by G. A. Henty
"It was the very bitterest of weather.
"Food at last there was none, except a lump of seal.
"It had been so awfully cold that none had dared venture out hunting.
"It was my day for being cook, and as soon as the joint was done wecarried it into the cabin, which was warmed with a stove."
"Well, go on, man," exclaimed our hero, for the sailor had suddenlystopped in his narrative, as if some distant sound had caught his ear.
"Beg pardon, sir. Well, in spite of the stove, the meat was no soonercut in slices than it was cold.
"I took mine back to the fire and rewarmed it.
"There was still a good supply of rum, and I took a swig at the bottle,and then, whether because of the cold or the rum, I don't know, but Ifell sound asleep in front of the blaze.
"I woke up numbed with cold.
"The fire was nearly out, and the first thing I did was to make it up.
"Then, after heating myself a drop of grog, I fell to wondering what hadbecome of my comrades.
"I stumbled along the passage, which felt as cold as the grave, andthere, just as you see them now, sat our cap'n and his crew, frozen todeath.
"The fire in the stove was out, and the companion door open.
"I took up one of the bodies, after I had recovered my nerve a bit, anddragged it along the passage into the kitchen.
"But I could not restore it to life, though I tried hard.
"So you see, sir, here have I been--Heaven in mercy! what's that?"
The sick sailor had risen to his feet.
Bob and Jack had done the same.
Bok crouched near the fire, with a horror-struck look in his eyes.
"It's the dead walking, maybe," he gasped.
A muffled thump, thump, thump! was again heard.
A minute or more passed.
Then our hero again seized a brand, and made a rush along the cabinpassage.
Jack followed, and after him Bok.
A glance sufficed.
The body from the head of the table had disappeared.
"What can it mean?" exclaimed Jack. "I don't think I am a coward, butthis is horrible."
"Something in that sick man's face tells me he has not spoken all thetruth. We must have it out of him," said our hero.
But at that moment a mournful howl came from above.
Rushing to where their arms were stacked, Bob and Jack seized each arifle and made their way on deck, not heeding, in their excitement, acry not to fire from Horton, the sick man.
On lifting their eyes aloft they beheld a singular-looking object gazingat them over the edge of the foretop.
It appeared to be some huge animal, though of what kind they could notmake out.
Scarcely waiting to consider what they were doing, Bob and Jack preparedto fire.
A wild shriek echoed along the deck.
"Stop that noise!" cried Bob, glancing round and seeing that Horton hadmanaged to ascend the companion ladder.
Bob had thrown up his rifle to his shoulder, when the weak voice of thesailor arrested him in the act of firing.
"For heaven's sake, sir, don't fire! It's murder, nothing else."
As Horton spoke, the object of his solicitude, with incredible speed,slid down the forestay and disappeared through the scuttle of theforecastle.
"Please, sir, listen to me."
"All right; only be quick, and don't talk such nonsense about it's beingmurder."
With their guns in their hands, and taking good care to shut the doorboth at the top and bottom of the companionway, the two lads followedBok and Horton through the dark death-cabin and passage to the kitchen,lit up by the cheerful firelight.
"Now, say what you have to, and be quick about it," cried our hero. "Ican't rest quiet when a huge wild animal is within a few yards of us,though how it got there I can't imagine, for I thought there were nosuch things in the polar regions."
"That animal, as you call him, is Charlow, one of our sailors. He hasgone mad."
No more was just then seen or heard of the crazy sailor, and the partyretired for the balance of the night.
When the captain came from the yacht he brought Mrs. Cromwell and Violawith him, but left them in the small boat.
Bob quickly repeated Horton's tale.
"We must capture that madman and bind him with ropes," said CaptainSumner.
To this all, including Horton, agreed.
The descent to where the madman had disappeared was quickly made, but hecould not be found.
"Hark!" cried Bob suddenly.
A wild cry of alarm arose on the cold air, coming from off the water.
"It's my mother and Miss Viola crying for help!" Bob went on.
"We must get to them at once!" returned Captain Sumner.
The party were quickly on the snow, running toward the small boat, Boband Jack leading.
When they came in sight of the craft a scene met their gaze which filledthem with horror.
The madman had boarded the boat and was in the act of shoving off.
Terror-stricken, Mrs. Cromwell and Viola shrank back on the sternsheets.
"Stop! stop!" yelled Bob.
With a snarl the madman bent to his work. Soon the boat was in deepwater.
In desperation Bob leaped into the water after it.
Ere he could reach the craft the madman picked up the long ice pole andaimed a vicious prod with it at our hero's breast.
Bob was struck squarely, and on the instant disappeared beneath thesurface with the shrill laugh of the crazy sailor ringing in his ears.
Chapter VII.--A Fearful Fall.
"Where am I? Where are mother and Miss Viola?"
It was Bob who spoke. Jack Larmore stood over him in the snow.
