CHAPTER THREE.
THE "KATE" ENCOUNTERS A FEARFUL GALE AMID ICEBERGS, AND NARROWLY ESCAPESA FALLING BERG.--CALM AFTER STORM.--THOUGH SCOFFED AT BY HIS SHIPMATES,ARCHY TRIES, UNSUCCESSFULLY, TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE GIVEN HIM BY CAPTAINIRVINE.
Captain Irvine was anxious to reach the northern point of Baffin Bay,where whales were said to abound. He used, therefore, every exertion toforce the ship through the ice. Sometimes she threaded her way throughnarrow passages, at the risk of being caught and nipped by the floespressing together; at others, to avoid this catastrophe, she had to takeshelter in a dock, cut out as rapidly as the crew could use their saws,in one side of a floe. Scarcely had she been thus secured when anotherfloe, with a sullen roar, pressed on by an unseen power, would comegrinding and crashing against the first with irresistible force, and thebefore level surface, rent and broken asunder, would appear heaved upinto large hillocks, and huge masses, many hundred tons in weight, wouldbe lifted on to the opposing barrier, threatening to overwhelm the ship.Suddenly the whole field of ice would be again in motion, the brokenfragments would be thrown back on each other or pressed down beneath thesurface, and a lane of water would appear, edged on each side by a wallof ice. The boats would then be lowered to tow the ship along, or,should the wind be favourable, the sails were set, and in spite of theblows she might receive from the floating fragments, she would force herway onwards towards the open water.
Often and often as Archy watched what was taking place, he fullyexpected to find the ship crushed to fragments, and wondered thatCaptain Irvine could venture into so fearfully dangerous a position.Still the ship, escaping all dangers, made her way to the north, and bydegrees Archy grew accustomed to the scenes he witnessed, and viewedthem with the same indifference as the rest of the crew.
For a whole day she had made her way through open water, with a strongbreeze. The weather began to lour--the wind blew stronger andstronger--numerous icebergs appeared ahead--in a short time the ship wassurrounded by them. Now one was passed by, now another. It seemedoften as if no power could save her from being dashed against theirprecipitous sides. Perhaps the captain expected the gale to moderate,if so, he was mistaken. It soon blew fiercer than ever. At length theship got under the lee of a large berg, which towered up a hundred feetor more above the mast-heads. The sails were furled--the boats carriedout ice anchors and made them fast to the foot of the berg. There theship rode, sheltered from the gale, in smooth water, while the windhowled and roared, and the sea, hissing and foaming, dashed with furyagainst the bergs, which were observed at a distance on either side.
Archy recollected the account Max had given him some time before oficebergs suddenly overturning, and as he looked up at the frozenmountain above him, he could not help thinking what their fate might be,should the gale, which blew on the other side, force the berg over.Still he had not learned to put his trust in God. Fear made his heartsink within him, but he dared not contemplate the future. All he couldsay to himself was, "I hope it will not. How dreadful it would be.What would become of us!" He had no one to whom he could go forconsolation. Max, he knew, would only laugh at him and call him acoward. He wished that Old Andrew would speak to him, but he was onduty on deck, and had the ship to attend to.
Several hours passed by, still the gale did not abate. Archy thoughtthe captain and officers looked more serious than usual. Several ofthem turned their eyes ever and anon towards the summit of the berg. Atlength the chief mate came forward. He had just reached the forecastle,when a small piece of ice, the size of a bullet it seemed, fellsplashing into the water just ahead of the ship. Another and anotherfollowed. With a startling cry, the captain shouted, "Cut the hawser,loose the jib and fore-staysail, hands aloft for your lives lads." Thehead sails were hoisted, the fore-topsail sheeted home. The ship,coming round, shot away from the berg. The after sails were speedilyloosed. In another instant, with a crashing thundering noise, down camevast masses of ice, falling into the water, with loud splashes, closeastern, while numerous smaller pieces fell with fearful force on deck.Happily no one was struck, but a piece went right through one of thequarter boats. The ship, as if aware of her danger, flew on. Downwardscame the vast mountain of ice with a crashing roar, louder than anythunder, directly on the spot where she had just before floated, sendingthe spray in thick sheets flying over her poop. Had she remained amoment longer she must have been overwhelmed. Many a cheek of the hardycrew was blanched with horror. Even now it seemed that they hadscarcely escaped the fearful danger, for the berg astern of them rockedto and fro as if still intent on their destruction. The first mate andone of the best hands were at the helm; the wind whistled loudly, thesails appeared as if about to fly from the bolt ropes, as the shipheeled over to the gale. Numerous other bergs appeared ahead, and asshe rushed onwards, it seemed impossible that she could avoid them. Nosooner was one weathered than another appeared in her course. The yardswere braced sharp up. She dashed by a huge berg, her masts, as sheheeled over, almost touching its sides. Now an opening appeared betweentwo large ice mountains. The only way to escape was by passing betweenthem. The ship dashed into the passage, now she glided onward incomparatively smooth water. The bergs were moving. Nearer and nearerthey drew to each other. In a short time they might meet and crush thehapless vessel into a thousand fragments. To escape by the way she hadentered the passage was impossible. The wind came aft. The yards weresquared, more sail was set, faster and faster she flew onwards, yet fastas she went, it seemed as if the masses of ice would catch her ere shecould escape them in their deadly embrace. Every man and boy was at hisstation, ready to clew up and haul down directly the ship should befree, and again exposed to the fury of the gale. No one could tell butthat other bergs might be ahead, or in what direction it might benecessary to steer. Archy, as he held on to a rope he had been orderedto tend, looked up at the vast ice-cliffs with horror in his eyes,expecting every moment to see them falling over upon the ship. Heglanced aft, and saw the captain standing calm and undismayed, ready toissue whatever orders might be necessary. The channel seemedinterminable, for, fast as the vessel glided on, still those terriblecliffs frowned down upon her. At length the open water appeared ahead,with fewer bergs than had before been seen floating on it. The shipglided out into the heaving ocean; and as she heeled over, Archy thoughtthe masts would go over the side; but sail (though not withoutdifficulty) was rapidly shortened, and the masts stood firm. Onwards,as before, she flew in her course; several other bergs were weathered,till at length all present dangers were passed, and she was now hove-toto await the termination of the storm. In a few hours the gale ceased,and once more she proceeded on her course.
