman an- swered: “Dunno, §’pose Marm Macy. But she’s a wo- man, She can’t sail a ship.” “Waal, and can’t J sail it fur her?’ asked Folger, in louder tones. ‘‘ Now you look a-here, boys, don't you git skeered afore you're burt. Cap Coffin ain’t dead yet by a long chalk mark, and Marm Macy ain’t dead nuther, and ef they both dies, this ship b'longs to Marm Macy’s children, and I’ve been made their guardeen all shipshape and reg’lar, and I’m seein o take this here ship jest as fur into the ice as the Lord ‘Il letus git, a-huntin’ furCap Macy. You hear me? And you're a-goin’ with us and a- goin’ to do your dooty without any more grumbliu’, or I'll know the reason ss And if there’s any man here that thinks he kin whip Zek’l poe jest let Bie step out here and I'll ‘tend to him. Now, then. As the burly mate finished, there was a blank si- lence among the men, and then the old sailor who had before spoken, said: ‘Waal, ef ye take it like that, we’ve no more to say, mister; but there ain’t no luck around this here ship. We knows our dooty, Good-mornin’.”’ Folger grinned as_ they went forward, evidently much crestfallen, and observed to Jonathan Macy, who had just come up from the cabin: ** Don’t you be skeered, Master Jon'than, I'll keep this here ship fur youand Master Rube jes’ as long as there’s a stick afloat.” * Alas, Zeke, I fear we shall never see ben again,” was the desponding cry of ‘* Where can he be?” “Why, aboard the berg in coorse,” was the confi- dent reply. ‘ ‘Tain’t to say because one man’s on & mpi face berg over a mile jong, that he’s a-zoin’ to stand right in the very place that it splits, is it?”’ “Then what do you think we'd better do, Zeke?” asked Jonathan. “Waal, I'm thinkin’ that as there's a good stiff breeze and open weather now for awhile, them bergs is likely to stay in sight some time. The kayackers daresn’t go close to them for fear of gittin’ swamped ef they was to shift suddent. You jest take the life- boat and four men, with a lug sail, a compass and some grub, so you don't git starved if the fog ketches you, and you kin sail there afore they gits out of sight, Go near each berg and holler for Rube like Tf he’s thar. he’l] answer.” The mate ordered out the starboard quarter-boat, and four men were told off for her crew, a week’s provisions and a compass put in, the boat let down, and then the young sailor went over the side and took command, The nearer the boat came to the bergs, the more sensible were the rollers; and Ee as they were within about three hundred yards of the largest of these monsters, down went one side, up went the other, and the gigantic rocking and heaving com- menced anew. ‘Lhe boat was lifted up and tossed about like a cork. P Again and again Jonathan hailed at the top of his voice, sounded a whistle, and fired off one barrel of his pistol at the berg. All was in vain. They saw nothing but a clean precipice of ice before them, from which they kept at a respectful distance. Full of forebodings, he ordered the men to stretch out toward the other berg. Within half an hour they had sailed clear round oor Reu- onathan, this, hailing at intervals, but obtaining no response, | Poor Jonathan persevered as long as there was any sort of hope, but at last he broke down with a sob of despair, and groaned out: ‘* He's dead, boys; he’s dead, or he would have an- swered me, Pull back to the ship,” CHAPTER VI. REACHING THE PACK, Wuen Jonathan Macy returned to the ship with the sad news of his brother’s disappearance, it be- came a serious question with all whether they should not return to the United States and abandon the ob- ject of the expedition at its very beginning. The only person who opposed this design was Fol- er, now in command of the Sarah Jane. The stout antucketer had a great deal of determination in his character, and was not easily put down by ad- versity. He comforted the young people by repre- senting to them that to go back would entail a rough passage of at least three weeks before reaching any stig where a surgeon was available, while by going orward as far as Uppernavik, the most northerly of the Danish settlements, they would meet with a doctor. The ‘ Inspector’ or Governor of that place was a Danish surgeon, formerly of the ay Encouraged by these representations Jonathan made no opposition to the project, and the Sarah Jane weighed anchor within twenty-four hours af- ter =~ return and stood off to the north along the coast. : The wind being fair and good, they passed Disco Island the next day, and noticed on the way the ice- berg which they had seen drift off from before Kronprinzen and which they looked on as the de- stroyer of Reuben. The great berg was sailing majestically out to sea “into the Middle Ice,” as Folger informed them, its yea being now no longer northerly, but due west. “But where is this Middle Ice?” asked Kate, who had come on deck for a few moments and overheard ae remark, ‘The sea is open and there is no icein sight.” Ezekiel Folger looked up at the sky, and then wheeled round to the westward. Kate's eyes follow- ed his, but aaw nothing to indicate ice. save the one sailing berg. Tbe sun, which had been shining night and day for over a week, bung in the north- west, for it was some time after nominal midnight, prin great orb of day bad recommenced its as- cent, Out in the west there was a bright yellow glare, rising several degrees from the horizon, and it was at this that Folger pointed, “That, miss, isthe écet/uik, as you've no doubt heerd tell on. Whenever you see that, thar’s any quantity of ice fur the sun to shine on, Ef you'll look over the land you'll see the same, for the ice covers all Greenland, so I’ve heerd them say as ought to know.” “What is the reason that we see that line of ice on the coast yonder, breaking the black rocks?” asked Kate, pointing to thé northeast, There was, indeed, a singular interruption at that oint to the Owns monotony of the black bluffs That have given to Greenland its appropriate name of the ‘t Land of Desolation.” Above five miles to the north of them commenced a perpendicular wall of ice, losing itself on the hori- zon, its edge outlined sharply against the rocky coast, “That's the great glacier of Omenak’s Fiord,” an- swered the mate, ‘ Talk of not seein’ ice anywhere! You'll see enough inside of three hours to satisfy you fur the rest of your nateral life, miss; or my name ain’t Zeke Folger.” Within half an hour they were close to the flord and beheld the sea covered with a confused mass of bergs and floes, crashing into each other and slowly revolving in the currents and eddies of Baffin’s Bay. Out to sea stretched the white fields as far as the eye could see, bergs frozen fast in floes, floes piling thems — ®
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10 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. selves up in hummocks at the foot of bergs, and forming that vast and impenetrable mass known among whalers as ‘The Pack or ‘t The Middle Ice.” Hitherto they had known nothing of the possibili- ties of ice navigation, having traversed open water till they reached Disco Bay, where the grounded berg was their first introduction to the wonders of the Arctic regions. Here they saw the terrible Middle Ice as it “ proached the shore, and a sufficiently cheerless soll- tude it appeared to them. Only between it and the shore stretched a narrow black line of open water, widening into pools here and there, from which ra- diated similar streaks of black into the heart of the ack, 3 “Them’s the ‘leads,’ and that’s the coast-water,” explained Folger, pointing them out. “All along the edge of the glacier thar’s allers opon water, but we daresn’t go into it now till the tide’s let the ice out further. Ef a berg was to break off and we inside of a mile off, blessed if T don’t b’lieve we'd git swamped teetotally, or git bumped up ag’in’ the floes hard enough to smash every stick of the old barky.”’ “Then what shall we do?” asked Kate, * Waal, marm, either we’ve got to haul up to one of them bergs and wait our time till the ice opens, or we've got to foller one of them leads, with a chance of its closin’ on us and givin’ us sech a nip acd would set us high and dry, if not bu’st us all to leces. e “Oh, no, not that,” said Kate, with a shudder. ae would make me think of poor Reuben all the time. ‘Then what is it?” replied Folger. Even while he was speaking. Jonathan Macy, who had been up in the rigging all this time, hailed the deck in tones of great excitement from the fore- royal yard: ¢ ‘Yolger! Folger! I see some one on the ice, coming this way.” * Whereaway, boy?’’ hailed the mate, in answer. **Don’t be too sure ’tain’t a seal or a bar,” “No; it’s a man dragging a canoe. It’s a Hosky, and he’s coming straight for us from tle middle of the pack.” ; ; Folger took up his glass, gazed in the direction in- dicated, and then muttered: “Sure enough, ‘tis a Hosky with a kayack. What in thunder was he a-‘loin’ out thar?” Folger put the ship about and skirted the pack till he came to a lead, which opened a black, winding water-way in the direction of the moving speck, Into this lead he steered the ship, under a fair wind, which was doing its part, with sun and current, to widen the passage. The black speck had already resolved itself into a man dragging a kayack, and now it hastened toward the lead, and soon after came down toward the ship, the canoe skimming along over the black water, Within twenty minutes it was close aboard, and they saw the squat figure and comical grin of Kala- toonah in his kayack, ‘* Floyee, sheep, sheep!’ shouted, or rather yelped that redoubtable bunter, holding up a square white pe r; ‘me got letter, much heap letter, Missy be 2 le wi me come aboard for rum and "backer, ayee nd Kalatoonah laughed heartily at his own wit. CHAPTER VIII. REUBEN’S LETTER. Tur Sarah Jane was the scene of great excitement immediately. i Jonathan came flying down a backstay, in his haste, too eager to take the regular way down the shrouds. As for Kate, her face was a study in its alternations from red to pale, from pleasure to re- sentment. Folger called = the steward to provide the biggest plug of pigtail tobacco, and an extra large tin cup of strong grog for Kalatoonah, while Jonathan ea- gerly superintended the lowering of a whip from the yard-arm to bring the hunter on board, At last he had extricated his body from the man- hole and stood on deck, holding out the letter, which was addressed to: “CAPTAIN JABEZ COFFIN, “Sup SARAH JANE Macy.’”” “Call up Uncle Jabez. No, he’s asleep, and we cannot disturb him, What shall we do? Who'll Cant the letter?” cried Jonathan, the picture of per- plexity. He had scruples against opening the letter, and yet felt that it was important to all that the in- telligence should be made known quickly. Mrs, Macy solved the doubt, Quite restored by the excitement of joy and hope combined, she burst into Uncle Jabez’s state-room, crying out: ‘Jabez, Jabez, the boy's alive! Here’s a letter from Rube.” The old sailor turned round in the berth with dif- ficulty and answered, gruffly: “Then, why in thunder don’t ye read it out? T hain’t no glasses here, and you knows that as well asIdo. Let’s hear what the young reprobate’s got to say for himself with his greasy Hosky gals.” Mrs. Macy, nothing loth, tore open the folds of the letter, which was not inclosed in an envelope but written on the leaf of a note-book, and read it aloud to the group of eager listeners that had followed her into the cabin. The note was short and business-like: “ Drar UNcLE JaBnz:— “There is an open lead of coast water two miles wide across the face of Omenak Fiord, which you can take the ship through if you push on at once, Melville Bay is more open than at any time for some years, and we can reach Smith Sound by the first of August if we hurry, Push on, I am going ahead over the pack with Dolores to look for leads and watch the ice. There are plenty of birds and seals, Tam well and will meet you inthe North Water, “Your dutiful nephew, Revpen Macy.” “ Waal, what did I tell ye’ cried honest Zeke Fol- ger, with a broad grin on his wrinkled physiognomy. “That boy ain’t no slouch, Cap, is he?” Uncle Jabez had been lying listening to it all pla- cidly enough, but now he growled out: ““Who the dickens is this Dolores he tells on? That ain’t a Hosky name.” “In coorse not,” replied the mate, soothingly. “Don't git grouty over it. Cap. The boy’s a doin’ more uor any one of us could do in his paar for we couldn’t travel on the pack, and seems he kin.” * ut who’s Dolores?” repeated the injured man. “It’s a Spanish name, uncle,” said Jonathan, rather timidly, “A Spanish “ Thanky. name. is it?” sneered Uncle Jabez. I knowed that afore, boy. I've b’en to Cuby and Peru many’s the time. But how did a Spanish gal git up here?” The old sailor, in his pain and irritability. had ta- ken a dire hatred to the idea of the wild girl he had seen having anything to do with his family; no mat- ter what services she might render to the object of his expedition. “T know who ye mean, boy,” he went on. “It’s that crazy gal they call a witch. and she’s | ot our Rube bewitched as like as not. The boy’s crazy and we've got to hunt him down and tie him up. If I don’t give him and his Dolores a taste of rope’s-end when I ketch ’em, my name ain’t Jabe Coffin. Zeke Folger, you make sail on this here ship until I gets well ’nuff to come on deck, and you go through the leads this boy writes about. If so be we gits into the North Water, as he says, all reg’lar and quick. very good. But when you meets him and his Dolores you jest send down forme, You hear?” “Yes, Cap,” replied the honest mate, soberly. “Then git out of my state-room, all but Kate,’? said Uncle Jabez, in the same crusty tones. ‘I want to sleep and Kate kin bring me a mung of beef tea afore that,”
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. il Then the old sailor turned his face to the wall in sulky mood and his auditors left the cabin. ‘ Kate was the only one who seemed to be cheerful, and she devoted herself to Uncle Jabez with an as- siduity that showed how she appreciated the punish- ment i e had promised to mete out to her unknown rival, as Kate persisted in thinking her. The ship was now put about and ran out of the lead into the strip of coast water between the pack and the glaciers of Omenak's Fiord, when Folzer stood boldly on toward the north. ; There let us leave the Sarah Jane, entering the re- cesses of Melville Bay, where so many whalers have come to an untimely end, while we return to the ab- sent Reuben, CHAPTER IX. THE ICE QUEEN. Reveen Macy had, as the Esquimaux said, left the ship in a kayack and rowed out into the fog to find the mysterious Kablunet. Within five minutes from the time he paddled out he was entirely lost in a gray sea of mist. Presently he was sensible of a bright white sheen in the fog on his right hand, while a chilly atmo- sphere enveloped him, and the rush of falling water warned him that he was close to the berg. The fog was so thick that he could not tell how near he was except by a splash of the torrent in the sea ahead of him, of which the drops came in his face at intervals. Therefore he turned to the right and skimmed round the foot of the berg, following all its sinuosities through the bewildering mist, guided by the white glare, till on a sudden he came to what seemed a great black cloud, and knew that the cavern was before him, Judging his distance when he had arrived at the center of this dark opening he steered in, and was soon rewarded by a strange sight. There. in the very heart of the iceberg, gleamed the ruddy light of a fire. The tunnel through which he had penetrated into the berg was about fifty feet high by twice that breadth, marking the existence of some softer stratum of ice in the original glacier which the sea had excavated from its more stubborn vicinity. As he made these observations and found the air clearing around him, he looked up and saw that the roof of the tunnel was rising and the passage itself widening into a vast hall, apparently in the very heart of the berg. But beautiful and weird as was this scene, Reuben noticed it but little. All his attention was concen- trated on the mysterious lee Witch herself, as she stood on the icy shore of this strange lake-chamber, leaning on her ae while her frail craft lay on the ice not far off. The support on which she stood was a smooth mass of ice, rounded by the action of the water and mace of harder materials than that portion of the berg which had fallen away into the tunnel. This icy promontory stood out from one side of the lake, and was the only place where the walls did not come down perpendicularly into the water. Reuben swept forward as noiselessly as possible, for the girl’s back was turned to him and she was gazing into the fire—made of driftwood—when an unwary splash cf his paddle in the deep silence of the icy solitude startled her. In a moment she drop- ped her own paddle, caught up from the ice a long slender harpoon and turne | on the new-comer with an expression of fierce resentment, pouring out a torrent of Esquimaux words. K Not particularly admiring the idea of being spear- ed, Reuben suddenly called out in Spanish: “Senorita fear not, it is I, a friend.” dane girl dropped her harpoon and clasped her ands, “Oh, friend, friend, how long I have waited for you!" she ejaculated. - Reuben swept his little craft up to the icy shore and disembarked there without further speech, Then she turned on him and addressed him in Spanish, gravely and rather suspiciously: es Why have you come? Do you mean to harm me? If you do, take care; for Dolores Zuniga comes of the blue blood.” In his best Spanish, Reuben replied: “Why should I wish to harm you, Sencrita. Do- lores! I have come to see you to ask pardon forthe rudeness of my cousin Kate to-day.” “Katrina! Is that her name?” asked the wild girl, in a strange tone of voice, ‘She is a demonia—a she devil—I hate her. Oh, if that old man had not got in my way, I would have killed her.” Her eyes gleamed with such anger as she spoke that Reuben felt heartily glad that Kate was not near them. He preserved a demeanor of quiet calm~- ness, however, and answered gravely: “You should not say that. Remember that my fath-r and bers were brothers, If you hurt her, we cannot love you.” “Love me!” repeated the girl, with an accent of indescribable pathos. ‘ Alas, I have had no one to love me ever since the Maddalena went down into tbe cold, black sea.” “The Maddalena was the ship in which you were wrecked?” asked Reuben. The girl hesitated a moment and then said: “T will tell you, for yours was the first voice that T heard speaking my own dear tongue for eight long, weary years. ‘“You know perhaps that the Basques are whale- fishers of old, and that their boats used to come here many centuries ago, They are, you know, a people of the north of Spain.” ‘Are you then of Basque family?” asked Reuben, “Senor, no, I should not then be a true Spaniard. But my father always loved the Basques, and loved the sea, too, He had made more than one voyage hither after whales, when the trade was gond. I, who was brought up at home, always loved the sea, and used to beg my father to take me with him. At last he consented, when I was twelve years old, but said that this should be his last voyage. My mother who loved him tenderly, begged to be permitted to go with us, for she said she had a presentiment that she would never see us again if we went without her, Ah, senor, the presentiment was true, “ We had a pleasant voyage, and touched at Julia- nashaab on the scuth coast of Greenland, where we learned that the ice was unusually open and that whales were plentiful to the north, Full of hope for a short season and good cargo, we left Julianashaab and steered out to sea, where streng south winds carried us along and no ice was seen. At last, one day the wind died away, and we beheld great dark clouds coming down from the north, We did not fear for my father said it portended only a change of wind, and our sbip was prepared for any storms. Alas! senor, those clouds brought down a tempest and such thick fog that it was dark as night around us, even while the sun shone, as we knew that it did, My mother and I had been sent below. where we had fallen asleep, and L remember my father had come down to tell us that the storm was abating, when we felt a fearful shock and beard the men shouting, while the masts were falling and the ship crashed against something that we heard tearing her to pieces. Pale as death we rushed on deck and found ourselves dashing powerlessly against the face of a reat wall of ice. We heard another crash over- 1ead, saw a white mass falling on us, and then came a shock to my poor head, and I knew no more till £ found myself on shore at Kronprinzen, with the bar- barians round me. I called for my father, and they stared and asked me questions in their barbarous tongue. Then! knew that I was alone in the world, That is all, senor.”’ . tt was silence in the heart of the berg till Reuben asked: “And how have you lived since? The Governor tells strange stories about you.”” She laughed bitterly,
