Archibald Hughson Part 5

In spite of his warnings, and the advice of Andrew, who urged that it was better to let them go, a number of men, and two of the officers, started away, vowing that they would bring back the mutineers, and punish them for their treachery.

At first, the party thus deserted seemed inclined to give way to despair, and Archy more than ever regretted that he had not warned his friends of the intended treachery.

"Come along, lads, to the wreck," exclaimed Andrew. "Perhaps we may find another boat, which we may be able to repair, and some more provisions to replace those carried off."

Thus appealed to, the carpenter, with several men, set off with Andrew to the wreck, Archy accompanying his friend. After climbing over a number of huge ma.s.ses of ice, they made their way to the opposite floe, which was now firmly united to the one it had struck. Here they found a quant.i.ty of the wreck scattered about, as well as several casks of meat and biscuits, and wedged between two slabs, the smallest boat, which had hung at the stern. The carpenter, on examining her, expressed his hopes that by fastening canvas round her, he could make her float sufficiently to enable them to pa.s.s from one floe to another, should they meet any open channels in their course. This discovery raised their spirits.

The party immediately hastened back to their companions with the news.

It was agreed that they should at once move across to the floe, with the tents and provisions, and forming a new encampment, go on with the work of preparing the sledges. Frequently as they went backwards and forwards, they looked out for the return of the party who had gone in pursuit of the mutineers. The latter had got far out of sight before they could have been overtaken. What had become of the pursuers no one could say. Some supposed that the two parties had united and gone on together, while others fancied that they had fought, and that those who had been defeated had been left alone on the ice, while the victors had pushed on with the boats.

The whole day was occupied in moving to the new encampment, and it was nearly dark before their tents were erected and other preparations made for pa.s.sing the night. The wind had latterly increased greatly, and clouds had been collecting to the north. Scarcely had they got under shelter when the snow began to fall heavily, and the sharp wind swept across the icy plain with terrific force.

"Archy, we may be thankful that we are not with those poor fellows who deserted us," observed Andrew as they sat together round the fire in their tent. "It will be a mercy if any of them escape even if they reached the open water before nightfall, and it's my opinion that they will not have done that."

"They deserve their fate, whatever it may be," growled out one of the men.

"Ah, friend, we all deserve far more than we receive," said Andrew. "If G.o.d was to treat us according to our merits, the best of us could only look for punishment. Let us pray that He will have mercy on them as well as on us. Oh, mates, I wish you could all understand the great love which G.o.d has for us poor sinners. We exposed ourselves of our own free choice to the danger and hards.h.i.+p we have to endure, but He in His mercy offers us free salvation and eternal happiness for our souls. He gave Jesus Christ to suffer instead of us, and it's our own fault if we do not accept His precious gift. All He asks us to do is to trust to His love, and believe that Jesus died for us and that His blood washes away all our sins."

Several of Andrew's companions listened with deep earnestness to his words, and on that bleak floe, and amid those arctic snows, believed to the salvation of their souls.

All night long the wind swept by them, the snow fell faster and faster, but they heeded not the tempest. A bright light had burst upon them, and they could look forward with hope to the future, trusting to that G.o.d of love and mercy whom they had hitherto only known as a stern and severe judge.

When morning broke all hands set to work to clear away the snow, which had covered up the boat and everything left outside the tents. The wind, however, had ceased, and they were able to go on with their labours, and by the evening the sledges were completed and the boat prepared and placed on runners. They were then loaded, that the party might be ready to start the following morning on their journey. Twice during the day, Andrew with several of the other men had gone over to the old encampment to ascertain if any of those who had deserted them had come back. They cast their eyes in vain over the wide snow-covered plain,--not a trace of a human being could be seen. It was too probable that all had perished. More than half the s.h.i.+p's company had thus been lost.

The night was pa.s.sed in comparative comfort. They had well-formed tents, abundance of bedding, and ample fires. All knew that in future the case would be very different. The sledges were chiefly loaded with provisions. They were obliged to reduce their tents to the smallest possible size, and they could carry but a limited supply of fuel. There were five sledges in all, each drawn by four men, while six men were harnessed to the boat, in which the old captain, who was unable to walk, was placed. Andrew joined the latter party, and Archy, on account of his youth, was excused from dragging a sledge,--he, however, carried his blankets and some provisions on his back, each man being also loaded in the same way. The snow having partially melted under the still hot rays of the sun, had again frozen, and had filled up all inequalities in the ice. This enabled the party to drag the sledges along during the first day without difficulty. They had, however, to make frequent circuits to avoid the hummocks, which in some places were very numerous. They calculated by nightfall that they had advanced nearly twelve miles on their journey towards the coast. The uneven appearance of the ice beyond them, interspersed in many places with huge icebergs, warned them that in future they could not hope to advance so rapidly.

