[Transcriber's note: Unusual spellings are as printed. A Contents
has been added for reader convenience.]
[Frontispiece: "White boy be heap careful," was Lucky's parting word
as Bob started off. (_Page 117_)
("_The Lakewood Boys in the Frozen North_")
]
THE LAKEWOOD BOYS
IN THE FROZEN NORTH
By L. P. WYMAN, Ph.D.
Dean of the Pennsylvania Military College
AUTHOR OF
"The Lakewood Boys on the Lazy S," "The Lakewood
Boys and the Lost Mine," "The Lakewood Boys
and the Polo Ponies," "The Lakewood
Boys in the South Sea Islands,"
"The Golden Boys Series," etc.
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York
Printed in U. S. A.
The Lakewood Boys Series
A SERIES OF STORIES FOR BOYS 12 TO 16
YEARS OF AGE
BY L. P. WYMAN, Ph.D.
Dean of the Pennsylvania Military College
The Lakewood Boys on the Frozen North
The Lakewood Boys on the Lazy S
The Lakewood Boys and the Lost Mine
The Lakewood Boys and the Polo Ponies
The Lakewood Boys in the South Sea Islands
Copyright, 1925
By A. L. BURT COMPANY
THE LAKEWOOD BOYS IN THE FROZEN NORTH
Made in "U. S. A."
Contents
Chapter
I. Shipwrecked
II. The Struggle
III. The Cabin by the Shore
IV. The Boys Start Again for Alaska
V. Off for the North
VI. A Northern Blizzard
VII. A New Kind of Bed-room
VIII. Timber Wolves
IX. The Rescue
X. The Eskimo
XI. Lucky Brings Back the "Bacon"
XII. Visitors
XIII. Lucky Acquires an Arsenal
XIV. Homeward Bound
THE LAKEWOOD BOYS IN
THE FROZEN NORTH
CHAPTER I.
SHIPWRECKED.
G-R-R-R--R! Thump!
"What was that?"
Jack Lakewood stuck his head out from the lower bunk as he almost
yelled the question.
"What's the matter now?" came in sleepy tones from the upper bunk.
"Sounded as though we'd struck something."
"Oh, go back to sleep, you've been having a nightmare."
"Night-mare nothing. Listen."
A faint sound of voices reached their ears and, a moment later, the
sound of hurrying footsteps past the door of their state-room brought
Jack out into the middle of the room.
"I tell you we hit something," he cried. "Don't you notice that the
engines have stopped?"
"You're right about that anyhow," Bob Lakewood replied as he slid
from the upper bunk to the floor. "We'd better get dressed so as to
be on the safe side."
"I'll say we had," Jack agreed pulling off his pajamas. "I don't
suppose it's anything--"
"All hands on deck, quick!"
The order was shouted outside their door to be repeated an instant
later further down the corridor.
"That sounds ominous," Bob declared pulling on his trowsers.
"I'll say it does. We'd better make it snappy."
"Don't forget your money."
"And we'd better slip on a life preserver," Jack added as he pulled
two of them out from beneath the bunk.
"Wonder what we hit?" Bob asked as he strapped the life preserver
over his coat.
"Iceberg likely, or maybe a derelict."
"More likely the latter," Bob said.
"You ready?"
"Come on."
Bob pulled the door open and they stepped out into the corridor. The
sound of voices some shrill and others low and gruff seemed to fill
the ship. As they started toward the stairway, a little way back, a
half dressed woman, her arms filled with clothes, rushed up to them.
"Oh, what has happened?" she gasped.
"I'm afraid we hit something," Bob told her.
"Is the ship going to sink?" she cried.
"I hope not," Bob tried to reassure her. "But you had better get
back to your state-room and finish dressing and put on a preserver."
"Are you sure there'll be time?"
"I think so. Where is your room?"
"Just around the corner."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes, all alone. Oh, this is awful. I know the ship is going to
sink and we'll all be drowned."
"Come quick," Bob ordered taking hold of her arm and drawing her
along. "Is this your room?" he asked as he turned a corner and saw a
door half open.
"This is it, yes."
"Then lose no time. Put on the warmest thing you have and, as soon
as you're ready, I'll strap on your life preserver."
The woman slipped into the room and closed the door while he was
speaking.
"All hands on deck, and make it quick."
Doors were opening all along the corridor now and people, some fully
dressed and others only half clothed, were rushing toward the
stairway.
"Better put on life preservers," Bob yelled.
Some turned back at the suggestion while others in a state of frenzy
rushed along the corridor intent only on getting to the upper deck.
