Archibald Hughson Part 6

After travelling all day, they were convinced that they saw the land ahead, though it appeared no nearer than before.

"May be it will not appear nearer to-morrow or next day," said Andrew.

"But that must not disappoint us. It will be nearer notwithstanding.

That we know for a certainty, and if we persevere we shall reach it at last."

As they advanced, several cracks and broad fissures were found in the ice, and in one place there was a wide pool or lake only thinly covered over, to avoid which they had to make a circuit.

"We are not far off the open water, mates," said Andrew, "and we may be thankful that we have the boat, though I fear our poor s.h.i.+pmates will be in a sad plight."

Making their way onwards, the ice being tolerably smooth, they arrived sooner than Andrew had expected at the edge of the floe. The channel which divided it from the opposite floe was upwards of a couple of miles wide, a long distance to traverse in their battered boat. The wind had gone down, and the sea was tolerably calm, it was therefore important to cross while it remained so. Andrew, however, was very unwilling to cross without waiting for their missing s.h.i.+pmates.

"Just think, mates, how we should feel if we had been with the sledges had they crossed and left us to our fate on the floe?"

"But they deserted us, and we may lose our lives if we wait for them,"

argued the other men.

At last Andrew persuaded them to remain, while he and Archy set off to climb to the top of a small iceberg, a little way to the north, from whence they hoped to obtain a view over a considerable portion of the floe. They lost no time in starting, but the distance was much greater than they had expected.

"It seems to me as if the iceberg were moving away from us," exclaimed Archy. "We have been walking on for the last half hour, and appear no nearer."

"The berg is a good deal larger than I had fancied," answered Andrew.

"But never fear, we shall get up to it at last, and if we can manage to climb to the top, we shall have a wider view over the plain, and a better chance of seeing the poor fellows. It goes to my heart to leave them to perish, and yet perish they must if they do not soon reach the mainland. We must forget that they intended to desert us, and even if they did, it is our duty to return good for evil, so come along Archy."

The iceberg was at length gained. Then came the difficulty of climbing to the top. After walking nearly round it, they found a portion melted and broken by the summer sun which afforded them footing. With the aid of a boat-hook, and a coil of rope which Andrew had brought, they at last reached one of the highest points. Hence they could see the edge of the floe extending for a considerable way to the north, while their eyes ranged over a wide extent of level ice, but all was one white waste. Not the smallest dark spot could be seen upon it.

"I am afraid, Archy, we must give them up," sighed Andrew. "We should risk the loss of our own lives if we were longer to wait for them."

Descending the iceberg, Andrew and Archy made their way back to the boat. The boat was at once launched, and though she leaked slightly, one hand bailing could keep her free. They all therefore, embarked, and towing the runners, they made their way across to the floe. As they found themselves once more gliding smoothly over the water, their spirits rose, and some were anxious to try and make their way south in the boat. Andrew and the carpenter, however, strongly objected to doing this.

"The ice may close upon us, and we may run short of provisions long before we can reach the Danish settlements," he observed. "Let us get hold of the land first."

It was nearly dark by the time they reached the edge of the opposite ice, and having unloaded their boat, they hauled her up, and proceeded on to a hummock at a little distance. Here, without loss of time, they build an igloo in which to shelter themselves for the night.

The first part pa.s.sed quietly away, but about midnight Archy was awoke by the sound of the cras.h.i.+ng of ice, and a loud das.h.i.+ng of waves. He aroused his companions, they listened for a few seconds.

"The sea is breaking up the ice close to us," exclaimed Andrew. "Put on your clothes, lads, or we may be drowned in our den."

In another minute the whole party made their way out of the hut, carrying their bedding under their arms. The sea was already close up to the stern of the boat. Fortunately she had been placed on the runners. They had just time to seize her, and drag her along, before the ice, on which she had been resting, gave way. On they went as fast as they could drag the boat, but even then it seemed doubtful whether they could escape from the fast following sea. Their hut and the hummock, near which it had been built, quickly disappeared. The wind blew with fearful violence; the ice beneath their feet rose and fell as they pa.s.sed over it. Whenever they halted, the cras.h.i.+ng ice behind them warned them to push on again. At last a berg in the floe appeared ahead, they made their way towards it, hoping that they might obtain shelter under its lee till the gale had ceased. The men were so fatigued that they would have thrown themselves down under shelter of the boat to rest had not Andrew persuaded them to build another igloo.

Here they once more sought shelter, hoping to remain undisturbed for the remainder of the night. Andrew and Foubister, however, agreed to keep watch and watch, and Archy begged to take his turn.