A calm succeeded the storm. The ship floated on the smooth water. Itwas the Sabbath-day; the captain as usual had summoned the crew toprayers, the greater number went willingly, for they were well aware ofthe imminent danger they had escaped, and were glad to express theirgratitude to Him who had preserved them. Max Inkster, with a fewothers, made excuses for staying away.
"What, lad, are you going to hear the old man preach?" he asked, with asneer, as he saw Archy making his way aft. "For my part, I think wehave too much of that sort of thing aboard here. I have made up my mindto cut and run from the ship if I could find a few brave fellows toaccompany me. We should have more liberty and a larger allowance ofgrog, with less psalm-singing, on board other vessels I know of, andreach home sooner again into the bargain. But don't you go and tellothers what I say; I only ask you, if we go, will you join us?"
"I'll think about it, Max," answered Archy, "but I promised old Andrewthat I would attend prayers."
"Much good may your prayers do you," sneered Max. "You are the fellowwho sneaked off from his dying mother, and now you talk of praying."
"I did, I did," groaned Archy, "and I feel how wicked I was to do so."
As all the other men had by this time collected in the cabin, Archycould stay no longer, and hurried off, the words last
spoken by Maxringing in his ears. He thought of them all the time the captain wasoffering up prayer, and returning thanks to God for having mercifullypreserved him and his crew from the danger to which they had beenexposed, and humbly petitioning for protection for the future.
When the service was over, as Archy was leaving the cabin, CaptainIrvine called him back.
The old captain had been ill for some days. Archy was struck with hispeculiarly grave and solemn manner. He kindly took the young boy'shand.
"I have a few words to say to you, lad," he said. "I knew your father;he was a God-fearing man, and I believe he is in heaven. Your mother,too, is a Christian woman, and she, when she leaves this world, willjoin him there. Now lad, I have to ask you what is your hope? There isbut one way to go there, remember that. Have you sought that way?"
Archy hung down his head. "I know I was very wicked to leave my motheras I did," he answered, "and I could not help thinking the other day,when the iceberg was about to come down upon us, where I should go to."
"Ah, lad, it's a great thing to see your sin, but God wants you to domore than that. You must acknowledge it to Him and seek His way forblotting it out. Do you know that way, laddie, which only a God ofinfinite love and mercy could have devised for saving weak fallen manfrom the consequences of sin? Have you sought the Saviour? Sorrow willnot wash away sin. The blood of the Saviour, which He shed when Hesuffered instead of man on Calvary, can alone do it. Only those whoseek Him and trust in Him can benefit by that blood. Have you earnestlysought him, laddie? I am sure if you do seek Him, desiring to turn awayfrom your sins, that you will find Him."
Archy could only repeat, "I am very sorry I ran away from mother and hidmyself aboard the ship, and I thought when we were so near beingdestroyed the other day, what would become of me."
Archy exactly described his state, and the captain knew he spoke truly.There are too many like him, who only think of their sins at theapproach of danger.
"Ah, laddie! I should be thankful if you could honestly tell me thatyou mourn for your sins, because you have grievously offended our lovingFather in heaven, and that you have sought forgiveness from Him, throughthe all-cleansing blood of His dear Son, shed for you on Calvary," saidCaptain Irvine. "Do you ever pray?"
"Not since I came aboard here," answered Archy.
"And I am afraid not for some time before, either," observed thecaptain. "For if you had prayed that God's Holy Spirit would guide anddirect you, and keep you out of temptation, you would not have ran awayfrom home as you did. Now, laddie, what I want you to understand is,that you are weak and helpless in yourself, that you can neither walkaright nor do any good thing by yourself; but that if you seek the aidof the Holy Spirit you will walk aright, you will be able to withstandtemptation, and to do God's will. If you do not pray and seek His aid,you cannot expect to find it; yet if you do seek it, you will assuredlyfind it, for He hath said, `Ask and it shall be given you, seek and yeshall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.'"
Archy listened attentively to what the captain said, and tried tounderstand it, but the danger which had alarmed his conscience hadpassed away, and when he went forward and mixed again with his carelessshipmates, he forgot much that had been said. Still, when he turnedinto his bunk, he did try to pray; but he dared not bravely kneel downin the sight of others lest they should laugh at him, and he had been solong unaccustomed to offer up prayer, that he could not even think ofwhat words to say. Captain Irvine, however, did not forget him, and dayafter day he called him into the cabin, or spoke to him on deck. Hegave him a Bible also, and marked many passages in it, which Archypromised to read. The captain had also a library of books on board,which were lent to the men, and two or three of these he put intoArchy's hands as likely to be useful to him. Old Andrew also frequentlytook an opportunity of speaking to him, but his work occupied most ofthe day, and when he went below he was generally too sleepy to sit longover a book. Max and others also did their utmost to interrupt him, andhe made but little progress either in reading the Bible or any other ofthe books which had been lent him. Still, in some respects, he wastrying to follow the good advice which the captain had given him. Weak,however, are all our efforts when we trust to our own strength. Archydid not seek assistance from the only source which can give it, and,consequently, his good resolutions were soon scattered to the wind.
Archibald Hughson: An Arctic Story Page 3