"You're all right--I got you out of the water," Jack made answer.
"And the others?"
"Gone."
"Gone! In the power of that madman?"
"Yes."
Bob gave a groan and leaped up. His breast hurt him not a little.
"Where is Captain Sumner?"
"The yacht has given chase. Look!"
Jack pointed up the coast. The yacht was disappearing around a distantpoint.
But in a hour the vessel returned. The captain's sad face told hisstory. He had been unable to catch the crazy fugitive and rescue hisdaughter and Mrs. Cromwell.
What was to be done? Night came on rapidly, and they were compelled towait until morning.
At early dawn Bob and Jack commenced to climb a near-by hill of ice tolook for the small boat.
It was perilous work, but they did not falter.
At length they reached the level summit and glanced down.
The yacht looked beautiful as she lay to, with her topsails backed, andevery movement of the figures on deck could be distinctly seen.
Crossing some rough, porous ice, they came to the pinnacle.
This was rougher than it had looked from below, and they found not muchdifficulty in mounting.
Soon they reached the summit, or, rather, within a few yards of it,where there was a tolerably safe and level spot.
With anxious speed, Bob extended the telescope, which he had carriedslung over his shoulder.
For some time he swept the ocean in vain, but at length, far to thewestward, just on the edge of the horizon, he caught sight of a whitespeck, which could be nothing but a sail.
"Look, Jack, and tell me what you think!" he exclaimed.
"I can see it!" cried the latter, after a lengthened search. "I agreewith you--it must be a boat-sail; anyway, it's too distant to be abird's wing. It must be many miles off."
"Let's make haste and descend!" cried our hero. "My chest, where thefellow struck me, is getting stiff up here in this rare air."
Most haste less speed.
They had reached within twenty feet of the level portion of the bergwhen our hero slipped.
His arm could not bear his weight, and he half fell, half slid rapidlyto the bottom of the peak.
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br /> "Are you much hurt, old fellow?" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he couldreach his friend's side.
"Only bruised, I think. Just help me up."
When assisted to his feet it was evident that Bob had twisted his ankle,or slightly strained it.
"Misfortunes never come alone," he said, with a laugh. "We must get on.If I find the descent difficult, you must help me."
A stream of water from the melting of the ice on the peak ran along in alittle channel it had worn, to where it came to the ravine.
Here it fell over in a cascade, and divided, one part, now joined byother trickling streams, descended the gorge into the sea, the otherflowing into the mouth of an ice cavern.
The friends had crossed about half the summit of the berg when a suddengust of wind, forming an eddy, blew up a cloud of ice dust.
These tiny particles stung like needle points when carried by the breezeagainst the faces of the two boys.
They had to stand still and cover their eyes with their hands.
When the dust subsided they again hurried forward.
At the edge of the ravine a fiercer gust than the first hurled upmillions of icy particles.
They glittered like a cloud of diamond dust in the sun's rays.
Wishing to escape, both the lads dropped on to the lower ledge.
"It's worse here than ever," exclaimed Bob, holding his rifle in onehand and placing the other so as partly to protect his face. "Let's getinto yonder cave."
They both ran toward it--that is, Jack ran, and Bob hobbled after.
The former had only just time to see that the floor of the cavern sankat a sharp angle, when he felt his feet fly from under him.
Our hero, arriving at the cave's mouth at the instant of his friend'sfall, was horror-struck to see him slide on his side toward the edge ofa dark abyss, over which the water trickled.
"Help, Bob!" cried Jack, in vain trying to regain his feet.
Our hero clearly saw the fearful danger of his comrade's position.
Jack's feet were already over the edge.
"I am gone! Help!" he gasped.
Then, with a stifled cry, he disappeared over verge of the abyss.
Chapter VIII.--A Remarkable Story.
"Jack! Jack!" shouted Bob.
A sound as of falling rocks or ice blocks reached his ears, but noanswering voice.
The echoes of the falling masses died away.
Bob was filled with dismay at the dreadful ending of his chum.
He had reached his gun to him, but Larmore had been unable to grasp it.
He shuddered as he thought of Jack's feelings as he felt himselfshooting over the precipice.
There was nothing to do but to return.
He found, lame as he was, the path extremely difficult.
But at length he reached the yacht and told his story.
"It's dreadful," said Captain Sumner. "First my daughter and yourmother, and now your friend, a young gentleman we all liked and I, forone, looked on as a comrade, for we fought side by side against thatrascally crew of ours."
The captain was quite affected.
When the _Dart_ was once more going through the water in the directionin which Bob had seen what he took for a boat sail, he came to the sideof our hero, who stood leaning on the after-bulwarks, gazing at theberg, whose southern point they were now passing.
"He was a fine young fellow!" he exclaimed, "and would have made a goodofficer.
"But what are you looking at?"