"No, no," said Andrew, "you were the means of saving our lives. You want sleep more than we do."

Two hours pa.s.sed away, when, as Andrew listened, he heard again the same terrific sound which had before awakened them. Once more all were aroused, and hastening out as before, they found the sea still encroaching on them. Complaining bitterly of their hard fate, the men dragged on their boat, still the sea pursued them. Scarcely had they got a hundred yards from the berg beneath which they had taken shelter, when it crashed away through the broken ice. No one now felt inclined to stop. The raging sea tore up the ice behind them, the vast slabs cras.h.i.+ng together with a terrific sound, urging them to greater speed.

On they went till day dawned, when they found themselves near a low iceberg. They now declared that they could go no further, and Andrew and Foubister agreed, that even should the ice overtake them, they might find refuge on the slope of the berg, up which they could without difficulty haul the boat. Having placed her, as they hoped, in safety, they built another snow-hut, where they proposed remaining till the storm had ceased. As they had now become expert architects, they were not long in constructing the igloo, and all thankfully crept in to recruit their strength. Even Andrew felt that he could not have held out much longer.

The cras.h.i.+ng sounds of the breaking ice had ceased, and no longer fearing having again to take to flight, the whole party fell asleep.

They had not closed the doorway, as was their custom at night, on account of the heat which was soon generated in so confined a s.p.a.ce.

Archy was the first to awake, as he did so he heard a sc.r.a.ping sound, and directly afterwards he caught sight of the white snout of a huge animal poked in at the opening. A few smouldering chips alone remained of the fire in the centre of the hut. His first impulse was to seize one and throw it at the intruder, shouting out to his companions at the same time. They quickly sprung to their feet. The carpenter seized an axe.

"A bear, a bear," he cried out, as he made a blow at the nose of the animal, who, uttering fierce growls, quickly beat a retreat.

They all rushed out, when the bear was seen at a short distance sitting on his haunches examining its wounded nose. Andrew hurried to the boat.

Happily the bear had not attacked their provisions. The rifle was loaded, his only fear was that the bear would make off before he could get near enough to wound it mortally. The creature was, however, evidently meditating an attack. It advanced, he fired, and it rolled over on the snow. His companions uttered a shout of joy, as they had no longer any fear of suffering for want of food for some time to come.

The bear was cut up, and returning to their hut, they were soon employed in cooking steaks over their rekindled fire.

"I suspect those fellows never venture far from land," observed Andrew; "so we may now feel pretty sure, mates, that we shall be able to reach it without having another channel to cross."

The whole party were, however, too much knocked up to make another move during that day, and even Andrew and Foubister, who were most anxious to proceed on their journey, consented to remain till the following morning. The day and night were pa.s.sed between sleeping and eating, for as soon as the men woke up, they relighted their fire and cooked more bear's steaks, in spite of Andrew's warnings that they would soon exhaust all their fuel.

"Never fear, old man," was the answer, "we shall get enough when we reach the sh.o.r.e, and let us enjoy ourselves while we can. The natives manage to live, why should not we?"

"The natives know how to catch the seal and the walrus, and unless we can prove ourselves as good hunters as they are, we may chance to starve," answered Andrew.

His warnings, however, had no effect, and when the next morning they came to examine the contents of the boat, they found they had only sufficient fuel to last them another night.

Once more they were on their journey. The carcase of the bear added considerably to their load, the ice too was rough and broken, and they made but slow progress. The land was seen clearly ahead, but after toiling all day it seemed almost as far off as when they started. The days too were becoming shorter and shorter, while the cold rapidly increased, and once more they were compelled to encamp on the open floe.

That night the remainder of their fuel was consumed. Two of the men had been complaining during the day of pains in their feet, and when they pulled off their boots, to their dismay they discovered that they were perfectly black. In vain their companions rubbed them to restore the circulation. Their groans were piteous to hear, and when the morning came they were utterly unable to rise. Andrew proposed to place them in the boat, and to drag them along to the sh.o.r.e. When, however, morning came, the ice ahead appeared even rougher than that which they had pa.s.sed over on the previous day, and in spite of his desire to preserve their lives, it was found that with their diminished strength this would be impossible. It was therefore agreed that the poor fellows should be left in the hut, and that should any Esquimaux be met with, they should be sent with their sledges and dogs to their relief. With sad hearts the rest of the party closed the hut, which they felt would too probably prove the tomb of their companions.

CHAPTER NINE.