Hitherto they had not suffered much from cold, but that night, as they lay in their tents with the small fires which their limited supply of fuel allowed them to keep up, they were nearly frozen. Andrew several times remembering the advantage he had before gained from taking exercise, got up and ran about to warm himself. Those who followed his example awoke refreshed and fit for work, whereas those who had remained quiet all the night, found their limbs stiff and their feet and hands frozen, and it was not till after, with the help of their companions, they had moved about and undergone great pain, that they were able to proceed. Some, indeed, had suffered so much, that they entreated to be left to die rather than undergo the hards.h.i.+ps they would have to endure.

Andrew urged them to arouse themselves.

"It is our duty, lads, to straggle on as long as we can. G.o.d may think fit to try us, but let us trust in Him and He may find a way for us at last to escape, though we are too blind to see it," he observed.

His exhortations produced a good effect, and once more they proceeded on their journey. The old captain had suffered the most, and it seemed very probable that he would be unable to hold out many days longer.

Andrew seeing his condition, frequently spoke to him, and though hitherto he had turned scornfully away, he now willingly listened to the words the faithful Christian uttered.

"Oh!" he exclaimed at length, "I wish that I had heard you before. It is too late now, I have been a terrible sinner, G.o.d can never pardon so bad a man as I am."

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Andrew, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He saved the thief on the cross, He saved the jailor at Philippi. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. He says, 'Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.'"

This was said while they were stopping to take their mid-day meal.

The old captain raised himself up and grasped Andrew's hand.

"Do you really speak the truth to me?" he exclaimed.

"I repeat what G.o.d says, sir, and He cannot lie," answered Andrew.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

"I do, I do," cried the old man. "But oh! what would I now give had I known this in my youth. What years of wickedness and misery it would have saved me."

"Ah, sir! there are thousands upon thousands who may say that," replied Andrew. "Archy, you hear the captain's words. Don't forget them, boy.

If G.o.d in His mercy allows you to return home in safety, repeat them to your young companions, and urge them to 'seek the Lord while He may be found.' You may thus render them a service for which they will have cause to thank you through eternity."

"I will try," said Archy humbly, "but it is difficult to speak to others."

"Pray for the aid of G.o.d's Holy Spirit, and He will enable you to do it," said Andrew.

"I will try," repeated Archy, for he had discovered his own weakness.

Through that discovery alone can strength be obtained.

The s.h.i.+pwrecked party again pushed on, the party keeping ahead. Some of the men had begun to complain that the boat detained them. They supposed that the ice was attached throughout to the mainland, and believed that they could do without her. The captain tried to persuade them that they were mistaken, but they had lost their respect for him, and declared that they knew better. Andrew thought the captain was right, and entreated them to listen to his advice. Their replies showed that they were bent on pus.h.i.+ng on. The worthy carpenter, James Foubister by name, also a Shetlander, sided with Andrew, and promised not to desert the old captain. Their example influenced most of the other men attached to the boat, who agreed, should the rest of the party do as they proposed, to remain with them. By exerting themselves to the utmost they overtook the sledge parties soon after they had encamped.

Andrew again spoke earnestly to his companions, pointing out to them the danger they would ran by separating, and he hoped at length that they had abandoned their design.

The next day they went on as before. The cold was increasing, and except when they were in active exercise, they felt it severely. The old captain especially, from being unable to move, suffered greatly, and was rapidly sinking. Andrew, whenever the party stopped, acted the part of a true Christian, and was by his side, endeavouring to console and cheer him with the blessed promises of the gospel. What other comfort could he have afforded? The old man felt its unspeakable value, and after his voice had lost the power of utterance, holding Andrew's hand, he signed to him to stoop down and speak them in his ear, and so he died,--with a peaceful expression in his countenance, which told of the sure and certain hope he had gone to realise. Andrew and the carpenter proposed carrying on the captain's body to bury it on sh.o.r.e, but the rest objected, as causing them unnecessary labour. A snow tomb was therefore built, in which the old man's body was placed, and there they left him, out on that wild frozen ocean, where many of England's bravest sons rest from their toils. Happy are those who have died as he died, trusting in the Lord. The men were too much engrossed with their own sufferings to mourn his loss, but few failed, when the next morning they started on their journey, to cast a glance at the tomb. "Poor old man, he is better off than we are," was the expression uttered by most of them.

The fatigue of dragging the sledges over the rough ice was now so great, that some of the men purposed leaving their tents and the remainder of their fuel behind, and the officers had much difficulty in making them see the folly of such a proceeding. As they advanced, not only large hummocks, but vast icebergs became numerous, among which they were frequently enveloped, and many a circuit had to be made to avoid them.