"Why doesn't she hurry?" Jack asked impatiently as he glanced both
ways.
"I'm ready."
The door was pushed open and the boys stepped in. The woman, or
rather girl, for she could not have been more than twenty, was now
fully dressed and, reaching beneath the bunk, Bob dragged out a life
preserver and, an instant later, had it strapped securely about her.
"It's so brave and kind of you to wait for me," she whispered.
"Got a bag?" Bob asked.
"All my valuables are in this little bag," she replied picking up a
small leather bag from the bunk. "I suppose I'll have to leave my
trunk here," she sighed.
"I'm afraid so," Bob said. "And you'd better take the bag as we may
be separated," he added.
"All hands out on deck. No time to lose."
"I'm ready," she cried, and the next moment they were hurrying along
the corridor evidently the last of those who had rooms in that part
of the ship.
"Do you think we're too late?" she gasped as they reached the foot of
the stairway.
"No, they'll have boats enough to hold everybody. Have to since the
Titanic went down, you know," Bob told her as they started to mount
the stairs.
On deck the scene was one of indescribable confusion. Officers were
rushing about shouting out orders and trying to calm the excited
passengers, while the creak of ropes as the life boats were lowered
added a sinister note to the occasion. Cries of men trying to locate
their wives or children and of women separated from their loved ones,
added also to the confusion.
"Women and children first. Stand back there or I'll fire."
The deck was lighted by many lights and the boys could see the
captain of the ship, close by the rail, as he endeavored to hold back
the swarm of fear crazed men from the steerage as they fought for a
place in each boat before it was lowered to the water.
But he might as well have tried to hold back the tide itself. The
crowd, many of them foreigners, fought like wild beasts and there was
immediate danger that the brave captain would be overpowered.
"Come on, Jack boy, we've got to take a hand in this," Bob said in a
low voice as he grabbed the girl by the arm and urged her forward.
Holding her close as possible he pushed into the fighting mob closely
followed by Jack.
"Way for the lady," he shouted pushing a big Swede aside.
With a snort of anger the man aimed a blow for Bob's head but he saw
it coming in time to duck and the next instant he had planted a
beautiful right, with all his strength behind it, on the point of the
Swede's chin. The man went down as though a sledge hammer had struck
him and, for an instant, the crowd gave way enabling them to reach
the captain's side. A boat was just being lowered and, as Bob spied
an empty seat close up by the bow, he shouted:
"There's room for one more there, Captain."
"All right, but hurry," the captain cried.
Both boys helped the girl over the side into the boat and, a moment
later she vanished as it quickly slid down to the water.
There had been a moment's pause in the mad struggle for a place in
the boats but now, as another was swung over the side, the rush began
again.
"Back, you men. Women and children first," the captain again shouted
waving his revolver.
"I've as mooch right ter save my life as a woman," shouted a big
German as he reached for the side of the swinging boat.
"Not on this boat, you haven't," Bob yelled as he seized the man by
the coat collar and yanked him back.
The man fell sprawling on the deck and, before he could scramble to
his feet, Bob had leaped onto the rail where he stood holding onto a
rope. Lifting his free hand high in the air he shouted at the top of
his voice.
"Are you all cowards? There are still women and children to go in
the boats. Let's be men."
"Hurrah for the kid," shouted a voice some feet away.
The effect, whether of Bob's short speech or of the man's cheer, was
magical and Jack, who was directly in front of his brother, was quick
to take advantage of the lull in the mad struggle.
"Make way, now, for those women behind there," he shouted as he urged
aside those in front of him.
Like children the foreigners obeyed and in an instant he had opened
up a lane and was beckoning to a dozen women and as many children who
had been standing back despairing of being able to get to the boat.
"Quick, now," he ordered, motioning them to come.
They rushed after him and, a moment later another boat load was
lowered to the water.
Much the same scene had been taking place in other parts of the ship
where the boats were being filled under the supervision of the
officers, but nowhere had the confusion been so great as here. And
now, it being pretty certain that all the women and children had been
placed in the boats, the men were allowed to take their places and
boat after boat was quickly filled and lowered. In this work Bob and
Jack assisted the captain in keeping some semblance of order and that
officer was loud in his praise of their action.
"I don't know what I would have done had it not been for you," he
panted as, all the passengers in sight having found a place in the
life boats they had a moment's breathing spell.
"You think she'll go down?" Bob asked.
"No doubt of it. See how she's settling in the bow."
A single glance was enough to convince even a land lubber that the
big ship was doomed. Already the deck sloped sharply toward the bow
and in addition there was a decided list to port.