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12 “The Governor! A Danish swine, as stupid as the Hosky * hunters he lords over. He wanted me to marry his son Peter, a lout that can spear a seal and counts it a glory to live on these icy coasts, What, I, Dolores Zuniga, whoze father was a hidal- go, marry a seal-hunter and live here forever! No} Rather perish, as my father did!” “Then that was the reason that you left his house?” asked Reuben. The girl made hica no answer, but stood staring at the fire with one Ser uplifted. as if she was listen- ing to some sound that Reuben could not hear, A moment later she gathered up her harpoon, addle and other appurtenances, and ran to her lit- le kayack, erying out: **Get afloat, quick, and follow me, or you are lost!” Vaguely dreading he knew not what, Reuben obeyed her, and both pulled their light vessels to the water’s edge. ears in, and paddled out into the center of the lake, As Reuben struck out from the side of the lake he heard a faint whine, like that of a young puppy, somewhere within the depths of the ice, beginning in a low key and running up into shriller accents, Novice though he was in Arctic lore, he needed no explanation of the meaning of this sound. It rose and fell, and then rose again till it increased into a shrill scream, while the water of the lake trembled around them, He shot his kayack up to Kablunet’s side as" ing: “What shall we do?”” “Keep here.” was the quiet answer in tones of resolute confidence. “The berg is splitting, but 1 have been on them before.” Then came a sudden crash, and a flood of day- light poured into the cavern, as the berg split open _ above their heads. What happened next, Reuben hardly knew. The floor of the lake seemed to meet them as the end of the berg rose up, tossing them aloft, while the water receded into the end of the cavern, filling it up and drowning the fire in aninstant. Then came another wave, as the berg rocked to and fro, and the light kayacks were caught up from the ice and dashed about like feathers. ; Asay Reuben plied his paddle manfully with the instinct of keeping in the middle of the water, to avoid being dashed against the wall of the cave, and had the happiness in a few moments of finding that the waves had subsided, and the water in the lake set- . tled to its new level in quietude. Then he had leisure to look round him and see what had been done. They were in one half of the former cave, which had been cloven asunder as cleanly as if divided by some mighty ax, and the sun was shining in upon them from a pale blue sky. The old floor of the cave had been tilted up at an angle of some tenor fifteen degrees, leaving the middle quite dry, and the water had settled into one side, from whence it was running off in a rushing torrent by the line of the old gallery, now inclined to the sea at an easy slope. Within three or four minutes this torrent ceased to run, as the water in the cave sunk below the level of the gallery, and they were once more in a calm little pond, not more than a hundred feet across. He paddled Be io Kablunet, ejaculating: “ Heavens, what an escape!’ The girl smiled rather scornfully. “Ttis nothing. I knew the berg was hung on a rock below, and would break just here. We are afloat now and going north with the eldy toward Omenak's Fiord. I always like to be on a berg when it splits. Itis glorious. Is it not?” “Tt’s fun after it’s all over.”” he grumbled. ‘ But Ishouldn’t like to try it often.” Dolores paddled her kayack to the side of the little pond, without noticing his i!l-humor, _ “Come,” she cried gayly, ‘‘ follow me, You must *“ Hosky “ is the Danish term for Esquimaux. Jabez Coffin, Skipper, learn to be an ice-master, for I am_ the Ice Queen, Ah, it is glorious to live on a berg. You cannot sink and there is always plenty to eat. Follow me and I will show you my kingdom.” CHAPTER X. LIVE ON AN ICH-MOUNTAIN. Dotorss scrambled out of her kayack and led the way te the top ofthe berg, which cost them but a few feet of climbing over what had been the roof of the old cavern. When they reached the top, Reuben utteréd a cry of delight as he looked out over the great field of ice and thence upon miles of suh-kissed waves, The wind was warm and pleasant, the fog had rolled away, under the influence of the sun, and they could see the coast around the bluffs of Kron- orinzen, and the broad strait between that and isco Island. The Sarah Jane, lying at anchor, looked like a toy ship, and the kayacks that were spread over the sea were mere dots on the waves, Looking out to sea, Reuben pereeived the other half of their berg floating a few hundred feet off, slewing round in the currents that were carrying it further out, Then he turned his attention to the summit of the floating island on which he had so strangely arrived, and perceived that it was the home of various and teeming life, as Dolores had said, In the first place it was strewn with great bowlders and fragments of rock, imbedded in the ice. some of them having sunk beneath the surface, leaving round wells above them, Then there were similarly shaped masses of ica studded over the top of the berg, and reflected in the lakes and pools of fresh water with which the hollows of their island were filled. All round these ponds, and blackening the surface of the ice, were thousands of sea birds. There were immense flocks of the little auk, a bird something like a clumsily-built duck, with very short wings and legs set at the end of its body. The ivory gulls, with their pure plumage and black beaks, circled overhead, screaming angrily at the in- trusion, as Reuben and his guide alvanced, while the great burgomasters, as large ag reese, sat on the ice pinnacles and looked ecomposedly down on the turmoil below. There were a few crows, the same old birds which inhabit every latitude from pole to equator, and they were, as usual, quarreling over carrion, the refuse of dead fish brought up by the gulls. * Are all icebergs as full of life as this?” asked Reuben, * Some have not so much,” she replied; ‘but these grounded bergs attract the gulls for miles.” Dolores seemed to bein unusual spirits and con- versed cheerfully, answering all his questions and stowing a complete acquaintance with the life around her, *“Ah, senor, I told you it was not all gloom here,” she said. ‘* We could live on this berg all the sum- mer, if we were so minded.” ‘*Yes, but I don’t see exactly how,’’ he objected, “T have no gun, and I don’t know how we are.vo kill anything without one.” Dolores laughed merrily, but without her usual sardonic spirit. ‘“*T will show you. Thatis one thing in which these Hoskies are expert, and T have learned it all from Kalatoonah. They can spear the eider duck on the wing, or the coot when he dives; and they never go out, any more than I do, without vheir weapons, See this.” f She showed hima slender rod which she carried in her hand. It bore along point of ivory, made of the tusk of a walrus shaved down, and two short prongs beside it. P “That is the nevveck—the bird spear; and here is the noonseek—the holder. Now you shall see me bring down one of those ducks as they pass.” She pointed to a flock of eider ducks that were coming along from the south, flying directly in a
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. ny line with the berg. The birds flew quite low and grazed the summit of the ice mountain, Just as they came in range Dolores took the noon- sock—a rounded truncheon of wood, one side of which was shaved flat, with a groove down the mid- dle—in her hand, In a trice Dolores had fixed the light weapon in its groove, and then cast it with admirable dexterity through one of the ducks, piercing it through and sonanes and bringing it down on the summit of the berg. * There,” she said, proudly. ‘My pobrecito—my poor little man—shall not starve while Dolores is with him.” But Reuben, much as he admired the girl’s skill, was not yet converted to the deiights of life on an iceberg. “There is plenty of game,” he admitted; “ but where is our fire and how are we to cook it?” Again Dolores laughed. ” “Did you not find me by a fire in the ice cavern? | Ihave my flint and steel yet, and there is wood to spare, floating in the sea, When Kalatoonah comes, we shall be all right.” “Very well, then,” answered Reuben, ‘I have de- cided. I will stay, if you will take me where I shall hear tidings of my father,” Dolores turned toward him with the same joyful * smile that had marked her when Jonathan first ad dressed her in Spanish, and threw her arms round Reuben’s neck, “My darling little boy!” she cried out; ‘now we will be as happy as birds, “Here comes Kalatoonah,”’ continued his com- panion gayly, drawing him toward the other side of the berg; and there, sure enough, came the squat black figure of the hunter, trailing his kayack after him over the ice. Kalatoonah came up with a broad grin on his swarthy face. He began by hailing Reuben. “Hayee, young Kabloonah, all mighty heap skeer "bout you. T’ink youdrown. Boat out after you, and kayackers promise big, big knife, if dey bring youin, Ha! Dey not know where look. Hayee?” CHAPTER XL OMENAK’S FIORD.* Just about the time when the Sarah Jane was weighing her anchor at Kronoprinzen, the dark waters of Omenak’s Fiord, studded with floating bergs sailing out to join the wilderness of the Middle Pack, were also bearing on their bosom three of the fragile kayacks in which the Hosky hunters con- stantly brave the dangers of the deep, Their occupants were respectively Kalatconah, Kablunet and Reuben Macy. The boy looked hag- gard and weary, for he was unused to the persever- ing effort required to propel a kayack, as his had been paddled over forty or fifty miles of open sea. He was only seventeen, whilé his companions were of full age, and though Dolores Zuniga was a wo- man, she had acquired in her hardy life a strength of limb equal to that of many men, and far superior to the untrained powers of Reuben, When at last they skimmed into the line of coast- water at the foot of the great glacier, Reuben uttered a sigh of relief and was so much exhausted that he could hardly scramble out of his canoe on the white land-ice that stretched out for half a mile or more from the foot of the cliffs. Dolores noticed his weakness and exhibited un- usual tenderness toward him. She cheered him up to the exertion of Janding, and relieved him of the light burden of his kayack, wie was all too heavy for the boy in his present state. Then they set forth on thei tramp over the ‘‘ice- foot,” as Arctic voyagers term the belt of land-ice, and in time ar we at the base of the frowning gray rocks that skirted the edge of the vast. glacier. Leaving the kayacks at the foot of the rocks, they ascended the bluffs by winding crevices, with which Dolores and her companion seemed quite familiar. Arrived at last at a little plateau surrounded by frowning walls of rock, the girl said to Reuben: “Now, mi pobreci(o, we can rest and sleep, for we are come to my garden,” Weary as Reuben was, be could not help a sigh of pleasure and admiration as he looked around him. The little amphitheater lay at the edge of a tongue of glacier from which the melting ice trickled in a tiny stream that wound its way through a green carpet of moss, sprinkled with ail sorts of beautiful flowers. The short Arctic summer, with its absence of night, its constant flood of warm sunshine, had filled this little nook with the most exquisite ver- dure, Reuben flung himself down on the moss and bask- ed in the sun in this sheltered recess, where the air was positively sultry, and then tired nature asserted itself and he fell asleep. When he awoke, nothing seemed to have changed save that the sun was in a different quarter of the sky and that the smoke of a fire near by was mount- ing straight up in the calm air. Far out as he could see stretched the wilderness of the Middle Ice, stud- ded with hundreds of huge bergs tangled among the floes, the yellow glare of the sun on the ice dazzling in its intensity, and only relieved by the dark lines of the occasional water-holes and leads seaming the pack, All this was stretched out asin a vast panorama, about three hundred feet below him, and he could see the dark bodies : f the seals by hundrecs scatter- ed over the floes, basking in the sun, while the white puffs of sprey in the middle of the water-holes showel where the whales and narwhals were spout- “oe play. pearert rose to his feet and uttered a ery of de- light. “ How beautiful! Who would have thought to find such a scene here!”’ It was indeed a perfect teeming preserve of an- imal life. And what was that? Reuben peered cagerly out into the coast water beyond the ice-foot. Yes, there was the uomistak- able outline and creamy whiteness of a Polar bear! He could distinguish it even at that distance; climb- ing out of the dark water on the ice-foot, and stalk+ ing forward with lumbering tread toward the herd of walruses. He had seen bis first bear! “Is it not beautiful. senor?” asked the soft voice of Dolores at this moment. “TI told you it was not all gloom up here. Ihave found here the only’ mo- ments of peace and happiness I have known since the Maddalena went down. And here, too, | have found my only companionship save that of the pigs of Hoskies.” **What do you mean?” asked Reuben curiously. “T mean that Mother Igloolik lives here.” iS Reuben started and remembered the errand on which he had come. “Mother Igloolik here!” he cried, ‘Oh, take me to her. I feel quite strong now. The rest has re- freshed me wonderful 1 y 9 * And has made you Teanigry too, mi pohrecifo—is it. not so? See; I bave been roasting you some birds that Kalatoonah has killed for us. Eat, muchacho, eat, for we have hard work before us, and we have farto go. You must send a letter to your people by Kalatoonah while we go on again over the pack ice to the North Water. You may find your father, but for me, alas, there is no hope, for my father is dead.” Renben obeyed her in everything, wrote his letter by Kalatoonah, as we have seen, and afew hours later the trio separated. CHAPTER XII. THE NORTH WATER, We are out in the Middle Ice in the month of July, The great floes that ground themselves up in’ 13 ;
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14 Jabez Coftin, Skipper. ridges and hummocks in the long winter night are now reduced to a soft and slushy state, disintezrat- ing rapidly in the sun, and only shielded from entire annihilation-by their enormous thickness. The low crashing of the loose ice as it streams past the bergs is a perpetual reminder of the restless character of the sea in those latitudes, and the fre- _ quency and size of the leads and water-holes is a ‘proof of the warmth of the season, “Up to the north, at the very edge of the Middle Ice, the waves roll in on the fields, and the swell is transmitted for nearly a mile into the loose brash at the border of the pack, Thisis the favorite haunt of all the living beings—a strange assemblage—that pass their summers in migrating from place to place on the ice. The birds of all sorts—ducks, auks and gulls—are thicker than ever at this period of the year, while the open water to the north is all alive with spouting whales. As for seals, they are tumbling and diving every- where, and walruses are nearly as plentiful. One low flat berg is covered with these brown monsters of the deep, as large as young elephants, and more than one bear is prowling about behind the hum- mocks and bergs of the Middle Pack, watching his 4 adhe to dive unobserved into the loose ice after the seals, who are always on the look-out for their wily enemy. Into the midst of this confusion of animal life, just as we come upon it, skimmed two Esquimaux kyacks. about ten days. after the Sarah Jane re- ceived Reuben’s letter. Dolores was in one of these frail vessels and Reu- ben in the other. No ship could have gone where they did, and the progress of an ordinary boat would have been almost equally difficult aad labori- ous. With their light kayacks on the other hang the travelers experienced no difficulty in goin, where they would, and on the morning of the fifth day after leaving Omenak’s Fiord, arrived at the borders of the Middle Pack, and saw before them the dark waves of the North Water. Here they were compelled to stay for several days. exploring leads and waterways, hunting ducks and seals, and generally enjoying a holiday while they waited for the appearance of the Sarah Jane. At last, on the morning of the tenth day, they saw the white sails of the ship coming down one of the dark waterways through the loose brash at the edge of the Pack, and Dolores pointed it out to Reuben, saying, with a sigh: “There, muchacho, are your friends. We havea been very happy, have we not?—and now it is all over, Reuben had been so happily engrossed in watch- ing the habits of the animated nature around him that he had forgotten the existence of everything disagreeble in the world, “Why should it be over?” he asked. “You will come on board with me, and everybody wil! be glad to see you.” \ “No, no, muchacio, I know better,”’ answered Dolores, sadly. ‘‘ You will see that they will look on us coldly and perhaps drive me away from them with contumely. Observe that Kalatoonah has not come back as he promised. They have bribed him to stay on board, and he has deserted us.” “Oh, nonsense, Dolores,”’ answered the boy, with all the impulsive warmth of extreme youth. ‘‘They sha’n’t turn you away; I won’t let them: You shall stay with us and weshall take ys back to Spain as soon as we have found father. 17ron’/ let them send youaway. I like you ever so much, Dolores.” “Do you, muchacho ?” she repeated, in a wistful tone. ‘ Well, you will soon have an opportunity to show if you do, for your friends will be here. Let us go to them.” They entered their kayacks and paddled out into the dark swells of the North Water. The ship was coming through the last brash ice and immediately fired its signal gun and hoisted a >. flag, as a signal that those on board perceived 1em. They skimmed rapidly on over the waves, the south breeze carrying the ship at a rate that enabled it speedily to overhaul them, and then came the first intimation from on board that Dolores was right in her conjectures. The face of Uncle Jabez looked over the quarter, and the old seaman shouted in a gruff voice: “Come on board, you young sinner, this minute. What are you doin’ cruising about in company with a heathen Jezebel in breeches? Come aboard this minute, and see what you'll get." Reuben was so much astounded by this salutation that he hardly knew what to reply, and very nearly got under the cutwater of the Sarah Jane in his con- fusion. As for Dolores, she said nothing, but kept her light kayack dancing about on the waves till the eve had passed them both, when Reuben was left under the stern, close to her, as the Sarah Jane rushed by. “Paddle up into the teeth of the wind with me, muchucho, if you want to come with me,” said the girl, in a hes tone. ‘Your friends are angry. What said the old marinero?” Reuben explained in Spanish that bis uncle was angry with him. “And for being with me?” she asked, keenly. ea was obliged to own that she had divined rightly. olores compressed her lips with an expression of pain, bus her eye flashed with some of its old fire, as she answered: ““Yes. Had Ilet you drown in the splitting berg where you followed me without being asked, it would have been all right. I have saved your life and they are angry. Well, good-by, muchacho. 1 had a dream that is over. You shall go to your friends.” So saying, she paddled away, right into the wind’s eye toward the ice of the Middle Pack, just as the Sarah Jane wore round and trimmed her sails to come back after the runaways. Reuben hesitated a moment and then paddled after her, calling out: “Do not go, Dolores, I will stay with you. I will not go back to them, if they do not take you on board too,” Dolores smiled slightly and her face brightened u as she plied her paddle, but she said not a word tih they were in the mouth of a waterway, heading di- rectly south into the eye of the wind, and bordered by the rotten brash ice at the edge of the Pack. Then she turned and looked round, The Sarah Jane was close-hauled, heeling well over to port as she rushed up toward them. She had already entered the loose ice around the waterway, and her bow was pointed in a direction to cut them off from the Pack. _ Presently the Sarah Jane came crashing out of the ice into the waterway not twenty feet from them, and Uncle Jabez roared: “Throw him a rope, the young sinner. aboard, I tell you.” “T won’t, till you promise not to hurt Dolores,” shouted Reuben in reply. and then skimmed away under her quarter and out to windward, following Dolores straight up the waterway into the heart of the Pack. “Come back, you young villain, or I'll send a boat after you,” shouted Uncle Jabez, shaking his fist at Reuben, as the Sarah Jane plunged helplessly into the brash again, before she could haul her wind; but aera paddled on straight up the lead after Do- lores. Then the vessel tacked and came racing after them, going rapidly but still not rapidly enough for the kayacks. Uncle Jabez seemed to be aware of this, for just as he crossed the waterway a second time, he dropped a whale-boat from his quarter, which pulled straight away after the runaways, Come
