First at the North Pole Part 46

So far, aside from Dr. Slade's attack, there had been but little sickness in the party, but on the next day Barwell Dawson was taken down, and all had to go into camp for three days until he felt better.

During that time, Andy and Chet went out hunting, and brought down another polar bear, of which they were justly proud.

"It's a great place to hunt," said Andy. "But I don't think I care to come up here again."

"Nor I," added Chet. Then he heaved a long sigh. "I wish----" He stopped short.

"What, Chet? Were you thinking of your father?" And Andy's voice softened.

"Yes, I was. I thought sure, when I came up here, that I'd get some trace of him."

"It's too bad. I wish I could help you," answered Andy, and that was all he could say.

With their broken sledges and their small dog teams, the party moved slowly forward, to where the _Ice King_ had been left along the coast.

They did not expect to find the vessel fast in the ice, but hoped that Captain Williamson would be cruising near, on the lookout for them.

"When we get to the coast, if the vessel is not in sight, we'll fire some signals," said Barwell Dawson. "The captain will be sure to answer them."

Two days more pa.s.sed, and they came to something of an open bay, dotted here and there with floating ice. At the sight, the boys set up a cheer:

"The sea! The sea!"

It was indeed the sea--or, rather, the upper entrance to Smith Sound. The party had traveled too far to the eastward, and had now to turn southward, skirting the coast. Here the going was very rough, and the very next morning one of the sledges went down in a crack of the ice, and was smashed completely.

"Thank goodness we do not need it any longer," was Barwell Dawson's comment. What stores the sledge had contained were hauled up from the crack and loaded on the remaining turnouts.

Another day pa.s.sed, and now all kept on the lookout for a sign of the s.h.i.+p. But though they climbed to the top of a high hill, skirting the coast, no sign of a vessel was to be seen anywhere.

Again they resumed their journey, and thus two days pa.s.sed. Then Andy, who was in the lead with Olalola, set up a cry:

"I see the hut and the storehouse!"

He was right; they had at last arrived at the spot where they had embarked from the _Ice King_. The place was deserted, and they could easily see where the steamer had pushed through the floating ice, and made her way to the broad lead beyond.

"We'll hoist our flag, and fire a signal," said Barwell Dawson, and without delay a pole was nailed to the top of the storehouse, and Old Glory was swung to the breeze. Then one of the shotguns was fired off three times in succession. All waited long for some answer to the reports, but none came.

"He must have gone off for some reason or other," said Barwell Dawson.

"All we can do is to wait for his return."

"Perhaps the steamer was. .h.i.t by an iceberg and sunk," suggested Professor Jeffer.

"Let us hope no such calamity has befallen us," answered the explorer, gravely.

It sobered all of the party a good deal to find themselves alone at the spot where they had so confidently thought to find the _Ice King_. They knew that there was great danger of a "squeeze" in the floating ice, and wondered what they should do if the craft had gone to the bottom of the polar sea. They might possibly get down to a point opposite Etah, but it would be a hard journey, and after it was made there was no telling if they could cross the water to that settlement.

Three days went by, and the hearts of the party sank lower and lower. A few went out hunting, for the larder was again getting low. But for the most part all remained in the vicinity of the sh.o.r.e, awaiting eagerly some sign of the missing steamer.

At last, early one morning, Andy made out a cloud of smoke far off on the water. He drew Chet's attention to it, and then called Olalola. The three watched the cloud draw nearer, and at last the Esquimau began to smile.

"s.h.i.+p," he said. "s.h.i.+p with fire!"--meaning thereby a steam vessel.

The word was soon pa.s.sed that a s.h.i.+p was in sight, and all gathered to watch the approach of the craft. As it came closer, they saw that it was the _Ice King_, and on the deck stood Captain Williamson and his crew waving them a welcome. The captain had seen them with his spygla.s.s.

"Hurrah for the _Ice King_!" cried Chet, and the cheer was given with a will.

"This ends our troubles here," added Andy. "Now to get aboard and start for home!"

CHAPTER x.x.x

HOME AGAIN

It was no easy matter for the _Ice King_ to push, her way through the ice and reach the sh.o.r.e, but at last this was accomplished, and a gangplank was put out, so that our friends could go aboard.

"Did you reach the Pole?" were Captain Williamson's words.

"We did," answered Barwell Dawson. "But it was a hard journey, I can tell you!"

"Good! I mean, I'm glad to know you got to the Pole," went on the captain. He looked over the party. "Look well, too."

"We look better than we did a few weeks ago," said Andy. "Then you might have taken us for a lot of starved cats."

"Have you been on a trip?" questioned Chet. He saw that the commander of the _Ice King_ was looking at him rather curiously.

"Yes, I left here eight days ago, after I had heard of a whaler that had gone to pieces in the ice. Some Esquimaux brought the word, and said that a crew of five white men and one negro were on the sh.o.r.e to the northwestward."

"And did you find them?" asked Chet, eagerly.

"I did, lad, and I've got news for you."

"About my father?"

"Aye, Chet."

"Was it the _Betsey Andrews_ that went down? Is my father among the men?"

"Yes, it was the _Betsey Andrews_ that was caught in the ice. She drifted for months before she got a squeeze that finished her. Then the crew went ash.o.r.e, and did what they could to save themselves."

"But my father--is he--alive?"

"Yes,--or he was, the last that was heard of him."

"He isn't with the men you found?"

"No, they are on board, and you can listen to their story later. After the whaler went to pieces, another vessel came along--a small s.h.i.+p bound for Nova Scotia, the _Evans_, and she took six of the crew with her, and among those was your father."