The day after the captain's death it began to snow heavily. The sledges were as usual ahead, still Andrew and his party managed to proceed with the boat. The snow-storm increasing in density, they at length lost sight of their companions. For some time they followed up their tracks, but these were gradually obliterated by the falling snow. Still they went on, till they found themselves at the base of an iceberg, but not a trace was visible to show whether the party ahead had made their way round by the north or south end. As any delay would have increased the difficulty of overtaking them, they pushed on, taking a southerly direction.

Having doubled the berg, they saw a clear s.p.a.ce before them, but though the snow had ceased, the sledge parties were nowhere visible.

The captain's rifle had been saved. Andrew fired it in the hopes that the signal might be heard, but no reply came to their listening ears.

Once more they went on, but their progress was slow and tedious.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

PROCEEDING ON AGAINST MANY DIFFICULTIES.--ARCHY AND HIS COMPANIONS AT LAST DISCOVER LAND AHEAD, AND CAMP IN A SNOW-HUT.--AT DAYBREAK, SEEING NO TRACES OF THE MUTINEERS, THEY PUSH ON, AND ARRIVE AT THE EDGE OF THE FLOE. CROSS A CHANNEL AND GETTING ON AN OPPOSITE FLOE, BUILD A SNOW-HUT; BUT THE WATER RISING, LEAVE IT, AND BUILD ANOTHER, WHICH ALSO IS WASHED AWAY. BUILD A THIRD, AND ARE AWOKE BY A BEAR.--TWO MEN FROST BITTEN ARE LEFT BEHIND.

As the sun was about to set, a shout escaped Archy's lips. "Land, land!" he cried out. All gazed eagerly in the direction to which he pointed. There appeared a range of snowy mountains far higher than any icebergs. They were clear and well defined, and Andrew and Foubister declared that they could not be, as some of the rest supposed, a bank of clouds. They remained visible till the sun sunk beneath the horizon.

The discovery somewhat cheered their spirits, but still many days must elapse before they could reach the sh.o.r.e, and even when there, no inhabitants might be found to a.s.sist them, or food to enable them to exist during the coming winter. Their present condition indeed was very trying. The tents were on the sledges, and they had only sufficient fuel in the boat to keep a fire alight for one night; while their provisions, with the utmost economy, would last them but a fortnight or three weeks at the furthest.

"If the cold goes on increasing, we shall be frozen to death before the morning," exclaimed several of the men.

"Not so, mates," said Andrew. "I have seen the natives build a snow-hut in the course of an hour, and have been as warm as I could wish within it during the hardest frost. They call it an igloo, and they fas.h.i.+on it much after the way the seals make their houses, so that it is well suited to the climate. We may depend on that, as G.o.d himself taught the seals. Now turn to and clear a s.p.a.ce down to the ice, while the carpenter and I saw out some blocks of snow." His companions followed Andrew's directions; and while Foubister sawed out the blocks, which were about three feet long, and half as wide, he placed them in a circle on the s.p.a.ce which had been cleared. He then put on another tier, gradually sloping inwards till a dome was formed, and lastly the keystone of the arch was dropped into its place. Archy, who was helping Andrew, remained with him inside, and were thus completely walled in.

The carpenter, with his saw, then cut a hole to serve as a doorway, on the lee side of the hut.

"We have yet got to form a bed and fire-places. Hand in more blocks, mates," said Andrew.

With these he and Archy quickly built up a raised place on either side of the hut, with a circular one in the centre. Some of the provisions, with a portion of the fuel, and all the bedding and blankets, were then brought inside, when Andrew stopped up the doorway with some blocks of snow, which he had retained for the purpose.

"Now, mates," he said, "you will soon see that we can be warm enough, but we must keep up as small a fire as can be made to burn. Look here now; this log will last us all night if we chop it into chips, and just put on three or four at a time."

Andrew's plan was found to answer perfectly. The fire was sufficient to melt the snow in a saucepan, and to enable them to enjoy some hot tea, and the hut soon became so warm that they were glad to throw off their great coats. Their only regret was that Andrew had not thought before of building a snow-hut.

"Better late than never. It will not be the last by many that we shall have to build," he answered.

They were all so comfortable that Andrew had great difficulty in rousing them in the morning to encounter the biting wind blowing across the floe. Having enjoyed a warm breakfast, and put on their outer clothing, they cut their way out of their burrow, and once more proceeded eastward. They did not fail to look out for their companions, but not a moving object was to be discerned in any direction across the wide ice-field.