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 15 “Now, muchacho, do your best.” cried Dolores, as she paddled on; and Reuben obeyed, so that the race became exciting. After a little it became plain that the boat was gaining on them, and Reuben could hear the voice of his brother Jonathan shouting: “Come back, Rube, come back! and I want to speak to you,” But Reuben was too angry to listen. He stuck to his paddle, following Dolores, and presently saw the girl skim in toward the ice, jumpona large floe, and set off at a run, dragging her kayack. He imitated her, reaching the ice when the whale- boat was not fifty yards behind him, and followed the girl’s example. He heard the clatter of shipping oars, and Jona- than’s stern order: “Follow him, boys! Ten dollars to the man who catches him,” It is I, Jonathan, CHAPTER XIII. DOLORES. Many hands make light work, and the crew of the whale-boat had no difficulty in hauling their craft upon the ice and shoving. it forward over the floe till they reached the next lead. But by so doing they gave up all their advantage, inasmuch as the kay- ackers could change from water to ice and nice versa five times as rapidly as the crew of the big boat. Before two leads had been crossed, Jonathan saw that the chase was useless, and reluctantly gave the word to pull back to the ship, which was still cruis- ing about near the edge of the Pack. Reuben watched them a little while and then said, half to himself: “They will come back again.” “What say you now, senorito?” Dolores asked. He had relapsed into English. “*T said they would come back for me. is another!" A second boat was seen to drop from the ship’s side and pull up the lead in which they were, Reuben watched it closely and began to tremble, “Tt is my mother,” said he. Dolores looked wistfully at the advancing boat, and then with a strong effort observed: “Then you must go to her, I cannot keep you from her. Go, muchacho, go to your mother,’ Reuben trembled still more &s he answered: “Not without you, Dolores. You have done too much for me, Let us wait till they come up. My mother will not be so unreasonable as the rest.” Dolores made no answer, but remained quiet in the lead, watching the coming whale-boat, which con- tained his mother in the stern-sheets and was steer- ed by Folger. Very soon they were within hailing distance and Mrs. Macy began to call out: “Reuben, my boy, what ails you? Will you not come back to us after all the misery you have caused us? What makes you act so?” “I’m ready to come back at once, mother,” re- lied the boy, resentfully, *‘but then there is my Friend and preserver, Dolores; I cannot come unless she is properly treated, too,”’ Mrs, Macy looked surprised and offended as she said, to him: . “Thad hoped, my boy, that you would not have had the assurance to mention such a brazen creature to me, your own mother.” Reuben flushed scarlet and glanced at Dolores, He felt very thankful that she did not understand English, Very well, mother,” be retorted. ‘I tell you that it? bad not found this lady, your ship would not be here now, and that without her we shall never find father, If you don’t choose to take her aboard, I shall go on with her.” oO saying, he turned away, when his mother cried out: “Reuben, my boy, come with us and we will do anything to please you. I cannot do without you,” See, there Then the boy with a stroke of his paddle sent the kayack close to the stern of the whale-boat, where his mother leaned out to clasp him in her arms. Like most boys of seventeen, Reuben was much averse to public displvys of affection, and he quickly extricated himself with the low remonstrance: “Don't, mother! I’m allright. Speak to Dolores and treat her civilly.” Thus urged, the mother looked at Dolores Zuniga closer than she had hitherto done, as the girl sat in her kayack a little way off, regarding them with a solemn, thoughtful expression of countenance, “Come here, Dolores, this is my mother,’ ex- plained Reuben, in Spanish, and the wild girl in- stantly glided to the boat, were she gravely saluted Mrs. Macy with her Spanish: ** Dios con. usted, senora.”” “ What does she say, Reuben?” asked the mother. “She says ‘ God be with you, madam,’” answered the pose “What shall I say to her from you?” “Tell her ’'m very happy to see her, and that I hope she'll soon comé aboard to see her father Kala- toonah,’’ was the reply with some reluctance, Reuben was shocked, “ Her father / whys she treats him likea dog. She is a Spanish /ady of good blood, mother, and will be treated with respecs or we shall lose her for good,” “Very well, my dear, do as you please,” said the mother, resignedly. “Ask this lady to come on board, and then we will sail away as quick as we can, for the season is past its hight already.” As they neared the ship, Jonathan stood at the gangway to receive them, but Uncle Jabez and Kate were not to be seen, Now, however, all disagreeable things seemed to be banished by one consent, for Dolores was wel- comed on beard with perfect courtesy, her kayack and that of Reuben placed on deck beside that of Kalatoonah, who lay fast asleep on the lee side of the galley. Then the good ship wore round on her heel, and stood off to the north undera cloud of studding- sails, alow and aloft, leaving the white wastes ofthe Middle Pack behind and plunging through the waves of the great North Water. Dolores withdrew herself to the taffrail soon after she came aboard, and remained gazing idly over the stern at ths winding wake of the ship. Reuben was closely engaged with his mother and Jonathan a little way off, answering questions as to his doings and discussing the probability of finding ma! traces of the crew of the Pride of Nantucket, so that the zirl was entirely alone, and as usual gloomy in her houghts. She felt herself more alone than ever, and a few silent tears had stolen down her cheeks when she suddenly started as some one touched her shoulder. Looking round, she saw Reuben, Jonathan and Mrs. Macy regarding her kindly, when Reuben ad- dressed her: “Senorita,” said the boy in his best Spanish, “my mother has heard so much of you that she eqnens me to give you her thanks and blessings, Will you not join us in the cabin at dinner, and accept the use of astate-room and some dress more like that you ought to wear?” For the first time Dolores glanced down at her scanty Esquimaux dress, fitting so closely, without a vestige of skirt, and blushed scarlet, The senti- ment of civilized conventionalities, so long disused, returned to her ina moment as she looked ajypeal- ingly at Mrs. Macy, avoiding Reuben’s glance, hi . Macy saw the glance and understood it better than all the Spanish. She came to Dolores at once, and saying, ‘‘Come along, my dear,’ carried her away below. Jonathan and Reuben remained on deck with Fol- ger, as the ship plowed on her way to the north through the open water, and saw but little of the wild girl for the next three days. When next she appeared they could hardly recog- nize her, clothed as she was in the garb of a civiliz- 4
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16 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. ed woman, her dark hair becomingly arranged, her face grave and demure, having lost that independent and defiant air which characterized her when she first sprung from her kayack. The effect of her appearance under the wing of the mother of the family was immediate and striking. Jonathan became sbyer and more distant than be- fore, while Reuben waxed enthusiastic to his brother over the beauty of Dolores; Kate looked on in secret envy, and the mother was calmly satisfied with her work, As for Uncle Jabez, he grumbled no more af- ter he had once set eyes on Dolores in the dress of a Christian woman, Therefore there was peace once more on the Sarah Jane, a peace that made their quest ever so much more terns as they put degree after degree of latitude behind them. They arrived at the northern boundary of the open water in a few days more, and saw before them the great sweep of Humboldt Glacier, which stretches out a vast wilderness of ice, winter and summer, for a hundred and fifty years. **Good-by, water; now for the trouble in earnest,” observed Folger, when they saw before them the ice-locked waters of Smith Sound. ‘Ef them as we're arter went through here, we'll have hard work follerin’ them, but from the looks of things, I guess we're the first humans in these parts since the days of Franklin,” As if to give the lie to his assertion, the look-out hailed the deck: “Plag, oh! There’s a flag stuck in the ice at the foot of the glacier, sir, and it’s moving.” CHAPTER XIV. THE LONELY FLAG, Tue sight of this lonely memento of civilized man in the midst of that howling wilderness, produced a great effect on the ship’s company. Uncle Jabez, who had been growing better ever since they reached the open sea, came on deck at the sound of the lookout’s cry, and eagerly asked what was in sight. , The boys were full of excitement, and Mrs. Macy turned pale and murmured prayers and thanks- ivings. * All felt sure that this was some memento of the lost Pride of Nantucket, for no Polar expedition had been that way since the days of Hayes, ten years or more before. Sure enough, asthe lookout had said, perched in the land-ice at the foot of the glacier, was a dark fluttering asa that they knew indicated a flag. All the glasses in the ship were in requisition, star- ing at this relic of humanity in the midst of a wilder- ness, and Dolores was the first to call their attention to a hut made of timber near the flag. This discovery intensified the interest, and Reu- ben, full of enthusiasm, proposed that he and Do- lores should take their canoes and go to explore the mysterious waif. ‘0 objection was made to this, save that Jonathan insisted on manning a boat to accompany them, and soon after the Sarah Jang had tied up to the solid land-ice by planting an ice-anchor, a keen race was going on between the whale-boat and the canoes, which should be the first to reach the flag, only at- tainable by crossing several loose floes intersected with leads and water-holes. As usual in such cases the kayacks were ahead, and Dolores, who had resumed her convenient if un- feminine garments, was the first to reach the lonely hut and flagstaff. Desolate anoneh it proved to be. A small hut, built of timber that had evidently come from the skeleton of a bal lay before them, empty of all save a few rough articles of furniture of the same materials. There was a fireplace of stones at the back, with a chimney, now choked ae by the snow and ice, which had drifted in, melt frozen again, since the fire had gone out, ed and | Reuben came up and examined the place in silence and disappoiutment. What was left of the flag was evidently not an American ensign, for the colors, as far as he eould tell in the faded state of the bunting, were not the same. The staff bore only a few fluttering rags, of which part seemed to be a brownish red, and part a dirty yellow. While he was puzzling over what this could be, Jonathan came be accompanied by Folzer; and the mate examined the flag with a critical eye. All the time Dolores had been in the cabin itself, rummaging about, and presently they heard her ut- ter a loud seream. Hastily rushing in, they found the girl staring wild- eyed at a rude table made of planks, that lay, half- destroyed, in the middle of the cabin. Some one in former times had taken an ax to split up this table, probably for firewood, as the charred remnants of the plank lay in the fireplace, frozen up ia a heap of snow-ice, But what the gil was staring at was something in the table itself, rude letrers cut in the plank. As they entered Dolores turned to Reuben with an eager cry, clutched him by the arm and dragged him to the table, where she pointed at the letters. *Tell me what you see,’’ she panted rather than oke, ‘Tell me if [am mad or dreaming, mucha- cio? Tecannot believe it. What does it say?” Reuben eagerly inspected the letters, while the others were looking over his shoulders. “There is an A, a Y, then D, E, and then the let- ter M,”’ he said, at last. ‘‘ They are on one line.” “And what is this?” she asked, putting another piece of board by the table, where it filled the cavity. “That is the letter I,” replied Reuben, wonder- ingly. ‘What of it?” “Can you notsee? Are youblind?” she screamed, excitedly. ‘“‘ What does it spell? Read it aloud.” Thus adjurcd, Reuben looked again, and then started as the real significance of the letters flashed on his mind. “Boys,” he cried out, excited in his turn, ‘“‘a Spaniard has lived here, for this reads * ay d+ mi!’ or ‘Woe is me!’ No one but a Spaniard would have carved those letters.” ** Oh Dios es mi padre !” eried Dolores, clasping her hands. ‘ Jtis my father, and he has ben here! Oh, Mother of God. how I thank thee! He was not killed by the sea. Heis alive. Ishall see him.” And the poor girl began to laugh and cry in a breath, as she gazed at the mute evidences of what she was determined to believe to be her father, with- out reflecting that any other member of his crew might have carved the same. The whole party. sailors and all, ransacked the cabin thoroughly after this, and brought out every piece of furniture to look for some more carving. Dolores soon found new evidence that her father had been there in the initials of his name, “G. P. “Gonzalo Pedro Maria Zuniga,” she exclaimed, joyfully. ‘“‘There, senores, who can doubt now? It was he, and he has been here, Iseeit all. He was not drowned, but escaped to the ice-pack and_tra- versed it as we did. He made his way to the North Water, and either some Esquimaux brought him here, or he built a raft and sailed.” ‘Perhaps so,” assented Jonathan, in a thoughtful tone; and then they heard a joyful shout from Fol- ger, who had been most active among the searchers. ‘Hey, boys!” roared the mate, gleefully. “Here she blows! Here’s old Nantuck fur ye at last, and none of yer Spanish lingo. Look abere!”’ The voice came from the foot of the glacier, and Folger came toward them, carrying a pair of old trowsers. An ancient and dilapidated pair of canvas continu- ations with a square patch in the seat he held up to sight shouting: “These is Ben Hackett’s old pants, or may I never
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 1% draw another live breath, boys. I know that patch as weli as I knews my grandma, Ben's b’en a-rout- in‘ round these rocks, and he’s had these old over- alls on ‘bove his cloth pants, ’cause he was allers powerful neat; and the boys has b’en a-gibin’ him that sassy he throw’d these here old pants there, to be shet on ’em fur good; or else some of the boys stole ’em and put ’em therefor deviltry. Boys, the Pride’s b’ea here, and took that Spanisher off, you jest bet.” Indeed it seemed that the mate’s suggestion was true, for further search disclosed the remains of an oil cask that had been split up for firew. od, and a broken oar-blade, stamped with the lecters * P, of N.” ‘Then it became certain to the minds of all that the lost ship had been that way, had landed a party at the but and had probably taken away the hermit of the glacier, if he had been alive at that time. With these discoveries they were forced to be con- tent and returned to the ship, where the news pro- duced much excitement, Uncle Jabez resumed activeeommand from that siomeat and seemed to recover his spirits very uickly. » The old sailor at once ordered the ship’s head to be cast out to sea and cruised along the edge of the ice, looking for an opening, while the lookout was re- lieved every hour to insure a vigilant watch. They found, however, here at the entrance of Smith's Sound an obstacle with which they had not had to contend at Omenak’s Fiord. The current at the latter ; lace had set the ice- bergs to the north, thus advancing them on their way, while at Smith’s Sound the flow was decided and steady from the north. Great fleets of bergs and floes, miles in extent, were coming down in solewn possession into the North Water, going at the rate of two or three miles an hour, During the period that they were tied up to the land ice these felds had advanced some little dis- tance into the North Water, and as far as they could see to the north the view revealed nothing but one in- terminable field of ice, studded with bergs of the largest size. CHAPTER XV. THE EARTHQUAKE, Revsen had gone up into the “ crow's-nest,”’ as the lookout station on an Arctic ship is christened. It was not the first time he had been there, and his companion was Folger, the mate, both being provid- ed with good glasses. Folger had been scanning the distant ice proces- sion for some time in silence, when Reuben said: “Well, what do youthink of it?” “T'm afeard there ain’t much chance for us this year,” ee the mate, in agrave tone, ‘‘I never seen the ice so open as it was in the Middle Pack, but this here seems to be thicker’n common. There ain’t somuch as asingle lead ‘cept at the outside, whar the floes has got bruc< off, secrapin’ along the glacier.” “Then what in your opinion will be our prospects?” “I'm thinking, Master Rube, that thisice will keep on a-coming for the next six weeks, which will bring us inlo September, and by that time it will begin to freeze up again and we'll have to go into winter- quarters and wait till next spring.” . “But what makes the ice come in from the north?” asked Reuben, thoughtfully. ‘It must be warm up there or it would not break up.” “That's so, that’s so, I don’t know how ’tis, but I know it’s so. There's allers b’en a current runnin’ out of this sound, and where it comes from no one kin tell.” *T think I know, Folger.” “You! Dutell! Waal, and where do you think it comes from ?”* “You know the Japan current?” ‘You bet Ido, Many’s the time I’ve seen it in the Pacific.” ‘Where doesit go, Folger?” “Tt sweeps up from Japan‘along the coast of Chaney, crosses over to Ameriky, and goes up through Behring’s Straits, I’ve b’en there arter whales afore now.” ** And what, becomes of it then?” * No man knows.” ““Why shouldn't it go on, and after washing the islands‘on the north coast of America come down here by Smith’s Scund? Why not?” “Waal,” returned the mate,in a doubtful tone; “it mou’t be so, and J ain’t sayin’ ‘tain't, but all I knows is this: no man’s b’n there yet to find out.” “Why do you say that, Wolger? Are we not look- ing for such a man now? He must have passed through here, or we should find the remains of his ship.” “'That’s so again.” “Now I'm going to propose something and I want you to help me with Uncle Jabez, V’m going to take Kalatoonah and travel over that pack to the north to find an opening. We can go where the ship can’t follow and we can find out whether there’s any chance—” Reuben had got thus far, when he stopped sudden- ly and gazed on Volger, pale and startled, The mate returned the look with equal amaze- ment, and clutched at the side of the crow’s-nest with both hands, dropping his glass. They were out in open water, skirting the fleldgof ice, and yet the ship was trembling and groaning, her stout timbers eM from stem to stern with a succession of jerking shocks, as if they had just struck on a rock and were scraping over it, This strange motion increased every moment, while the wind died away and the sails flapped noisily against the masts. “What is it, Folger?” asked the boy, hurriedly. “T don'’t—don’t know, Hold on for your life,” an- swered the mate, as pale as a ghost; and then they heard cries on the deck below, with the hurried rush of feet, that showed the panic was spreading, What had happened no one could tell. The trem- bling, jerking motion went. on, and Reuben, looking over the side of the crow’s-nest, saw the sea in vio- lent commotion Then they saw a huge green wave come rolling to- ward them from the open sea, and the quivering of the ship’s timbers ceased, They heard Uncle Jabez yelling to the helmsman to, **Meet her quick!” and then away went the ship on the summit of the smooth wave, tossed about like a feather and driving — in toward the ice, which lay about a mile off. But along with the wave came a great gust of wind from the south, and Uncle Jabez, never at a loss for a seaman’s shifts, called his demoralized crew to the braces and trimmed his sails to escape the imminent danger, while the great wave was seen to pass bodily through the midst of the ice pack, tossing the great bergs aside as easily as it had toss- ed the ship, and breaking the floes like so much glass, Before they had time to notice the result of this commotion,the trembling and quivering began again, ‘What can it be, Volger?” again asked Reuben, “Tinow now,” was the half-whispered reply, “The wave told me that, It’s an tarthquake, Master Rube, The Lord be merciful to us all|” An earthquake! But the trembling and jerking still went on with- out cessation, and no new waves came to threaten them. After a little of it, the crew of the Sarah Jane, finding that no ill effects followed the motion, began to look about them at the land and ice, to see how the earthquake was treating the more solid frame of the globe. Reuben uttered a cry of amazement and pointed at the face of the great glacier. It was all cracked and piled up in irregular mountains of ice. with black rocks between them, and in more than one place a rushing stream of water was pouring down the rocks into the sea. Then came a series of jerks and shocks each more | violent than the last, and loud explosions were heard