"You boys get into this boat," the captain ordered as two sailors
swung the last boat in sight over the side. "I must make sure that
no one is left behind." And, before they could say a word he was off
down the stairway.
There seemed nothing to do but obey his order and they lost no time
in climbing into the boat.
"Is this the last one?" Jack asked one of the sailors who was holding
on to the rope.
"No, there's three or four more on the upper deck but I reckon we
won't need 'em. Most of the crew has gone already."
"Will he have time to make the round of the ship?" Bob asked
anxiously.
"Reckon so. The mates are helpin' him. She ought ter hold up
another fifteen minutes or so."
"What did we hit?" Jack asked.
"Nobody knows fer sure, but it must have been a derelict an' a sunken
one at that 'cause the lookout swears as how he was on his job an'
that there wasn't a thing in sight an' Toby's a good man all right."
"Probably you're right," Bob agreed.
At that moment two men came running from the stern of the ship and
Bob noticed that they wore the uniforms of first and second mates.
"Hasn't the captain come back yet?" the first mate asked anxiously.
"Not yet," one of the sailors replied.
"It's strange. We left him below and he didn't have as much of the
ship to look through as we did, and he ought to be here."
"He'll have to hustle or he'll be too late," the second mate
declared. "She's going to take her last dive before many minutes."
As he finished speaking all the lights suddenly went out.
Fortunately it was moonlight and they could see for some distance.
"Water's got up to the dynamos," the first mate announced.
"And what's more the wind's getting up too," the other mate said.
When the boys had first reached the deck there was only a light
breeze blowing, but it had been steadily increasing and now had grown
to a strong wind.
"We can't wait much longer," the second mate declared. "What in the
world do you suppose is keeping him?"
"But you wouldn't go without him?" Bob suggested.
"I'd hate to, but there's no use in all of us going down."
"Which we're going to do if we're not off in less than ten minutes,"
the other added. "I tell you she's going down mighty soon."
"Then let's go."
"But we can't leave him," Bob insisted.
"You jest watch us, matey," one of the sailors broke in as he sprang
over the rail into the boat still holding the lowering rope.
"Give me five minutes and I'll go see if I can find him," Bob
proposed.
"All right, but yer've got to hustle," the sailors agreed grudgingly.
Bob waited no longer, but dashed for the stairway.
"You go back, Jack," he shouted as he turned at the head of the
stairs and saw his brother close at his heels.
"Back nothing," the boy yelled. "Now, don't stop to argue because it
won't do any good."
Bob knew his brother well enough to know that it would be useless to
say anything more so he leaped down the stairs and Jack followed.
"Oh, Captain!" he shouted as soon as he had reached the foot.
There was no answer.
"He must be up forward somewhere," Jack shouted as he started toward
the bow.
Fortunately the boys had had the foresight to slip into their pockets
their flashlights and, with their aid, they quickly located a door on
the far side of the large hall, which opened into a corridor leading
to the bow. On both sides of this corridor were staterooms and into
these they peeped, Bob taking those on the right side while Jack
followed suit on the left. But the captain was in none of them and
they reached the open deck in the bow without having discovered him.
From time to time they had called at the top of their voice without
result.
"If he's in this part of the boat he must be dead or unconscious,"
Bob declared as he threw the light from his flash over the deck.
"Well, there's no use standing here," Jack returned. "There's a
passage on each side close to the rail. You take one and I'll take
the other."
As Bob reached the right hand rail he noticed with a shudder of alarm
that the water was nearly on a level with the deck. "She can't stay
afloat much longer," he thought as he pushed open the door of the
first room.
He had covered about half the rooms in the row when he heard a faint
cry from the other side of the ship.
"Bob--Bob. This way, quick!"
Like a flash he sped down the corridor and, as he reached the other
side of the ship, he saw Jack standing about half way down the
passageway.
"Found him?" he yelled.
"Yes, he in this room, but I'm afraid he's dead."
By this time Bob was at the door of the stateroom and, a moment
later, was bending over the body of the captain who was stretched on
the floor face up.
"He isn't dead," he announced after he had laid his head on his chest.
"Then we've got to get him up. You take his head and I'll take his
feet. Quick now."
Fortunately the captain was not a large man and could not have
weighed over one hundred and forty pounds so they had little trouble
in carrying him.
"Wonder if they've waited," Jack panted as they came to the foot of
the stairs.
"We've been gone mor'n five minutes," Bob told him.
A moment later they had reached the middle deck and their first
glance was toward the rail where they had left the two mates and the
two sailors.
"They've gone!" Bob gasped.
"What do you know about that? The cowards!" Jack added.