"A seal, sir," said Bob. "Don't you see it, lying in the shade of thatblock of ice, on the ledge, lapped by the swell?"
"Seals don't lie in the shade--they bask in the sun. Give me the glass,Bob."
But our hero was already drawing it out to his focus.
No sooner did he get it pointed correctly than he uttered a cry ofsurprise.
"That's his body!" he exclaimed. "At all events, a man's body. How onearth did it come there?"
A small boat was still towing astern.
Bob, forgetful of his sprain, lowered himself into her, and grasped theoars, while the captain followed.
"Hold hard!" shouted the mate.
Our hero impatiently, though he never for a moment expected to find hisfriend alive, complied.
In two minutes Leeks reappeared and let down a flask into the boat.
Our hero dashed the oars into the water, and the small boat moved fasterover the heaving face of the ocean than she had ever done before.
"Don't deceive yourself. If it is your friend, he can't be alive," saidthe captain, as they approached the body of the ledge.
"It is Jack!" he added, a couple of minutes later. "But how on earth didhe come there?"
Another score of vigorous strokes brought the little boat alongside theberg.
Hardly waiting to fasten the painter, they rushed to the body.
It was lying on its back, and as Bob bent over it he noticed a fainttinge of color on the cheek.
"He's only stunned, I believe, after all," cried our hero.
The captain unscrewed the top of the flask and poured a mouthful of winebetween the teeth of the senseless lad.
In a minute it took effect.
Jack sighed and opened his eyes.
"Let's get him on board the yacht at once," exclaimed the captain.
First, however, he passed his hand along each limb, and then felt Jack'sribs.
The patient winced at the last experiment and uttered a low cry.
"Legs and arms all right," muttered the captain, as he with our hero'shelp carried the boy to the small boat; "so, if a rib's broken, he mustconsider himself well out of a bad scrape."
Bob again pulled his hardest, and when alongside the yacht his comradewith some difficulty was got on board.
It was not until late that evening that Jack was able to tell of hiswonderful escape.
"I don't know much about it," he said, "but never shall I forget theawful feeling as I shot over the edge of the precipice.
"Of course I thought that I should fall down a well that penetratedright through the berg into the sea.
"However, instead of that, I did not fall a great distance before I camedown feet first among a lot of pieces of loose ice, or, if not loose,they gave way with me, and together we went clattering down a secondslope.
"All of a sudden I was pulled up by my rifle, which was slung round myshoulders, getting jammed across the passage.
"I tried to gain my feet, but failed; the slope was too smooth andsteep.
"There was but one thing for it, and that was to go on.
"I slipped the sling over my head, and away I went again.
"Then came another fall.
"This nearly knocked me senseless.
"I just remember another slide, then daylight, then a last fall, and Ilost all consciousness, only coming to myself to find you leaning overme."
"How is your side?" asked the captain. "Your escape was most wonderful.Another foot farther, and you would have been drowned."
"It was, as you say, a narrow escape. As for my side, I must say it'srather painful."
However, on the captain pressing it, he came to the conclusion that noribs were broken.
It was bandaged up, and Jack was able to walk about, thankful thatthings were not worse.
Chapter IX.--The Volcano Of Ice.
For three long days the _Dart_ bore away northwest, the direction inwhich the last had been seen of the missing boat.
"Luckily it's the right course to steer for the Siberian coast,"remarked the captain, as he sat over his wine after midday dinner. "Weshall sight the high land to-morrow morning, if not before"
"Surely we shall come across the boat in time, captain?" remarked Bob.
"Well, we have had wonderfully fine weather," replied the captain. "But,after all she was but a cutter, handled by a lunatic."
And he and Bob interchanged looks of despair as they ascended thecompanion ladder.
"Bok, go to the foremast-head," ordered
the captain. "Take the glass,and have a look around."
The sailor slung the telescope over his shoulder and nimbly mounted therigging.
When he arrived at the topgallant-yard he passed his arm round theskypole, and, adjusting the glass, swept the line of the horizon.
There was a long pause.
"Deck ahoy!"
"What is it?" bellowed the captain.
"Sure, there is a mist, or smoke right ahead, and above it I see whatlooks like the top of a mountain," replied the Irishman.
"Nothing else?"
"There is a low, flat berg."
"Nothing more? No sign of a boat-sail?"
"Nothing the size of a pocket handkerchief, yer honor."
"Well, we must give up the search for the present and start for theSiberian shore. But I give you my word, Bob, I shall not give up thishunt for many a week."
The wind fell light, and the _Dart_ did not make more than three knotsan hour during that afternoon.
The strange misty appearance still hung over the water.
They were gradually approaching it, and it was not more than a couple ofmiles ahead, when, as the sun set, the captain and the two boys went tosupper, leaving Leeks in charge of the deck.
They had just finished their meal when the latter shouted down thecompanion for them to come up.
An extraordinary scene met their gaze when they reached the deck.