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18 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. far to the north in the ice, while dark clouds began to rise from thence, vailing the sun from sight. As soon as this happened, the darkness rapidly in- creased, and became so great that Reuben and Fol- ger could see nothing around them, 2 Then they heard a low d stant rumbling rapidly increased till it became unmistakable thunder, ac- companied by the red flashes of equally unmistak- able lightning. “Waal, Iswow,” cried Folger, ina tone of great wonder, ‘‘thunder I never yet heard in these lati- tudes, but that’s it, sare enough. Master Rube, say your prayers, for the end of the world’s coming.” Reuben made no answer. He was watching and listening. Presently he started violently. A dim figure had climbed up to the crow’s nest and was getting over the edge. r “* Who’s that?’ he cried, recoiling. ** No tenga miedo muchacho,” replied a soft voice. “Be not afraid, my boy. It is I.” The strange surroundings, the gloom and the un- natural look of everything were beginning to have their effect on the eenarwe o* the boy. Reuben was beginning to tremble. Dolores noticed it as ghe peered into his face in the dark mist, and she’ turned to Folger, pointing down to the deck. **Go,’’ she said, in her broken English. ‘‘ Dey want you down dere. Capitano’e say so, Go!” “ All right, miss,” replied the sailor heartily. ‘‘ Ef you say et Coffin wants me, I’m agreeable; for such a devil’s dance as this I never seen afore.” So saying, the worthy mate felt his way down the ing, where he found everything buried in dark ness, as much thicker as it was up in the crow’s nest as it was possible to conceive, The little gusts of wind that he had noticed aloft were not to be felt on deck, and the vessel was drifting blindly about in a dense sea of dark mist. The trembling of the water was becoming less violent, momentarily, but the roar of the thunder was fast increasing, and altogether they seemed to be quite powerless amid the war of the elements. CHAPTER XVI. THE BOILING SEA. Ir was at least twelve hours before the shocks which had been agitating sea and land around the Sarah Jane subsided into comparative quiet, and the ship lay rocking on a heavy ground sweil in the midst of the same warm fog that had saluted them since the earthquake began. The darkness had not diminished; it was, if any- thing, thicker than before; but the thunder and lightning had died away into quietness, and not a breath of air was pee 4 Unsle Jabez stood on the quarter-deck by the bin- nacle, where the lamps had been lighted, looking at the compass with Folger and Jonathan, Mrs. Mac: and Kate were near them, for an instinct of peril seemed to drive every one on deck. Uncle Jabez looked haggard and anxious as he scanned the compass. The needle was wandering to and fro in a capricious, unsteady way, that, showed them the ship was drifting at the merey of variable currents. Sometimes it would sweep slow- ly all round the compass bowl, indicating that an eddy was turning the ship helplessly round; at other times it shifted back and forth, a point at a time, showing that she wa; drifting in a serpentine course, “Tf we could only git steerageway on her, I would- n’t mind so much, Zeke,”’ observed the old man to his first officer; “ but I’m blamed ef I kin tell where she’s goin’ now.” **S*pose we give her a heave of the leid, Cap?” observed the mate. “I ain’t much afeard but what we're in good water, but these currents is risky things.” aack leadaman obeyed the. order that gent him into chains, and the great twenty-eight pound ingot | of lead, armed with » sullenly into the sea, its tallow at the end, plunged —————~4 Hardly five seconds elapsed before the man called out: “Bottom, sir, Hold the lantern.’ % Uae Jabez started violently as the report came ACK: “ By the mark, seven!’’ They were in seven fathoms only of water, and their last soundings had b en in ninety-four. “Te's the ’arthquake, Cap,” whispered the mate, confidentially. ‘Don’t skeer the wimmin folks. The crust of the ’arth has riz and I’ve knowed it to sink again. We’re in the Lord’s hands. Cap.” “Ay, ay.” observed the old sailor, eravely: “vou say true, Zek’], He knows whar we're going, ef we don’t. Lord help us all and keep us from harm.” The lead was brought on board and they examined the end, which was covered with coarse sand and shells. Folger looked at it curiously, and then pass- ed his hand along the wet line. ‘‘Look ahere, Cap,” he said, in a tone of interest. ‘Here's a curious thing. Feel this line.’ Uncle Jabez mechanically imitated the mate’s ex- ample, and uttered a short exclamation of wonder: “1's warm!” Folger nodded and went down to the cabin from whence he soon returned with a long thermometer fastened to a fish-line, He held it close to the binnacle lamp and read out the fizures: “Sixty-eight degrees, Cap, and we was down at forty-two this morning. Let’s see what she says in the water.” ne let down the instrument over the side of the ship. Presently Folger pulled in the thermometer and uttered a ery of surprise, for the instrument nearly scalded his fingers. “A hundred and fifty-seven. by the holy poker!” he ejaculated. ‘* Why, Cap, the water’s a’most a- b’ilin’!” While they were yet in the full flush of excitement consequent on this discovery, Reuben came slowly down the rigging, followed by Dolores, and the first words he uttered were addressed to his uncle. “Uncle Jabez,” he eried, “I’ve found out what’s the matter. It’s no miracle at all. Weshall be in oy open sea in twelve hours, or lam much mis- aken, CHAPTER XVII. AWAY NORTH. Revsen looked tired and haggard from the un- usual strain on his boyish nerves, but there was a triumphant light in his eye. “lve found out what’s the matter, uncle. There’s a voleano in eruption near us,” ‘“A what?” asked the old sailor. ** Who ever heard of volcanoes in these parts? Why, the ice would freeze ’em out ” ““Why, uncle, did you never hear of Mount Hecla in Iceland?” asked the boy, triumphantly. ‘‘Don’t you know that the Fox Islands in Behring’s Straits are all extinct voleanoes? The wonder is that I never thought of it before. It explains everything. The voleano has made an earthquake, and the earth- quake made the wave. Don’t you remember the great earthquake at Arica in South America? The crust of the earth sunk an1 a great wave came tear- ing ships from their anchors and carrying one American frigate three miles inland. Then the erust rose again and the wave went back, leaving the ship high and dry in a forest. Thisacts just the same way, uncle.” “Waal,” replied the old captain, cautiously, “* you may be right and you may be wrong. L’arnin’s a great thing, Rube, but all we kin do, with all our Varnin’, is to wait till the sun comes out again.” So they waited for the sun. It was along time coming. Hour after hour stole by and no change was visible. The anchor was dropped to prevent any dangers in drifting, the sails
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. is were handed and furled, and there lay the ship in the midst of the hot sea, all swathed in vapor. They soon found, from the way in which she rode to her anchor, that the current was coming pretty steadily from the north, and as the time went on and they cast the thermometer in again and again, the mercury indicated a rapid fall of temperature. ¥rom being a hundred and sixty at one time, it sunk to a hundred in about four hours, and then re- mained stationary for another four, when it sunk all on a sudden jn fifteen minutes to seventy degrees, where it again stopped, Then came a low sighing murmur in the rigging, and Volger remarked: “Here comes the wind at last. Now if we only could see a little, we'd be all right.” As if in answer to his prayer, a dull red globe made its appearance in the fog overhead, anda shout of joy went up as the belated sailors recog- nized the sun at last. As the wind rose, the light also rose. The black fog changed to dark gray, then to light gray, and Lually to white, while the red globe of the sun made itself visible again and again, till it shone uninter- ruptedly through the white waves of vapor, reveal- ing to the astonished watchers the blue sky, the a Ae sun, and a wonderful panorama all round them. A simultaneous cry of wonder burst from every one on deck, When the mist closed in on them, after the earth- quake about sixteen hours before, the whole north- ern horizon was full of field-ice and bergs starting from the grand sweep of Humboldt Glacier, and barring their way as with a wall of iron, Now, what a change! The field-ice had vanished, and a great expanse of black water stretched out to the north, studded with icebergs, not one of which seemed to be at rest. Wherever they looked the great ice-mountains were toppling over and over in the water, sinking first on one side and then on the other, each bathed in a lu- minous halo of condensing vapor, as the mist of the warm water met their cold surfaces. Folger was the first to comment on the change in a manner that showed practical sense, “Cap,” he said, briskly, ‘‘the Sound’s open and we're safe in seven fa’boms of water, °*Tain’t for me tosay what’s to be done, but I'll jest ax—have you any orders for me?” Uncle Jabez smiled, * All hands up anchor and make sail, Mr. Folger,” he said, ina cheerful tone. ‘ eg the lead going, and stand on as far as the ice will let us.”’ Hardly were the words out of his mouth, when the stentorian voice of the mate started the ery: “All hands! All bands up anchor, and make sail! Man the capstan bars. there! Lively, boys, lively! Stand by to go aloft! "Way aloft!” a The change from silence and expectation to bustle and activity was immediate under the influence of his inspiriting voice, and within half an hour the Sarah Jane was running rapidly through the open waters of Smith’s Sound, tacking among the ice- bergs, and making her way at the rate of seven or eight knots an hour to the north. Hour after hour they pressed on and still the bergs grew thicker and thicker, while the ominous ice-blink made its appearance once more on the northern horizon The sweep of Humboldt glacier began to show it- self on the right hand whenever their course carried them in that direction near the land, and they began to realize that the center of the voleanic action, pow- erful as it had been, had after all produced but a small effect on the vast masses of ice that gird the Pole with their rigid zone. The lead however, revealed one encouraging fact. The water was ol ater fast as they advanced and they ceased to feel their way by its use after they had attained a miaimum of a hundred fathoms. The chronometers showed them that they had been running along in this way for forty-eight hours, and Folger had just been working out the ship’s position by dead-reckoning, showing that they had attained the unprecedented north latitude of eighty-four degrees when they began to see small lumps of ficld-ice floating in the water. “We ain’t out of theice yet, Cap,” observed Fol- ger, thoughtfully, when he saw this. *!Trat ‘arth- quake gave us quite a lift, but it aint killed the ice by a good deal.” Uncle Jabez, who had been pacing the quarter- deck full of hope and cheerfulness all the time they were beating up the Sound, looked at the ice and then at the sky. ‘* We've come this far safe, Zck’l,’”’ he observed, brightly, ‘‘and we're going through if the Lord Jets us. I ain’t going back now till I hears or sees some- thing of Jonathan,”’ “That's right. Cap,” responded the mate, heartily. “Tm with ye all the time, but I don’t put so much faith in the volcano as the rest of ye seem to do, That’s all. Look at the blink.” He pointed ahead where the bright yellow glare of the ice-blink covered all the horizon, while a line of white peaks gleaming in the sun was slowly rising from the bosom of the sea, stretched right across their path. “That don't look much like goin’ further, Cap,” he observed. “That's land, and land that no white man has ever visited, I guess.” “ Well, then, we shall be the first to see it, Zek'l, and we'll name it ‘Macy Land,’ arter Jon’than, How’s that, shipmate? Old Nantuck will be ahead of all their fine scientific expeditions then.” ‘“*Waal, Cap, as for that I wouldn’t keer so much about diskiverin strange lands as 1 would to see Cap Macy onst more alive and hearty, and that's what I fear we'll never do. We've got up here this far, but as for gettin’ back again, we won't do that this year; you mark my words about that.” And Folger went forward to look after the men, and con the ship through the now rapidly-increasing ice. As the mate had predicted, their troubles were by no means over, Not only was the floating ice thick- er, but the temperature of the air had fallen and hen oe falling, while the character of the ice had changed. That which they came on now was hard and firm and the leads were few and not so wide as formerly. The white peaks on the horizon rose rapidly into view, disclosing themselves as a chain of mountains covered with glaciers which stretched down into a wilderness of field-ice studded with bergs, and the Sarah Jane was at last compelled to lower her sails and bring up at the edge of this vast field, Plantin an ice anchor for security, and faced by the unwel- come fact that some ten miles of solid land-ice lay between them and any further progress. The anchorage of the Sarah Jane after her long run through the open channel had its effect on her passengers, Mrs. Macy had gone below to watch over Reuben, who had fallen into a deep sleep after the earthquake shocks, and saw that the boy was stirring as the cold increased. Pretty soon he woke up and stared around him, asking where they were, His mother noticed that he looked unusual bright and healthy, and had evidently forgotten all about the terrible scenes attending the volcanic eruption and earthquake. for the first question he asked, after the usual ** Where are we now?” was whether the ice was opening yet. ‘ Dolores, who also had been hidden in her state- room as long as the an was gliding smoothly along made her appearance in the cabin just as Reuben insisted on coming on deck, and Kate Macy followed the rest into the open air, keeping away from the Spanish girl, who seemed to have resumed her close Esquimaux dress for good now, As there was clearly nothing to be done for some hours in getting the ship forward, the whole com pany fortified their spirits with a hot breakfast, the
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20 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. first regular meal taken since te Sarah Jane first brought up in front of Humboldt Glacier. After breakfast they got up the anchor, stood out to sea and began to run aiong the icy coast to the east. It was under Folger’s advice that this move was made, for as the mat» very sensibly said: “Tf we can’t get through one way we kin another, and this here land don’t go all round the world. It’s an island of some kind, if a big one.” Reuben, who seemed to have recovered all his old spirits and energy, was full of enthusiasm as they coasted the shores of this unknown land. As Uncle Jabez had suggested, it was christened Macy Island, while the most prominent P aak in sight received the ‘name of Mount Coffin in honor of the captain him- self, As for Folger, he was rewarded for his ser- vices in the cause of science by the honor of giving a name to the first projection of the coast, and Reu- ben-plotted out Cons ‘olger on the chart in latitude 84 deg. 30 min. north, longitude 73 deg. 47 min. west from: Greenwich. So they sailed along, skirting the unknown shores of Macy Land, till a dark cloud made its appearance far a the eastern horizon, and Folger joyfully cried: “The water sky again! We kin git through! By the holy poker, it seems asif there were an Open Polar Sea, arter all, Cap.” The cry attracted the attention of all on deck, and they crowded to the bows looking ahead. There they could see a low, dark bank.of clouds; the well-known and welcome “water sky” stretch- ing up from the open sea to the south right across their path about ten miles ahead. Behind this dark cloud they could see half-vailed in the mist at its foot the faint outlines of another peak, how far away they could not tell, but that it was far higher than the one in full view they could easily see. The water-clouds were then the har- bingers of a strait. CHAPTER XVUL THE UNKNOWN LAND. Yes; there was no doubt that_a strait lay before them, dividing the icy peaks of Macy Land from the still more lofty summits of another country, equally unknown, As they swept along under the bright, never-ceas- ing sunlight, every glass in the ship was eagerly turned to the shore, searching for sigas of human or animal nature, but allin vain, The land rose up in _ precipitous bluffs of gray rock, so sheer in many S places that neither snow nor ice could cling to them; and from these bluffs rose again lofty conical peaks of volcanic outline, ending in dazzling cones of snow and ice, glittering so brightly that the eye could not bear the sight. Not a shrub or tree, not a shred of moss, was to be seen anywhere. Gray and black rocks and white snow united to form an unrelieved panorama of desolation, where there was neither bird nor beast to break the monotony of white. It produced a depressing effect on Folger in par- ticular, who observed thoughtfully to Reuben: “Tt don’t look as if any human critters as got here could find much to live on, does it? I'm afeard - hain’t much chance of findin’ the Pride’s people ive. Reuben was searching the dark cloud-bank with the glass as the mate spoke, and he laid down the telescope to reply: ‘*We re only on one side of the land yet, Folger. Who knows what’s on the other side? I have a theory that we shall find living creatures as soon as we get into that dark water.” nele Jabez heard the remark and addressed his nephew with a respect that had been growing ever since the boy had returned to them, “Waal, young f’losofy,”’ he observed; ‘tell me what your ‘heory, as you call it, may be, It’s as good as anything in these latitudes, ‘catise no one kin contradict you.” Reuben reddened a little and replied! “Ti’s only a theory, and we shall soon find if it’s correct; but I have a suspicion that we have reach- ed the Open Polar Sea which Hayes fancied he saw in his last expedition. This land in front of us is evidently only an island, and that is the reason the ice clings to it.” “But if it’s land, why ain’t there any livin’ cree- tur’s?”’ asked Uncle Jabez, obstinately. “* We are on the south sids of the land,” said Reu- ben, quietly. ‘‘ Look at the shadow, uncle. It falls toward us and the sunis on the other side of the mountains, Weare on the night side of the earth, and this face of the hills gets only half. as much sun as the other or lam much mistaken, However, we shall—” Down from the crow’s-nest came a long quavering ery, interrupting the colloquy. It was the well- known signal, dear to the whaler: ‘* THERE SHE BLOWS!’? Uncle Jabez started like a war-horse at the sound of the trumpet, and shouted back: “* Whereaway?” “Dead ahead, sir,” was the prompt reply. whole school of ’em in the fog.” A general rush to the rail to see, and there were the little white jets of spray at the edge of the dark water-clouds, toward which the Sarah Jane was dashing at the rate of eight knots an hour. All was again joyful excitement at the prospect of areturn to animated Nature after the sterile mo- notony of the cliffs of Macy Land. The whales were in plain sight, not three miles off, and seemed to be . very large numbers, spouting and leaping asif at play. . Behind them were the dark mists of the water- clouds, and away into the sky for a background tow- ered the great icy peak which had first attracted their attention, Considering the hight of the peak on the other side, they had judged the opening to be at the ut- most four or five miles wide, but the further they sailed round the end of Macy Land the wider seem- ed the expanse of open water, till the conviction forced itself on their minds that they were entering a channel at least as wide as the Straits of Dover— say twenty-five miles—and that the peak they saw must be one of the tallest mountains in the world. Reuben, who was nothing if not scientific, brought out his sextant and took its altitude as they went along, every two minutes, making a rough calcula- tion as he went, and estimating it at thirty-five thousand feet. “Six thousand more than the biggest of the Himalayas, uncle,’ he said, ‘Sif | haven’t made a mistake in my figures. What shall we call it?” ** Call eet Monte Katrina,” said a. soft voice at his elbow. and there stood Dolores, gazing at the moun- tain with asmile. ‘She eez leetle, but she is goot. Shall v> not call it dat?” She turned with a winning smile to Kate, who was hovering near by, under the wing of Uncle Jabez; and the suggestion was adopted with acclamation. But meantime the good shin swept. bravely on her course to the eastward. till she had cleared the cape, and then trimmed her sails flat and stretched »way to the northeast, making for the foot of Monte Katrina through the mist. A thermometer let over the side showed a tem- perature of seventy degrees, while a strong current was evidently setting out of the strait_to the south. The nearer they came to the slopes of Monte Katrina the taller it looked, and then they began to see that the snow and ice of the peak no longer came down to the sea level in the strait. There was a great ice foot stretching out into the sea they had just left, but it ended in a well-defined glacier edge about three the strait, to be succeeded by dark cliffs ank at the bottom, coming down to the OA miles u with a water in a beach of white sand, bordered by the first
