MUTINY! MOST OF THE CREW CARRYING THE GREATER PART OF THE PROVISIONS,
SET OFF WITHOUT THE OTHERS.--PROPOSALS FOR PURSUIT, BUT NOT CARRIED OUT,
AND AT LAST THE REMAINDER COMMENCE THEIR JOURNEY ACROSS THE ICE, MEETING
WITH GREAT DIFFICULTIES.--THE CAPTAIN BECOMES ILL, BUT IS CHEERED BY
ANDREW.--HE AT LENGTH DIES, AFTER ANDREW HAS PLACED BEFORE HIM THE
TRUTH, WHICH HE ACCEPTS.--HE IS BURIED IN A SNOW TOMB.
Archy was awakened by hearing one of the officers, who had gone out of
the tent, exclaim, "Why, what have become of the boats?" The rest of
the inmates of the tents were quickly on foot. They looked around. Far
away in the distance two dark spots could be seen on the ice. Andrew
and several others ran to the tent of the mutineers--it was empty. The
fire had burnt a hole in the ice and disappeared. Had it not been for
those objects far off they might have supposed that the sleepers had
gone in with it and been drowned. The provisions were next examined--
the packages prepared for travelling had greatly diminished. Several,
indignant at being thus deserted, proposed setting off in pursuit of the
fugitives.
"They have fire-arms with them, and you will not get them to come back,
lads," said the captain, who had come out of his tent.
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 masses 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
quantity 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 pass 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 passing 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
God 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 God has for us poor sinners. We exposed ourselves of our own
free choice to the danger and hardship 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
God 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 ship's company had thus been
lost.
The night was passed 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 hardships they would have to endure.
Andrew urged them to arouse themselves.
"It is our duty, lads, to straggle on as long as we can. God 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, God 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 God 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 God 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 God'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 shipwrecked 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 pushing 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 shore, 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 space 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.