ARCHY HAS A MASK TO PROTECT HIS EYES FROM SNOW-BLINDNESS, FROM WHICH ALL THE REST SUFFER.--HE LEADS THEM BY A STRING, WHEN AN ESQUIMAUX IS DISCOVERED SEARCHING FOR SEALS, WHO BUILDS AN IGLOO, AND MELTING SOME SNOW, BATHES THE BLIND MEN'S EYES, AND PROVIDES FOR THEM.

Four human beings with heavy packs on their backs were making their toilsome way over the snow-covered surface of the frozen sea. One by one their companions had dropped. They had reached the wished for sh.o.r.e, but lofty ice-cliffs rose before them on which they had found it hopeless to seek for shelter of subsistence, and again they were attempting to make their way to the southward. First the boat which they had dragged over so many leagues had been consumed for fuel, and then the sledge was piece by piece burned to give them warmth in their snow-hut during the night. Archy had held out bravely; Andrew had wonderfully been supported, ever with confidence seeking for aid from above, he felt that his own life and that of his companions depended on his exertions. Foubister and David Saunders, one of the crew of the "Kate," encouraged by him had hitherto kept up their spirits, yet as they looked ahead and saw the icy plain stretched out before them they might well have given way to despair. They had just set out from the snow-hut which had sheltered them during the night, and in which the last chip of the sledge had been consumed. As the embers of their fire died out, Foubister, brave and determined man as he was, had exclaimed, "Why need we go further? It will only be to perish in a few hours of cold, as the rest have done."

"Because it is our duty to trust to G.o.d and struggle to the last,"

answered Andrew. "He may send us help when we least expect it. Let us go on while life and strength remain."

Kneeling down, Andrew offered up an earnest prayer for protection, and the whole party then strapping on their packs, with renewed strength set forward on their journey. Archy would probably have sunk under the hards.h.i.+ps he was enduring had not his old friend supported and cheered him throughout. His other companions were also constant in their kindness. They gave him a larger supply of food than they took themselves, and chafed his feet and dried his socks at the end of each day's journey. They had also made him a mask to protect his face, of a piece of canvas lined with woollen stuff, having breathing places in it for the nostrils and mouth, and two holes as small as possible for the eyes. He was surprised to find when he put it on how well he could see through those small holes. Neither he nor his friends were aware at the time of their importance.

They had started before daylight, for the sky was clear and the moon and stars afforded them ample light to see their way. The sun at length rose above the horizon, and cast his brilliant rays over the sheet of snow. All the three men had, on the previous day, complained of a peculiar smarting of the eyes, but little did they think at the time of what it portended. As they proceeded the smarting sensation increased, till at length David Saunders began to stumble, and exclaimed that all was dark. His words struck dismay into the hearts of his companions, for both Andrew and Foubister had for some time found a difficulty in seeing objects before them, and in a short time the latter cried out that he too was blind. It would have been certain death to stop, so, although Andrew himself was suffering intense pain, he urged his companions to proceed, hoping still that they might discover some Esquimaux' huts on the sh.o.r.e, or find other means of preserving their lives.

"And how do your eyes feel, Archy?" asked Andrew, in a voice which showed his anxiety.

"I have no pain, and can see as well as ever," answered Archy.

"Thank G.o.d," replied Andrew. "You must then be our guide, for I too have lost my sight." Archy on hearing this felt ready to burst into tears.

"Oh! what can I do? How can I lead you?" he exclaimed.

"Trust in G.o.d and go straight on, lad. Here, take this line and we will hold on to it," he added uncoiling a short length of rope which he carried at his side, and he put the end into Archy's hands. He and Foubister and Saunders then took hold of it, following each other in line.

"Now move on, Archy," said Andrew, "and keep a bright look out ahead, as well as on the right hand and on the left. If you see anything like smoke or little round hillocks near the sh.o.r.e, we may be certain that natives are there, or may be you will catch sight of the masts of a s.h.i.+p in the horizon, no fear of her getting away from us, for she will be fast frozen in."

Thus cheered by the confiding faith of old Andrew and his dauntless courage, the party proceeded onwards over the ice-field, Archy's eyes alone, protected by his mask, escaping the snow-blindness. Every now and then, with anxious voices, one or the other would cry out, "Do you see anything ahead, Archy, any sign of Esquimauxs on the sh.o.r.e,--any vessel in the distance?"

"No, I only see tall ice-cliffs on the left, and icebergs rising up here and there out of the frozen sea," he answered. Several times on hearing this Saunders declared it was useless to go on, and even Foubister once proposed building a snow-hut as well as their blindness would allow them, and then lying down within it to die.