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 21 gteen that any of them had seen since leaving Omenak’s Fiord. It was unmistakable green, dark and velvety, at first a mere thread, but growing broader as the coast trended away to the north; and with a glass one might distinguish actual shrubs and grasses, among the usual profusion of Arctic mosses, Now indeed the excitement was reaching fever heat, on board the ship. Uncle Jabez was as crazy as the rest, and declared that for his part he didn’t eare whether the winter locked them up there for good or not; he was going to stay. On went the Sarah Jane, and the further they ad- vanced the warmer grew the north wind, Within three hours from the time they entered the strait, they were close enough to hear the surf roll- ing on the beach at the foot of Mente Katrina, to see the mosses and flowers, with a few small birch trees about a yard high, and to smell the perfume cf the gentians, saxifrages and primroses that carpeted the foot of the rocks, It was quite a trial to be compelled to leave this- prospect for a while, but the water was shoaling so we, ms that it became necessary. The breeze, which had been so brisk at first, rough- ening the water considerably, had sunk to a warm and gentle gale, under which the ship glided slowly along, and the Sarah Jane hauled her tacks and stood off from the foot of Monte Katrina, making another long stretch over to Macy Land. Thinner and thinner now grew the haze, as the temperature of air and water became more equable, till they could see from shore to shore of the strait with no more dffficulty than one has on the Jersey coast in the warm, misty Indian summer, Then it became plain that they had entered either some very deep bay or strait, which narrowed rapid- ly toward the north, for all the horizon ahead of them was occupied by a line of blue mountains, in which no ga appeared, On sailed the Sarah Jane toward the cliffs of Macy Land, that had looked so sterile from the south, and behold! their looks also had changed. Wither they had gone further up the sheltered bay, or the aspect of the cliffs was more favorable to Jife, for when they came close they perceived a grove of birch trees, fringed with willows, rising higher than a man’s head, while the mosses were giving way to the purple heaths of the sub-aretic zones. Still they kept on up this bay of wonders, stem- ming a current that was running about three miles an hour, and once more the shoaling water warned them to tack. , The wind had sunk toa mere cat’s-paw as they came more and more under the lee of the mountain, and at Jast it became plain that they could no longer stem the current, which was carrying them astern all the time. Under these circumstances Uncle Jabez popped his anchor close to Monte Katrina and ordered out the boats. CHAPTER XIX. THE GIANTS’ PASS. Tue order to man the boats was greeted with a hearty cheer, and it seemed very likely that the ship would be left tenantless, had not Uncle Jahez desic- nated an anchor-watch, and announced thaf only three boats would be allowed to leave the ship. But long before the boats could be put; out, Reuben had jumped into his kayack, and was skimming away up the silent bay, followed by Dolores, with Kalatoonah a bad third in the race. Reuben and Dolores skimmed on under the rocks of Monte Katrina, about half a mile ahead of the whale-boats. The further they advanced the narrower grew the bay. but they could see that.» spur of Monte Katrina was outlined against the cliffs of Macy Land in a way that showed a passage between the two, curving round to the left. *Ts not this a river we are entering, Don Ruben?” asked Dolores, with’ some curiosity, as they came nearer und nearer, “T hardly think so,” was the answer. “ A river always brings mud with it and here the water is so clear that one can see the bottom,” ‘*Phen what makes this swift current?” “T fancy it must be the tide,” was the reply. “Tf you look at the shore you will see that there is a high-water mark jusi above where the stream runs most flercely round the rocks,” She made no more remarks, but paddled on till they had turned the shoulder of the spur and then te rn aaa of surprise and wonder broke from her lips, oe Ob: Don Ruben, see how grand!’ Both by one instinct stopped paddling and gazed, while even stupid Kalatocnah, as he glided up beside them, stared in blank amazement at a scene such as had never greeted his eyes before. The passage which they had expected was there, curving round fill it was lest in the land, and nar- rowed to av expanse of about five hundred yards, while perpendicular cliffs of black basalt, arrange in columns as regular as if chiseled by the hand of man, lined the passage on either side, The water was as smooth as glass, gliding by the foot of these grim walls with an oily flow, but never- theless there were proofs of its flercer action at other times, in the presence of a number of blyeek ca rene, with which the foot of the cliffs was honey- combed. Clouds of blue rock-pigeons were fluttering from cliff to cliff from these caverns and the err vices be- tween the columns above, showing that they were rising still another scale in the ladder of animated nature; for the rock-dove is not found north of the Arctic Circle, and seldem ventures in that vicinity save in a very warm summer, While they were gazing came the dash of oars and the three whale-boats swept into the silent bay, when as if by one consent the men stopped rowing and turned in their seats to gaze with awe-stricken faces at this sublime gateway into the unknown scenes of the north. Uncle Jabez was the first to recover himself, and his voice was unusually low as he said? ‘Give way, boys. give way. There’s more to see, yet. We've got there at last.” His words broke the spell of awe and renewed the excitement as the men apes to their oars with a willand dashed on; but if was noticeable that there was no cheering and loud conversation, On went the boats and canoes in a little fleet close together, following this singular passage for over three miles as it wound to and fro bet ween the never- ceasing walls of basalt, till Reuben, looking ahead, saw a broad blue shaft of light, coming down into the gloom of the chasm some distance ahead, and realized that there must be a gap in the mountains above that place, He plied his paddle faster, and the light canoes once more drew ahead of the heavier whale-boats till they saw that the blue shaft of light struck the cliff on the east. side of the chasm near the foot, making a bright yellow patch on the rocks, A little further on he could see the perpendicular cliffs ending in a gradual slope as the mountain-side came down to meet them covered with dark verdure and a heavy growth of pine-trees. $ The spot was still a mile off, but the glitter of sun-— light on moving water told that the passage was opening, and the first breaths of a warm and pleas- ant breeze began to fan his cheek. On swept boats and canoes, every turn of this strange avenue revealing fresh beauties, Now the passage widened to nearly a mile, while the pine forests came down to the edge of a sandy beach on which a gentle surf was breaking, while the sun overhead focal down on them with a power that fairly amazed them, The aes was growing too hot for the weather, and with one accord the canoeists stopped to stow away
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22 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. their heavy garments and give the boats time to come up, when all restee on their oars to admire the prospect and compare notes. “Seems to me,” obser‘ed Folger, from the stern sheets of his boat, ** that we're a-comin’ nigh the sea again, Cap. qT time. Whar on ‘arth kin we be, and whar hev the Pride’s people got to, ef they ever got this far?” “Tf they came as far as tuis, I should say they must have gone on further, or they would have been greater fools than we are,” observed Kitty Macy, who had recovered her spirits and some of her pert- ness under the compliment of being chosen god- mother to the tallest mountain in the world. “If uncle Jonathan ever came here, we shall find him further on, for who would have stopped when they could have gone on forever?” “ Sensibly said, monkey,” observed Uncle Jabez, tting her head as she sat beside him in his boat. ‘If the Pride ever reached here she went on to the sea beyond. I guess we kin do the same when the tide turns.” While they were thus chatting idly, Dolores, who had said but little since they entered the strait, was azing ahead toward the bright waters that sparkled nthe sun. Now, on a sudden, she uttered an eager ery. % Miva! Mira! Unnavio! Mira los velas !” “Took! Look! Aship! Sve the sats!” Instantly every one was turning round to look, and most Fs sprung up in their haste. Over the tops of the fir trees, bebind a point about a mile ahead, they could see the outline of a white sail with a long, fluttering streamer above, gliding out to the end of the gaa While they were still wondering what it could be, and exchanging hurried explanations on the sub- ject, the strange sail cleared the point and swept out into the open water, in full view. CHAPTER XX. THE SEA ROVERS. “ GeeRewsaALeM! what’s that?” was the startled ejaculation of Uncle Jabez, the moment he saw the vessel, fairly. “Tain’t no Christain craft, boys. They’re savages! Git down to your oars.” In fact, the strange ship bore no resemblane» to any craft that the sailors of the Sarah Jane had ever seen before. , She did not seem to be over sixty or seventy feet long, and her bow and stern curved up out of the water in a strange, outlandish fashion the bow ter- minating in a huge dragon’s head, with open jaws, while the stern was recurved into the likeness of a fishtail, giving the whole boat the aspect of some curious marine monster. Right in the midst of this queer concern was plant- eda tall mast, with a square sail reaching about half-way up, surmounted by a flag half as big as the sail, anda Tong trailing pennant above that again, The color of the boat was black, but the dragon’s head and fishtail seemed to be gilded or covered with some shining metal. . The flag seemed to be scarlet, with some device in black in the center, and the vessel was crowded with glittering figures of men. She moved quite slowly, for her bows were very round and full, and she cast a great wave in front of her prow. “Waal, Cap, did you ever!” cried Folger at last, in tones of great wonder. “So there’s people lives up here, arter ail. What kin they be?” nele Jabez made no answer as he watched the strange ship. The boats lay idly on the water, but as if by one consent the men had settled themselves to their oars and sat waiting the word to pull away. On glided the unknown craft till it was fairly in the open water, and no notice seemed yet to be taken of their peceence, . Reuben had brought his glass with him, and was his strait’s gittin’ wider all the | narrowly watching the vessel. He could see the forms of the men on board, and counted some sev- enty or eighty, crowded together in that little craft, before he gave up the attempt and computed that she must hold at least a hundred. The cea nvesetanee he could distinguish to be the gleam of helmets, shields, spears and other weapons, but he could not tell at that distance the features of the men. Presently there was a commotion on the decl:s, and he saw a figure start up and climb up on the neat of the dragon at the prow, pointing at the boats. There was a bustle that showed they had been seen at last, and then dowm the wind floated the hoarse bray of some sort of trumpet. Thestrange ship turned round and headed directly toward them before the wind, and Reuben noticed that she had no rudder, but was steered with two huge oars, like a Roman galley. “Give way, boys,” said Uncle Jabez at this mo- ment. ‘*Them fellers is savages, and we've got to git back to the ship; or mebbe we’ll all be eaten up alive.”’ The sailors needed no second word, for there was something in the outlandish appearance of the strange vessel that had already frightend them pretty badly. Reuben and Dolores did not seem to be so much frightened, though Kalatoonah turned as white as a sheet when he heard the cries and saw the strange or bearing down on them. he girl was so absorbed in her anxiety to find her father in this Northern Land, that she seemed to be hardly accessible to fear, and Reuben felt that so long as the s rangers remained in their bluff tub of a vessel, he could play round them in his kayack with comparative safety. Thus it happened that within five minutes after the first discovery of the strangers, the three whale- boats, accompanied by Kalatoonah, were making their way back to the Sarah Jane, the men doin, their best and all well frightened; while Dolores anc Reuben were skimming in toward the land, crossing the track of this singular-looking craft, and awaiting its nearer approach It came on with more rapidity than Reuben could have deemed possible, and he could see that the powerful crew had thrust out long oars from the side and were pulling lustily away. The trumpet kept on blowing at intervals, and he could hear hoarse, deep-toned voices shouting out all sorts of confused cries. The boy began to realize that the approaching strangers were wild and fe- rocious men of avery different race from the bar- barous Esquimaux. In about ten minutes from the time when the strange vessel hove in sight the boats of the Sarah Jane had vanished in the direction of the Giant's Pass and Reuben and Dolores were in the dark re- flection of the pine woods close to the shore while the black craft was close to them, passing abeam., The men on board did not seem to be bestowing much attention on_the tiny kayacks. though a few heads were turned their way; but they continued to row on in pursuit of the boats that had just disap- peared. Thus the two occupants of the canoes had a full and undisturbed view of the strange craft and its still stranger crew. _ Reuben could hardly keep from a cry of admira- tion as they passed and Dolores exclaimed: ‘“Oh, Dios, Don Ruben, mira los rubios! Que grand+s hombres |" (** Oh, look, Reuben, look at the fair-hairs! What grand men!”’) Reuben could not help admitting that he had never seen such glorious figures physically in his life. They were all of gigantic stature, with huge muscular limbs that told of a vigorous outdoor life, seen to the better advantage that arms and legs were alike bare, save for rings of metal. They were all white men, the whitest Reuben had
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Ac te * Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 23 ever seen, with bright golden hair and fierce blue eyes. These men wore helmets of various shapes, of which the favorite seemed to have two wings rising from the sides as a crest, while others were decorated with the skull of a polar bear as a head-piece. Their bodies were covered with short leathern tunics, ornamented with scales of yellow metal or white sea-shells sown in patterns, and they seemed to be well-armed with spears and battle-axes. They had stopped their confused shouts as they passed the kayacks; the warriors had laid their shields beside them in order as they rowed, and they struck up a wild chant as they bent to the oars. Thus the strange pageant passed by, and Reuben and Dolores sat gazing at each other in mute won- der till the boy ejaculated: “Heavens, Dolores! Where have I seen them be- fore? It seems to me as if I knew every face in that boat, especially the giant in the bow with the eagle wings in his helmet. Where have I seen them?” * You saw them in the vision at Mother Igloolik’s,”’ was the reply. “I recognized them the moment the sail came round the point, from what you said when you were in the trance.” Reuben stared. “ What trance?” He had forgotten all about it. “Never mind, muchacho,”’ she said, kindly, “‘They are gone now and we cannot help our friends by mayne, here. Let us go on and try to find my father and yours. They are somewhere here.” Reuben looked thoughtfully after the retreating sea-rovers and presently burst out: “T know now. I remember all about it, I have seen them in pictures of the old Vikings. Dolores, they are the same old Norsemen that once held all Greenland.” “T know nothing of your Norsemen,” Dolores an- swered! “but I know if my father be still alive he must be emong them in this’ land, and | care for nothing till I have found him, Will you come with me, muchacho, or shall I go on alone?’ “*T will follow you anywhere and as long as there is breath in my body,” answered Reuben, enthusias- tically. ‘*Oh, Dolores, how the world will honor us when we go baek to America to tell them all about this country, where no man has ever yet been who came back to tell the tale!” Thus Reuben rattled on, wild with delight, as he paddled on with Dolores down the fast-widening pas- sage to the north. : In about half an hour's swift paddling they had turned the point which the Norse galley had passed with favoring wind and tide, and found themselves at the entrance of a bay that widened xapialy before them into the open sea of their hopes which spread out in a sheet of little waves, sparkling in the sun. But this alone would not have been sufficient to rivet their attention, for they had expected it. Something more wonderful still was before them, in the fact they could see the whole surface of the sea plainly for hundreds of miles, as if the usual ro- tundity of the earth had entirely disappeared, and further that this sea was surrounded by a circle of lofty mountainous islan@is.from the peaks of atleast nine of which streamed columns of smoke bigh in the blue heavens, while their bases, as far as could be seen, were covered with luxuriant vegetation. “Oh, Dolores,” cried Reuben, the instant this sight burst on them, “it is true. We have reached the Pole at last!” ata looked at him in a puzzled way as she asked: “The Pole! What pole, amiao? I know nothing of Poles. Iam looking for my father.” * Do you not know that the earth is what the as- tronomers call an oblate spheroid, flattened at the oles?” cried Reuben, testily. ‘‘Here is the proof fore our eyes that it is even flatter than any one thinks. It’s almost a valley that lies before us, and for six months the sun neverdeayes it, Dolores.” _ Dolores did not heed him much. | She was search- ing the prospect for some tokens of the object of her search, and Reuben continued his rapturea to a care- less listener. “See what a variety of life,” he exclaimed. “Whales and seals sporting beside dolphins and porpoises, those fishes of a temperate clime; and the sea-lions basking on those rocks like they do at San Francisco. There are birds of all latitudes, from the little auk that loves the icebergs to the swallow of our own lands, and song-birds of every variety in the woods all round us, they live here all the year, or are they migratory, I wonder? But where are the people?” “Yonder,” answered Dolores, in a quiet tone, “See, muchacho, we have found the island of your 5 ge at last, and my father and yours are both there.’ She pointed out to sea, Where became visible afar off two or three islands with volcanic peaks, all smoking vogether, and one of them had, scattered round the foot of the mountains, a number of little white specks that resemb!ed houses. Reuben drew forth his glass and inspected these very closely, At last he said: “Take the glass, Dolores. Your eyes are better than mine.” The girl took the glass and looked tong and ear- nestly. When sbe laid it down she said, frankly: ‘ ae | wn see no more than you, It must be very ‘ar off.” Reuben suddenly smote his knee with an air of vexation. “How stupid of me not to have thought of it, when the evidence is before our eyes. If we were on any other part of the earth's surface probably we could not see those islands, for our horizon would be but a matter of nine or ten miles; but here the water seems to be absolutely flat, and there is no telling whether those islands are ten or a hundred miles off, for we see them in a straight line.” Then he turned the glass to sweep the shores of this singular sea, which was as round, to all seem- ing, as an artificial pond, and pretty soon became convinced that there must be a gece of some density inhabiting the vicinity, He counted twenty or thirty white sails moving about on the waters in different directions, though at such distances as ut- terly bewildered his eye, accustomed to see the top- sails of a ship come into sight before the hull over the curved surface of the earth. All this time he heard nothing of his friends in the Sarah Jane, and had almost forgotten all about them, when his attention was arrested by the dullb booming of a piece of ordnance far awa: up the Giants’ Pass, where the echoes repeated it again and again. Both the young kayackers started, for the sane had been so deep before that the report sounded doubly loud. “They are fighting!” exclaimed Reuben, excited- ly. “The Norsemen have attacked them! What will become of my poor mother? They bave but one little brass signal gun, and that is worthless. They will all be killed, unless the Norsemen have changed much from what they were in old days. Ob, Dolores, let us go back and help them.” “What could we do, muchachot” she asked, im- patiently. ‘If they have fought your friends it is all over, one way or the other, by this time, Let us go on, say I.” ‘ “But my mother,” cried Reuben, in a tone of in- tense fear. ‘‘ They will kill her. 1 must go back,” And so saying, he turned his back resolutely on all the splendors of the scene that he had been view- ing with so much delight, and began to ply his pad- — die manfully on his return to the Sarah Jane. Dolores looked after him with a little sigh, and then muttered to herself: “T cannot help it. They are nothing to me now, Thave a father I love better than he can love his mother, Farewell, Don Reuben,"
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Then the girl turned her kayack resolutely out to- ward the volcanic island which Reuben had so strangely described in his dream, and paddled away over the short dancing waves that glittered so brightly in the sunshine. Meanwhile Reuben worked with all his might to effect a swift returu to his uncle’s ship, He heard at intervals the gun fired four or flva times, and the sound gave him fresh courage, inas- much as it proved to him that his friends were stilt fighting. As he reached the bay he looked anxiously for the a She was gone! CHAPTER XXI. THE NORSBMEN. Yus, the Sarah Jane was gone, but for all that, sha was not very far off. Reuben could see the black outline of a buoy bobbing about over the spot where she had last been anchored, showing that she had been compelled to slip her cable in a hurry, and a lance out into the bay disclosed the ship herself un- der a cloud of canvas, standing out to sea, followed by the Norse pulley. The sea-robbers had their oars out, dashing up the water in clouds of white foam, and getting out of their clumsy bark all they could bear, but they seem- ed _to be unable to catch the Sarah Jane, Just as the boy came in sight, he saw a flash from the stern of the ship, and realized that they had got the little signal-gun on the stern rail and were firing into the enemy’s ship. Whether it had any effect, he could not see, but he heard a savage roar from the rovers, and they dashed their oars more madly than ever, till it seemed that they gained on the ves- sel at every stroke. Reuben paddled along at his utmost speed, over- hauling the combatants. The wind was so light that the Sarah Jane could not make much way, and the rovers’ galley was too bluff bowed to go fast, so that he soon found himself under the gangway of the ship, on the side opposite to that on which the rovers were pressing forward, Then he shouted aloud for a rope, and presently had the satisfaction of seeing his cousin, Kate Macy, look over the quarter-rail and wildly wave her arms him, as a signal, before she turned inboard again, Almost atthe same moment, however, he heard a loud shont behind him, and looking round, saw that the Norse vessel was coming up on the same side of the ship as himself, and obviously in pursuit of his yack. With a rapid dash of his paddle he whirled away, and no doubt would have made his escapg without much difficulty, had he not been so near ere he be- gan his exertions. As it was, before he could get fairly out of range, the gigantic warrior on the bow, whom he had no- ticed before, suddenly poised a heavy javelin and cast it straight at the kayack, with such true aim and strength that the weapon went through the frail vessel, opening two great holes, through which the water began to pour in a moment, and Reuben found himself sinking. - What next happened he could hardly tell in the hurry and confusion. He heard a loud shriek in Kate's voice; felt himself going down; his head was already under water, when a rope came twining and flapping in his face; he clutched it wildly, and felt himself drawn up on deck as if he had been but a feather’s weight. Then he was plucked out of the hole of the kayack, and saw his Tittle canoe tossed overboard before his eyes, so that inside of a min- ute from the time that he first heard the shout, he was a prisoner in the midst of a crowd of fierce bar- barians, while his friends were looking hopelessly on. But in the hurry consequent on his capture, one thing had happened favorable to the safety of the Sarah Jane. The Norse galley had ceased rowing, and the ship had already gained nearly a cable- length on her, while the wind was freshening every Jabez Coffin, Skipper, moment. It was clearly useless for the rovers to replat any longer, and so they seemed to think, for hey ceased their work from that moment and turned their attention to Reuben, Contrary to the lad’s expectation, he was handled not ungently by these wild men, seeming to be to thee an object of some curiosity and more amuse- ment, The only word he could distinguish was one fre- quently repeated as the warriors commented on him, This was the word “ Skraeling.’’ They seemed to have settled on it that he was a ‘‘ Skraeling,”’ whatever that might be. At last he was set down in the stern before the hollow of the curving fish-tail, in which sat an old man with very long white hair and a beard that reached his waist. This old man had evident! been a warrior in bis day, for his frame was still vast and muscular, but if so, he had long abandoned the profession of arms, for he had no weapons, and was,clothed in a long robe of some woven stuff, blue in color, while a rude harp stood by his side. Two of the rough warriors set Reuben down in front of this singular old man, and observed, with one of their loud laughs; “Ho, Yarl Hakon, a Skraeling.” The old man bent his bushy brows on the boy and gazed on him out of as fierce a pair of blue eyes as Reuben had ever seen, Then he shook his head and said aacarely 4 “Na “Yo, yo,” repeated one of his captors, eagerly, bursting into a flood of words that Reuben could not understand, But old Yarl Hakon, if that were his name, still replied, ‘* Nay,’’ and Reuben had found the meaning of two Norse words, very much the same as English; “Yo” and “ Nay.” The grave and authoritative manner of the old man, who appeared to be the chief in command, si- lenced the dispute, and Reuben perceived that it was a settled matter that he was not a ‘‘ Skraeling.” The boy’s memory also recorded the fact that “ Skraeling ’’ was the name which the Norse settlers of Greenland had given to the Esquimaux when they first saw them, eight hundred years before, be- ing a term of contempt at their dwarfish stature. Whatever the matter of the discussion between the Norsemen concerning him—and he could not un- derstand save by watching their gestures—it resulted favorably for him to all appearance; for his captors released him and signed to him to sit down at the feet of Yarl Hakon, which he did. In the meantime the Norsemen sailed out to the entrance of the bay at a distance from the Sarah Jane, which had cleared the mountains and was standing to the east along the icy outer shore of Macy Land. They evidently realized their incapacity to over- take the, ship, for after a little they turned their course back to the Giant’s Pass, and stood on tillthe wind failed them, which it did very soon, when they tcok to their oars. They passed on till the shores of the inner bay Boned on their sight, when Reuben began to be sen- ble of a low murmuy oepong the mountains in as rear, fast increasing td the sound of a rushing wind. Looking back over the stern he saw a long curling wave come rushing along the foot of the black rocks of Giant’s. Pass, dashing the fo»m high in air and spreading wider and lower as it entered the bay, Along with the tide the boy was sensible of a change in the wind, begioning in faint puffs from the Giant’s Pass. tilla regular fresh gale came from thence, ruffling the bay into waves and filling the great square sail of the galley till she drove rapidly out of the bay into the open sea. Here he looked eagerly round for some signs of Dolores in her kayack, but the girl seemed to have disappeared, : The further they advanced into this curious in» ES
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 25 land sea the more was Reuben impressed with its want of similarity to anything he had ever seen be- fore. The absence of that curved surface, so fami- liar on the ocean, was of itself a puzzle, for it seem- ed to deprive him of every standard of comparison in distance. One thing was plain enough, that the shores and inlands of this sea were inhabited by a popula- tion capable of building stone houses; for as they advanced they saw more than one mansion on the shores, and the white structures on the island grew plainer as they sailed on, One ominous feature, however, the boy noticed as they passed out of the bay. On each side of the en- trance was raised a stone castle with round towers, exactly in the style which prevailed in Europe in the twelfth century. It seemed asif these people, cut off as they were from the rest of the world by impassable barriers, and apparently secure from molestation by others, were yet engaged in warfare among themselves, and lived practically much as they had done in the mee ages, when the sword was the only arbiter of right. But all these reflections were soon banished from his mind by the spectacle of another vessel, a little larger than their own, which came sailing and row- i toward them from one of the castles. he stranger carried a white flag with a black sal- tier—a cross placed diagonally from corner to cor- ner—and seemed to be recognized at once as an en- emy, for the Norsemen began to talk excitedly, while the old chief delivered some orders in a loud tone. Reuben glanced up at the device on their own flag and saw that the red field contained a great black raven in full flight, and then he devoted his attention to the maneuvers of the two vessels, conscious that a battle was imminent. Old Yarl Hakon seemed to be quite cool and col- lected, in spite of the disparity of force between him and the stranger. The strange galley came sweeping on with trum- pets sounding and men singing some sort of wild war-song: and lo! onthe prow stood another wild Norseman, point for point like their own, Now they were within a few hundred yards, when the champion of the red flag began to foam at the mouth, shouting louder than ever, and presently dashed his helmet into the sea, tore off his mail- coat, and stood out nearly naked on the dragon’s head, his voice changing to a series of wild maniacal shrieks, Then the Norsemen of the red flag uttered a tre- mendous roar of triumph, in which Reuben heard the words, “ Berserker! Berserker |” The stranger was now almost aboard, but at the sound of that shout her crew stopped rowing, and in another moment the red galley crashed into their bows, raked the whole bank of oars on that side and then i ites Impelied by an irresistible fascination, Reuben started up by Yarl Hakon and watched the sight. He saw two great grapnels at the end of chains, cast on board the stranger, and then the giant in their own bows took a flying leap into the midst of his en- emies, wielding a great ax, and began to hew down right and left, regardless of spear and mace. At the same time the Norsemen boarded with a sudden ferocity and utter recklessness that amazed Reuben, who had never seen such a thing before. Their antagonists met them with equal ardor, and for some minutes the crash of blows on mai’, the savage shouts of the combatants and the dull thud that marked the thrust of the deadly lance or stabbing sword, made a pandemonium of sound that was in- describably horrible. F The most remarkable figure of all was the giant Berserker, smiting right and left with his ax, while the blows came raining down on him from all quar- ters, und yet no drop of blood stained the whiteness of his ‘akin, Man after man went down under that rm fearful ax, and still the men of the red galley press- ed on, driving their foes further and further, till a loud shout of triumph burst from every throat, as the men of the white galley suddenly lost heart; and all leaped overboard, to sink and drown, Then the wild Berserker uttered a tremendous yell and flung his bloody ax straight up in the air, where it mounted to an astonishing hight, coming down on the deck with a force that sent the spike sheng the two blades several inches into the solid timbers. “Eric Rydd! Eric Rydd!” was the shout of the Norsemen over their champion, whose hair was a bright golden red, and then down fell the great Ber- serker on the deck, foaming at the mouth and shak- ing all over in a violent fit. Reuben had seen the famous Berserker frenzy, and it seemed plain that Red Eric was a maniac and an epileptic. Hardly had he made this observation when there arose a shout among the Norsemen, and a moment later a tall figure leaped through the midst of them with wonderful rapidity, bounded on board the red galley and came running to Yarl Hakon, kneeling at his feet. In a moment more a dozen wild Norsemet were leaping after him, but ere that moment arrived Reuben nttered a glad cry of joy: “ PaTHER!!!"* ** REUBEN!!!’” Then father and son were locked in each other’s arms, while the Norsemen dropped their weapons with a shout of wonder and stood stering at the pair and Yarl Hakon waved his hand forbiddingly to- ward them, saying, in his deep tones of dignity: ‘“* Nay, nay.’ CHAPTER XXII. THE CAPTAIN'S STORY, QuirtLy over the sunlit sea toward the distant islands sailed the Norse galley under a breeze blow- ing momentarily tainter and fainter. The vessel that had lately borne the white flag with the black cross was slowly sailing behind them, car- rying its mournful load of dead bodies, for the Norse- men had lost nearly half their number. Reuben Macy and his father sat at the feet of Yarl Hakon in earnest conversation, prisoners to be sure, but unguarded and talking freely, and Captain Macy was telling his son all the adventures which had brought him into such a strange predicament, “Tam a slave, Reuben, my boy, as you are, and our only consolation is that we are together in our pris- on. I was a slave in the Golden Serpent, as they call- ed the ship which I left; and we are both slaVes now in the Black Dragon of Yarl Hakon, The onty dif- ference is that Yar] Hakon has the repute of beinga kind master, while Yarl Harold was cruel.” * But where are the rest of the crew of the Pride, and where is the ship, father?” “The poor ship lies in three hundred fathoms of water outside the entrance to the Giants’ Pass, and the men—such as were not killed in the fight—are slaves to the different Yarls that divide this kingdom with their petty quarrels.” “The fight! What fight, father? I only know that you sunk the ship and took to the boats.” “Yes; the poor old Pride had been squeezed so badly in the ice that we couldn't keep her afloa and she sunk outside the bay after we had loade the boats up with all the food and arms we could carry. You know the land outside the bay has a terribly unhospitable aspect, and we felt dreary enough as we coasted along; for winter was ap- preaching and we had but a week’s provisions and no fuel. But when we reached that bay, which we named Paradise Bay on the spot, we were full of hope, for we could not help observing the increase of vegetation as we advanced to the north We pulled along merrily through the Giants’ Pass, as every one calls it, even the Norsemen; and came boldly out into the sea, coasting along the shores, by ~
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26 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. Yarl Eric’s castle. He is a great friend of Yarl Ha- kon here, and it is a wonder to me how Yar! Harold could have dared to come into these waters so near all his bitterest foes. We were not molested by any of Yar] Eric’s men, who were away at the time. and we passed on, wondering much at the size of the castles and the apparent absence of any fixed agri- cultural population, though the soil seemed so luxu- riant. But ere we had gone far we saw our mis- take, when two of these accursed galleys, full of men, came bearing down on us, sounding their trumpets and clashing their weapons. Of course we knew that meant fight, and as we had some twenty rifles and a lot of ammunition, we opened on them as if they had been common savages. We never made a worse mistake, as we soon found. “We fired volley after volley into them as they came on, sending our last shots into the mass at twenty paces, and the only result was to enrage the survivors to a frenzy like that Berseker’s. ‘i hey came leaping down into our boats, with their axes, knocking our biggest men about like children, and in five minutes i; was all over, and we—ihat is, all those left alive—thrown into the holds of their gal- leys, tied up like chickens for market. “ fiver since that we have been slaves, used to till Snorr Erlson’s lands, on the island under the Pole, till the fight began between him and Yarl Hakon,” “ And who is Snorr Erlson, father?”’ “He was only one of the petty Yarls a few years ago, but he has beaten one after the other of the rest, till now he is recognized as king by Yarl Har- old, and about ten of the others, His only rival is Yarl Hakon, here.”’ “ And where does Yarl Hakoun live?’ —‘In the largest of the islands, the one we are ap- ae now. It is about five hours’ sail from morr Erlson’s island, which lies right under the pole star, The old Yarl was a great warrior in his day, and a scald besides. A scald is what they call a bard, who plays the harp and sings. Now, Yarl Hakon never fights nor carries weapons, but commands his Black Dragon as feaalessly as ever, with Red Eric to lead the fighters.” “And what made you come on board this boat, father?” “To save my life. Reuben, I had heard that Yarl Hakon was one of the few kind and merciful men in this terrible place Iwas a slave in Yarl Harold’s boat, chained to an oar, but [ managed to get loose during the fight, and hid uoder the half-deck, in the bow. Assoon as Red Eric went off in his fit, I saw that od chance was come, so I ran for it, and got through safely. Lthink that my meeting with you was a lucky chance for me, forit surprised them all, and gave them time to think.” “And tell me, father, how do these people live, and have you learned their language, yet?” “Yes, I can speak their tongue now. They live almost entirely by fishing and hunting, but they make the slaves cultivate fields of barley, and brew beer from it, on which they get drunk. Then there is plenty of wild honey in the woods, and they make mead out of that. Asfor bread, I never saw any here, It is all meat and beer from one year to the other. They have fine times in the long summer, for when once the sun shows himself over the moun- tain-tops he stays there, going round and round the circle, getting higher every day, and everything rere like magic. But when he goes behind the ills in the winter, he leaves first about one month of twilight, then four months of total darkness, and then another month of twilight before he comes back. Those are the dull times, for it gets too dark to fight, and the men have to stay in their castles and pass their time as best they can. That is the women’s time for feasts and dances, while the men wrestle and play at fighting to amuse,them.” “Ts it cold, then?” ‘No; we never have snow, and the ground feels warm even when the airis cold, The ice blocks up the outer bay and comes up to the entrance of Giants’ Pass, but it never gets any further. It must be the influence of these voleanoes around us. A few weeks ago we had a very heavy earthquake, the ground trembling constantly till the fire broke out again. ““Yes, father, that is what enabled us to come here;” and Reuben told ia as few words as possible the history of their finding the bottle in the fish and of their subsequent voyage. Captain Macy listened attentively till Reuben came to the finding of tne flag-staff under Humboldt Glacier and the deserted hut, when_he observed: “Yes, we came the same way and found a man living there—a Spaniard called Zuniga, who came here with us. He had been wrecked on an iceberg and had drifted into the Middle Pack, which he fol- lowed till he arrived at Smith Sound, where he had been living like a hermit for a period of seven years.” “Yes, father, and we found his only daughter living among the Hoskies at Disco, and she en- tered this sea with me this morning in a kayack,. Poor girl! I fear these robbers must have snapped her up.” **No. A woman is in no danger here. On the contrary, the women are the rulers in all things, and the men never refuse them anything. That is their best trait. If the girl understands their language, she can go anywhere and ask for anything.” ** And where is her father?” “He is high in favor with Snorr Erlson, who has made him a sort of prime minister, though he is, under their laws, still a slave. This Zuniga is a man of great size and strength, and has been trained to the use of arms. He threw their best wrestlers, one after the other, and showed them how to use their fists, so that they treated him with great respect. Moreover, he seems to be a man of great intelligence, and has taught them all sorts of things that 1 know nothing about, so he is a prince and I only a slave.”’ , The poor man sighed as he made this remark, and Reuben echoed the sigh. While they sat absorbed in their gloomy reflections a shadow stole across the galley deck, and looking up, Reuben saw that they were approaching the vol- eanic island in the midst of the sea, the shadow be- ing caused by the smoke crossing the sun, A few minutes later they entered a spacious bay, bordered with a long row of stone houses, built in the same fortress-like style that characterized all the edifices in that strange land, and Yarl Hakon signed to them to rise, They did so, and Reuben saw that the shore was covered with girls and women in white, waving their hands in welcome. CHAPTER XXITI. THE TURNING OF THE TIDE. Wuen Uncle Jabez saw that the Sarah Jane was safely out in the open sea, with the advantage of the Norse rovers in point of speed, he drew a deep sizh of relief, and remarked to the honest mate: “That was a close call, Folger.” “Tt were that,’’ was the candid reply; “ and if we hadn’t got in, jest in time to slip the cable and go to sea, I’m doubtful if we could have fought those devils off. I never seen sich men. Injuns ain't a circumstance to ’em. I guess we must have put half a bushel of old iron into the thick of ’em, and they didn’t seem to mind it no more nor so much snow-balls. I wonder what kind of men they kin be, Cap? They was white enough to be Christians. Well, well. they’ve got poor Rube, and TI guess he’s gone for good.” Uncle Jabez was about to answer when he was dis- turbed by a tug at his elbow and saw Kitty Macy, with tear-stained face, regarding him piteously. “Oh, uncle.” she burst out, ‘are you going to let those wretches murder poor Reuben without an ef- fort to help him?” Uncle Jabez shook his head sorrowfully,
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. 27 “ ’'Tain’t nouse jest now, Kitty, till the wind starts up. We wouldn't have a ghost of achance in al ght wind, for those deviis would board us in_no time, and then we would be gone up, indeed, Why, they kin put in ten men to our one, ‘and we ain’t fot am- munition fo fight ’em if we had the arms. No, no, I'm afeard we're in a bad box, my gal.” He was interrupted by the loud flapping of the sails as the wind died away, and looked anxiously astern to see if his enemies were still there. To his great gratification they were no longer in sight. “Waal,” observed Folger at this moment, *‘ this looks bad, Cap, hevin’ to stay out here among these cussed glaciers, all along of them white devils—for they’re worse than any savages I ever seen.” The honest mate seemed to be much disgusted at the prospect before him, and his depression was re- flected in the face of every one on board, While thus they lay there, it seemed to every one as if they were shut out from perenne, as they re- membered the lovely scenes which they had lately witnessed, all the more striking from their contrast to the snow and ice round them. At last came a sudden lurch of the vessel, the flap- ping of the sails ceased, and Uncle Jabez started up with the instinct of a sailor. “Hard down with the helm!" he cried. ‘ Hands by the braces! Here comes the wind!” Sure enough it came sighing and groaning through the rigging, increasing every. moment, while the Sarah Jane, taken flat aback, was moving rapidly astern. But Uncle Jabez was not one to be caught nap- ping, and he trimmed his yards to meet the sudden shift. till the vessel spun round on her heel and went bowling out to the mouth of the bay,in advance of the great tide swell that they could see sweeping along the shores of Macy Land, In less than ten minutes from the time that they were mourning over the calm they were going at ten knots an hour, and their spirits rose at once. But when it came to entering the bay, Uncle Jabez, cautious on account of his old age, hesitated, and it was not till a deputation of sailors came aft to vol- unteer to go through any dangers that he consented, ‘For ye see, boys,” said the old_ man, ‘this here is my s’arch arter my family; and I ain’t no business to risk any other folks’ lives for that; but if so be ou’re all willin’ to goin and take the chances of ghtin’ these white devils, up with the helm and let her walk.” The response was three hearty cheers, and then the men dispersed to their posts, while Jonathan started up, a new man, and even Mrs. Macy and Kate look- ed more cheerful. There was something so different in the aspect of things now, as they dashed into the bay. The winds of this peculiar country seemed to resemble those of the tropics, in changing periodically from land to sea breeze with the tides or changing light. The tide-wave which they had observed at first in their rear bad by this time swept far ahead up the bay, the clouds were coming up from the south in heavy masses, indicating a colder wind, and the breeze was fast freshening into a gale as they ran vp the bay and in between the black walls of the Giants’ Pass. Once there the curves and shelter of the basaltic walls diminished the force of the following wind to a gentler pitch; but, thanks to its steady continu- ance, they swept along in safety. As they passed out of the bay, close under the walls of one of the low castles. they could see a great crowd of men thereon, evidently much excited at their coming, but the neares' vessels were at least fren miles off, and the Sarah Jane swept on unmo- ested. The wind held on for a while and then began todie away, as they advanced toward the islands in the midst of the sea, They had already noticed the strange flatness of the water that bad so forcibly impressed Reuben, and found that they could see just as far from the deck as from the cross-trees. They came in full view, also of their late enemy, as Yarl Hakon’s galley swept on, followed by the captured Golden Serpent; but of all that had trang- pired, they were, of course, ignorant, Fearing that they might again be overtaken by a calm, Uncle Jabez put his helm down and stood off again toward the fringing shore of this inland sea, Ahead of them, toward the islands, seemed to be a dead calm, while the water was ruffled all round the lake and the winds seemed to be blowing toward a common center, the tall voleanic peak in the midst of the sea. ' The Sarah Jane had started on her voyage round the Pole, CHAPTER XXIV. THE WHITE DEVILS. A BRILLIANT, but singular scene was transpiring at the island which owned the sway of Yarl Hakon, while the Sarah Jane swept on her way rejoicing. A great throne, closed in by an arbor of flowers, was erected in the midst of a smooth, green lawn, and around this throne were gathered several hun- dred women of the most brilliant blonde beauty, who seemed fit mates for the grand Norse warriors that mingled freely with them. On the throne sat Yarl Hakon himself, tall and venerable, and at his right hand, alittle before, stood Captain Macy and Reuben, stripped naked, save for a waist-cloth, their arms pinioned behind them and their heads bare, while Red Eric, bearing his enor- mous ax, stood beside them. In spite of the pep in which he stood—for it seemed that the debate was on the question of his and his father’s immediate execution—Reuben could not help a feeling of delighted admiration as he looked round him. Such women and girls he had never seen in his life, and the purity of their race seemed to have pre- vented the survival of even oye plain one. As far as he could see, ai were beatiful, The majority were tall and finely molded, far above the average stature of American women, and overtopping the boy himself by an inch or two. All wore their bright yellow hair freely banging down, and most had it in curls; while the younger ones wore on the forehead a plain gold band and the matrons replaced this by a species of coronet with a white plume therein. The dress seemed to be uni- form among matrons and virgins, the girls being distinguished by bare arms and necks, while the matrons had theirs covered. Otherwise the dress was asimple robe of white, fastened at the’ shoul- ders with gold buckles and sweeping to the ground, while confined at the waist with a girdle of gold chainwork. But Yarl Hakon now began to speak, and as his people understoed him it is time we did. “My children,” said the old chief, “the holy Odin has been good to us to-day. We have slain Yarl Harold and have driven away a ship full of the cow- ards of the Southland who profaned our domain, We have taken one of Harold’s slaves alive, one of those same cowards. and here he is with his son, Do you want them killed or shall we put them to work in the mines?” Red Eric poised his ax in both hands like a base- ballist with his club, and looked round him with a laugh, asking: . “Who says kill? Is it Githa or Brunhilda? 1 will wager my ax against a lock of Githa’s hairIcan take both heads off at one blow. Shall 1 try?” This ferocious s lly was greeted by a silvery laugh from the beautiful creatures round. Reuben, who understood nothing, heard the laugh and smiled brightly at a group of girls who were staring at him, Strange as it might appear, that smile settled his fate favorably. Reuben wes a handsome, delicate boy, with a dark Italian-looking face, which he took
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28 Jabez Coffin, Skipper. from his mother, and when he smiled he looked par- ticularly handsome. Instantly the group at which he was looking broke up. and three of these grand blondes came running toward him, crying: ‘Nay, nay, give him to us, wait on us.” Yarl Hakon smiled. These three were sisters, daughters of his only son, who had been killed in battle, and they.were the favorites of the old man. ‘*You hear, men,” he said» *‘Githa and Bertha and Brunhilda want the little one for a slave to play with. Shall they have him?” “Yo, yo, Yarl, I don’t want them. Let the girls have him, I shall kill the other, girls? It’s the fa- ther of the little one, We found him hiding in Yarl Harold's boat, and he begged his life, Is he worth saving?” The girls only laughed, and Captain Macy saw that his time was come as Githa pulled Reuben away from him, while Bertha began to twist her hand in the dark curls of the boy’s hair, and Brunhilda un- tied his bonds, The sailor was not without some shame at the comments he heard on his saving his own lifein place of committing suicide with his savace companions. He saw that something desperate was necessary, if he wished any chance; so he suddenly started out in front of the old Yarl and cried out: “The man that calls me a coward lies, and I can prove it on his body.” For a moment there was a dead silence, and then out burst a loud roar of laughter from the men, echoed by the girls with equa) heartiness. Slau un. poik, slau un,” eried one of the girls, payly, and Reuben started; it sounded so much like e Lancashire miner's, * Slug un, boys, slug un!” equivalent to, ‘* Hic him, boys!” n fact that was just what this haughty Norse girl said, and Red Eric was about to obey the injunction, when Yarl Hakon cried: * Nay, nay. ‘ “Turn him lodke.”” said the old Yarl, gravely. a Give him an ax and let Red Eric finish him fight- Heis pretty. Heshall “Yo, yo!" cried the girls, clapping their hands as if wonderfully enjoying the whole thing, and then they formed a great ring, while Reuben’s fair cap- en raeeed him away with them to the edge of the circle, Captain Macy was a brave man, but he felt his heart sink as he surveyed his huge antagonist, and reflected on what he had known him to do when in the Berserker condition. But he remembered that his only chance of ever seeing his wife and_ children again lay in the coming fight, and he hardened his heart to struggle through. He had been a good deal in South American ports and had seen much of the dexterity of Spaniards in the use of the knife, besides which he had taken a few lessons himself in its employment as a weapon. When his bonds were cut, therefore, he asked for a knife only, refusing the huge ax, which he knew he was unable to handle; and, thus armed, he in- stantly started toward Red Eric on a run, The burly Norseman laughed aloud as he lifted his ax and aimed at the sailor one of those down- right blows that would have annihilated him had he been there to receive it, But the Yankee was not there. Knowing that. his life depended on his quickness, he dodged the blow, rushed in ere the other could renew it, and there he was, hanging at Red Eric’s throat, his left hand buried in the giant’s huge beard, while his right was stabbing away at the other’s breast. Red Eric uttered a roar of rage, dropped his ax and tried to grapple his opponent, when the active siilor suddenly sprung away, eluding his enemy’s grasp. The Norseman made a few staggering steps for- ward and fell prone, with the blood pouring from his wounds, while the girls began to clap their hands and shout for the victor as blithely asif he had been one of their own kind. As for Red Erie, he Jay on the ground perfectly unheeded, and might very likely have died there, had not his conqueror appealed to the crowd to take him up and attend to his hurts, whiéh they did at oo in dexterous fashion, carrying him off to his 10use. “Will he die, father?’ asked Reuben, wistfully, as the giant was borne off. “T think not,” was the answer. ‘These men are as healthy as wild animals, and ncthing seems to kill them save a wound in the brain or heart. While he was still speaking came a murmuring buzz from the edge of the crowd, running to the center, and a man was seen making his way to Yarl Hakon’s throne, where he announced, with a loud voice: “Snorr Erlson’s men are coming to fight, and the Southland ship has entered the sea, Rouse up, Yarl Hakon, for we have got to fight.” Instantly arose a great commotion. Yarl Hakon abruptly left his throne and stalked down to the harbor, followed by the crowd, to the row of galleys which lay moored by the bank. Reuben and his father followed, almost unnoticed in the crowd, and looked over the level expanse of water with the rest, There was the Sarah Jane in plain sight, from truck to water-line, though at least twenty miles off, standing across the sea under a cloud of sail toward a fleet of seven galleys that were coming out from the island of Snorr Erlson to meet her, as they at first thought. A second glance revealed the fact that the galleys were coming to Yarl Hakon’s island, while the ship was a long distance outside them, and then the men of the island began to crowd into their own galleys, to put off, leaving Captain Macy and Reuben quite unnoticed among the girls. The captain saw this, and being a man used to emergencies, at once conceived the idea that he might escape. “Rube, my boy, are you ready totry for freedom, at the risk of instant death if we are caught?”’ he asked. The boy paled a little, but answered resolutely: “Yes, father, I think T am—with you to lead me.” “Then listen. All the men in this island will soon be gone out after Snorr Erlson, and there will be none left but the girls and children. They generally have some small fishing-boats that they call yagis round these ports, and these little things are sharp- built and sail fast. I propose that we take one of these when the tide turns and try to reach the Sarah Jane.” “ Very well, father. the word.” ‘ “But remember this: if the women catch us at it they will tear us to pieces; for they are worse than the men when they get their blood up, beautiful as they are.” “Never mind, father, I’m ready if there’s any chance.” * There will be, in about five hours, when the tide turns again,” This sid. the captain turned away with his son to mingle with the crowd that was now watching the exit of the galleys from the port. Snorr Erlson’s fleet was still a long way off, for the figures of hisrowers were not to be distinguished, = the devices on his flags were lost in blotches of color. He had however seven galleys, and they could see three distinct squadrons, numbering fifteen sail in all, putting out to join him from the encircling shores of the Polar Sea. Yarl Hakon’s ficet on the other hand counted eleven sail from the island alone, though there were no symptoms of any assistance coming to them from the shore. “Yarl Eric’s galley was sunk a few weeks ago,” I’m ready whenever you say
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. observed Captain Macy, thoughtfully, “so that ac- counts tor his staying in his castle, but where are the oth rs? They must be asleep ordrunk. Yarl Ha! on will be beaten if he cannot cut them up, one at atime.” The view was perfectly clear and unobstructed, and the gazers from the shore could see the two fleets approaching each other, ee, crawling over the surface of the water for several hours. The women rema.ned at their posts watching and sing- ing their wild songs, as if they fancied the warriors eould hear them; and the two slaves—for such were the captain and Reuben—kept at the edge of the crowd and waited patiently for their opportunity. They saw the Sarah Jane, after making along stretch to the left, turn round and come back, ap- parently afraid of the advancing galleys, till she was ag Yarl Hakon’s island once more, and appar- ently not more than a mile off, so deceptive was the distance, ‘ Then, of a sudden, Reuben felt his father touch him, and he followed without a word. “The tide is turning,” said the captain, as they drew out of earshot. “We shall have the first wind and come out to them when they are in a calm.” i They sauntered, with an air of affected unconeern down to the port, where lay a fleet of small, narrow boats, very different from the bluff galleys. Quick- ly and dexterously, while the women were watch- ing the impending battle, the captain cast off the ropes that confined the whole fleet, and sent them afloat, tiedina string. Then, stepping into the lead- ing boat, he hoisted the square sail just as a heavy gust came down from the mouth of the voleano, and swept out of the harbor, towing his string of boats. Reuben took the oar, which served for a helm, while his father picked up an ax and stalked aft. Arrived at the last boat he dealt it a vigorous blow in the bottom, starting a plank and letting the water in with a rush, The sound of that blow first attracted the atten- tion of the throng of women who stood gazing out to sea, and a wild scream of anger succeeded the measure of tie war-song they had been singing. Reuben turned his bead at the sound of that scream ~ and saw the whole of the white-robed throng come flying down to the port like a flock of sea birds, their arms waving like wings, their hair streaming wildly in the wind. He looked back at the tail of boats be- hind him, and noticed that the last of them was not fifty feet from the shore, and that their rate of pro- gress was very slow, Then he heard the erash of the ax as Captain Macy drove asecond boat into a wreck, and then the women began to shriek out threats as they eame, Again and again the captain sprung from boat to boat, wrecking each as he left it, and then into the water dashed the women, and came swimming after them. Reuben saw that if something were not done they would be caught, for these Norse heroines swam with wonderful rapidity. edit, - But Captain Macy persisted in his undertaking till the foremost woman had actually seized th» last boat, when he eut loose all the scuttled boats, and the remainder swept out to sea with enough rapidity > pursuit, Sg gd nd of the port, the rest of the boats were destroyed in short order. the wind increasing every moment, till Reuben and his father found them- selves scudding over the wide expanse at the rate of nine knots an hour, the island getting further and further astern as they headed for the Sarah Jane, That they were seen from the ship soon became evident, for she a'tered her course toward them, but near as she seemed, it cost them three long hours’ sailing ere they at last hauled up at the gangway, while Captain Macy shouted: “Sarah Jane ahoy! throw us a rope.” : Then aline of eager faces looked over the ship’s side, and such a cheering and shouting as arose had never been heard before on the Sarah Jane, as the two escaped prisoners, all weary and worn, climbed the sides to be received on deck. Mrs. Macy, contrary to expectations, did not faint; but wild Kitty, the hoyden of Nantucket, equally contrary to allexpectations, did. She was a long time recovering, and ere that, Reuben and his father had been taken down-stairs to the cabin and hastily clothed. When Kilty opened her eyes she started up and stared round, erying: ‘Reuben, Reuben, where is he?” Then, as he came toward her with a smile, she sprung into his arms, bursting into a storm of sobs and straining him tightly as she murmured: eae Reuben, my darling, I thought you were dead. Poor Kitty! Her secret was out, forced from her by the shock. She was but a young thing and every one had thought Jonathan her hero, but the loss of Reuben revealed the truth, Then every thought of love or lovemaking vanish- ed from the company on board the Sarah Jane as they looked round them and realized that the battle had begun between the two factions of the Norse- men, ‘* Jabez,”’ said Captain Coffin, ‘I want to tell you one thing, Hither we've got to take sides in this fight and gain the gratitude of one faction of these white devils, or we shall never leave this place.” CHAPTER XXV, THE BATTLE, Wuen Captain Macy had delivered his opinion, it was followed by a silence, till Uncle Jabez said: ‘““Why so, Jon’than? We've gota good wind togo out with. Why not pull foot at once while the tide is running, and git to sea?’ “Dil tell you why,” was the answer. ‘‘The incom- ing wind, with the flood tide, comes quite strong; but the outgoing wind is generally weak, while the ebb tide runs like a mill-race, ‘To get the ship . through, we should have to wait till the last ef the ebb, and then we should be liable to be overtaken by these galleys with their oars, You know best if you could fight them off, after they had once grap- dled us fairly. How many rifles have you aboard? hree, I thought as much. Jabez, it can’t be done unless they choose to let us out.” “And how kin we get ’em to let us out?” “ By whipping them into it,” was the resolute re- ply. “Remember that so long as we keep where we are, about midway from shore to the nearest island, we shall have plenty of wind and have the heels of everything that sails this sea, Another thing.“we can run down any of their galleys if we strike it fairly, if our bows don’t get stove in.” f “No fear of that, father,’ observed young Jona- than. ‘She's a solid mass of timber there, and she’s stood plenty of nipping already by the ice,” “So much the better, boys. We can smash their whole fleet all to pieces, and I propose to do that same thing to the strongest party here—that is Snorr Erlson’s crowd—and so gain the gratitude of Yarl Hakon.” “That’s sound sense, Cap,” said Folger, soberly. “Te Cap Coffin will give the word, } guess the boys will handle the ship to suit him.” The old men shook his bead sadly. ‘*No, ro, boys, my head ain’t what it used to be, and I wouldn't dare to sail this ship into a fight when there’sa better man aboard, Jon’*than Macy, Senior, you're my sister Sally’s husband, and you’re as good a sailor as ever I were in my best days. You take the ship, and I'll be a cabin passenger hereafter, God bless ye, boy, and do your dooty.” He handed the speaking-trumpet to Captain Macy as he closed, and then turned to his crew: “Boys,” cried the old sailor, “this is your new captain,” The men, sailor-like gave three cheers, Captain Macy assumed his new station at once
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30 with the confidence of an old sea captain, and ordered the ship’s head laid straight for the nearest squadron of galleys, three in number. n half an hour’s sailing they were close aboard, and Captain Macy recognized the squadron as be- longed to Yarl Sweyn, surnamed Airnskeag, aqlice “Tronshag,” on account of his very stiff, wiry hair and beard, Old Ironshag stood on the tall prow of his ship, the Red Wolf, and brandished a bunch of javelins in either hand, Tronshag was evidently a wary old warrior as well as a bold one, for he kept bis three vessels well apart from each other, and ranging on either side of the Sarah Jane, bows on, so as to present the least sur- face against ramming. At the same time he was willing to pass by without a fight if he could, for he shouted out in Norse: “Go thy way and let us alone. We're meat for ay betters.” aptain Macy stood up on the heel of the bow- sprit conning his ship as the old pirate roared out his warning, and his only reply was to wave his hand, shouting: “Port a little! Steady! So!’ The ship yawed suddenly from her course and met the Red Wolf nearly bow to bow, raking her forward oars and finally staving in the sides of the vessel. All of the crew of the Sarah Jane but the helms- man were gathered onthe rail of the ship with axes, handspikes, iron crowbars and any heavy weapon they could improvise for the fray. Down went the Red Wolf, her side crashing as the waves poured in; and then with a wild shout of fury the Norsemen began to climb on board. But the assault was too sudden and the ship too high out of the water for the boarders to succeed. Those of them that managed to seize hold of the stays under the bowsprit swung themselves up with amazing strength, but the greater Reeereor fell into the sea, and once there, had no chance to swim, owing to the weight of their armor. Tn less than two minutes the Red Wolf had gone to the bottom with every man of her heavily-armed crew, whils the other two galleys turned and came driving after the Sarah Jane. The sight of the disaster to Yarl Sweyn, instead of dismaying his followers, seemed to spur them on to vengeance; for the shouts of the crew became pe- culiarly wild and savage. ’ Old Ironshag had planned his attack well with re- gard to the distance of his friends and the relative rate of speed, for before the Sarah Jane could clear the vicinity, both galleys came bumping against her counter, and a pair of grapnels flew over the rail on the port-quarter, with chains attached, “Back, boys and beat them off,” eried Captiin cy;and away went a posse of men at full speed to the quarter-rail just as half a dozen heads came over the top. Then for a few moments there was a terrible struggle, as the sailors battered away at the heads of the Norsemen, and drove them back till the Sarah ) Jane had run about a mile under the fresh breeze, The galley on the other quarter had missed her mapuel, for she fell astern; but the grappled galley eld on like grim death, while the vengeful berser- kers came tearing up the sides like wild tigers, reck- less of wounds and not to be deterred by blows. How the fight might have ended it is difficult to say, for the sailors were getting tired, the Norsemen more savage than ever; when Reuben noticed that one of the grapnels was lo se, while the ship was held by the other. Calling some men te help him, he succeeded in heaving this hook overboard, and became aware from the crash that it had fallen on the galley’s bottom and stove her planks out. A moment later there came a snap and twang as the other grapnel-chain parted, and they saw the Norse galley drop astern, sinking before their eyes. Captain Macy hauled bis wind as soon as the second galley sunk, and went bowling back on the : Jabez Coffin, Skipper. Se third galley, which was now making its way, as hard as the men could row it, toward Snorr Erlson’s fleet, now hotly engaged with the ships of Yarl Hakon. The ship, under a cloud of sail, rapidly overhauled the galley, which pressed on till it became evident that it could not join its allies in time. Then, with the same desperate daring which had merked the action of the other two crews, the Norseman turned round and rowed straight to close with the ship, But Captain Macy had no fancy to try another conflict where it was possible for his enemies to board him, and just as the galley attempted to close he yawed wildly, ran off before the wind to a safe distance, eluding the shock, and then steered straight for the mass of ships that lay on the water, locked together in mortal conflict. Here he had every advantage, for the warriors were so closely engaged in fighting that they did not heed his approach till it was too late, In less than five minutes the sharp bows of the Sarah Jane had crashed through the sides of Snorr Erlson’s own ship, the White Bear, the largest galley on those waters, and was bearing down on a second when Reuben, who stood on the head of the bowsprit, suddenly shouted: “Tt is Senor Zuniga and Dolores, father. Throw them a rope.” Then the sailors saw, high on the stern of the gal- ley they were running down, the tall figure of a man with huge black beard and flowing raven locks standing with his arm round a slender girl in the white robes of a Norse maiden, whose dark hair showed that she was of a different race. Crash went the Sarah Jane into the beam of the galley, bearing her over into the deep, and just as she sunk, a rope fell from the ship’s side to the man and the girl. The ship passed over the wreck almost without sensible resistance. and the Norsemen seemed tuo much surprised and dismayed to attempt to board, but the Spaniard and his daughter were pulled in as the rest went down to a watery grave, and Reuben rushed up to Zuniga and Dolores, while the sailors raised a hearty cheer of joy. The Norse-Spaniard, Zuniga, seemed to understand all about the vessel, tor he greeted Reuben as if he had been an old friend, and then turned to Captain Macy, saying: “Senor Capitan, you have saved all our lives for the present, and if you will be guided by me, we shall be safe out of this sea in twelve hours, with every captive held by these pirates returned to you,” CHAPTER XXVI. CONCLUSION. Captain Macy hesitated a moment. “What would you have me do?”’ “Steer out of this fight into open water,’’ replied the Spaniard. ‘‘You were wrong to help Yarl Hakon; for Snorr Erlson is the man who can alone restore order among these barbarians,” “But Snorr Erlson is drowned," said the captain, “T ran his ship down, a moment since.” “He was not on board, He is in the Black Eagle, yonder. Heis in bad straits now, and will treat for his own safety. Trust me, captain. Remember, I have ruled these men while you were a slave, and I know them well. Let them fight alone awhile.” For three log& hours did the battle rage, increased after the second hour by the arrival of Snorr Erl- son’s last, re-enforcement of four ships; and at the end of that time two galleys rowed slowly out of the press. leaving behind them a confused mass of wrecks piled with dead men, % But who were the victors? That was a question which was a matter of small concern to the people of the Sarah Jane. for they realized that they had the advantage of the two crippled gallevs that were left, no matter to which party they belonged, Therefore, when Captain Macy squared his main-
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Jabez Coffin, Skipper. topsail and stood off after the galleys, it was agreed that they were in a good position to treat with the enemy; and that Zuniga, as having held some in- fluence among them, was the proper person to ar- range the business, The ship very soon overhauled the two galleys, which were rowing away. “ As I said, Snorr Erlson has won,” remarked the Spaniard, pointing to a brilliant fizure on the lofty stern of one of the galleys. ‘‘There stands the grandest man in Norseland, and worth ten of old Yarl Hakon, for he has brains as wellas courage, and knows when to run and when to fight.” As they came near they could see the figure of a warrior of striking beauty, clothed in armor that seemed to flash with gold all over it. He turned his head as the ship came on and gave some orders, when his galleys changed their course to meet her, and he waved his hand in token of peace. mn All hail, king of the Northland,” cried Zuniga, as the ship passed him. “Jam safe, and these are our friends from the great world outside cf tae ice. Will the king give us our friends and let us goin peace, or must we fight?” : Snorr Erlson smiled with an air of some vexation as he answered: “Thou knowest I can fight no more now, and there are the men of Eric’s Hold and Yarl Olsf of the Giant’s Pass still to beat, though they have no ships, What wouldst thou with me, now thou hast left him who fed thee for so long?” “You cannot blame me for going back to my own,” was the reply. ‘‘ Your men tovuk us for slaves when we had never harmed you, and now we can kill you if we wish.” The Norse chief looked up with a careless smile. * Not so, or you would have done it before. What would ye?” . “We want all our friends who are your slaves and those of Yarl Hakon,so that we may take them away. We are all good Christians, not heathens like the Skraelings. Why should we fight, king of Northland?" Snorr Erlson crossed himself devoutly and an- swered: “ We are all Christians. Beitso. Iwill give back your men and you shall go to your people of whom you have told me, if you will, Butif you will sta with us, I swear by all the boly saints that I will make your daughter my queen, and your race shall rule the Northland; for you are a7nan and can make fire-weapons, Will you stay?” “Tf I promise, will you let these people go in peace?” asked the Spaniard gravely, while Captain Macy stared in surprise at the offer, “7 will. Ieare nothing for them, since I know what the rest of the world is doing, as you have told me, Iam willing to take them for friends and invite them to trade. My people have been shut up in a hole long enough. If you will help me, I will try to lead them out into the light.”’ “But if I stay I cannot answer for my daughter,” said the Spaniard, still more gravely. “She must consult her own heart, for we force not our maids to iy against their will.” “ Nor we ours,”’ was the proud retort. ‘‘ Our maids are queens, and our matrons rule over princes. Let the maiden say for herself if she will be the bride of Olaf the Strong, King of the Norsemen, once named Snorr Erlson.” While this conference_was going on, understood only by Zuniga, Captain Macy and Dolores, the face of the girl remained singularly devoid of confusion. The Norse tongue so closely resembled the Danish, which she had learned at Disco Bay, that she com- prehended the offer entirely. Her father turned to her now, and asked her: aa paid is it, Dolores; are you ready to wed King a Raising her head with a proud look, she spoke her answer boldly: z , Be, 31 “Yo, for he is aman among men, He found me alone, and he bowed befo-e me as if I were a queen. I will stay here forever, if he will.” King Olaf—as we must now call him--smiled proudly back in answer to the girl as he said: “Thou didst not know, friend, that I was out alone in my yagt when I met this fair maid, dressed like a Skraeling woman, It is true, and I was nearly kill- ing her for aman, when she threw out her long black hair and showed who she was. She told me that she was searching fcr her father, and I found it was my right hand man, my Blackbeard, She made me promise to leave her when I told her where you were, and I obeyed; for a Norse warrior worships woman. Thou knowest how she found thee, and how our maidens made her welcome,” “Ay, king, 1 know it,” answered the Spaniard; ‘and right glad am I she has made a worthy choice. But I have friends here, whom I am bound to pro- tect. If I stay, will you keep faith with them?” “T have sworn by the saints, andI go not back from my word,” was the proud reply. ** I will come on board your ship alone, and you shall see if Olaf Snorr Erlson is a liar.” Be it so,” said the Spaniard, and Captain Macy bowed in assent. The stalwart young king, triumphant over all his foes, soon after ascended the side of the ship, and the Americans saw themselves at last in alliance with the fierce rovers who had so hardly treated them of late. - Within a few hours after, the whole details of the alliance, offensive and defensive, were arranged. There is but little more to tell ere this history closes. Of course the Sarah Jane did not remain locked up in the sheltered harbor of the Polar Basin, Had she done so, it is not possible that her chroni- cler should have been able to gather his notes for the preceding pages. which were communicated to him by Captain Jonathan Macy, of Nantucket, Yes; the Sarah Jane escaped, but not that year, They found the ice so far advanced when they emerged from Giants’ Pass in September, that it was clearly impossible to penetrate to the south that year. They were compelled to return to Northland and make up their minds to stay for the winter, When the sun returned at last and rose until its perpendicular rays gave warning that midsummer was near at hand, the Sarah Jane, loaded with pre- cious furs and all sorts of Norse merchandise, sail- ed out of the Giants’ Pass and Jeft the Polar Sea for- ever. To tell of their journey to the South would be but a repetition of their previous experience. They were assisted as before, by one of those subterra- nean convulsions which seemed to be periodic in the Northland. and under which the crust of the earth by Humboldt’s Glacier sunk to its former level, while the sudden rush of the sea wave opened the ice in Smith’s Sound to such an extent that it became a practicable chanrel. hey had the luck to be there in time to take ad- vantage of the opening, and they were swift to avail themselves of it; passing the North Water and Melville Bay in safety and reaching Omenak’s Fiord in September. Irom thence home their voyage was uneventful, and they arrived at Nantucket in safety. Reuben has gone back to Harvard, and it is ar- ranged that when he graduates he is to go into busi- ness in Boston and to many pretty Kitty Macy, Captain Mecy goes to the North no more, being now in command of a Liverpool “liner”? of twelve hundred tons, with young Jonathan for first mate. Mrs. Macy goes with him, for she says that she will never leave him again to go to sea and he admits she is right. As for Uncle Jabez. he cultivates bis cabbages at Nantucket till he moves to Boston with Reuben, and frequently tells long yarns about his last voyage to the Pole, THE END.
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