PROCEEDING ON AGAINST MANY DIFFICULTIES.--ARCHY AND HIS COMPANIONS AT
LAST DISCOVER LAND AHEAD, AND CAMP IN A SNOW-HUT.--AT DAYBREAK, SEEING
NO TRACES OF THE MUTINEERS, THEY PUSH ON, AND ARRIVE AT THE EDGE OF THE
FLOE. CROSS A CHANNEL AND GETTING ON AN OPPOSITE FLOE, BUILD A
SNOW-HUT; BUT THE WATER RISING, LEAVE IT, AND BUILD ANOTHER, WHICH ALSO
IS WASHED AWAY. BUILD A THIRD, AND ARE AWOKE BY A BEAR.--TWO MEN FROST
BITTEN ARE LEFT BEHIND.
As the sun was about to set, a shout escaped Archy's lips. "Land,
land!" he cried out. All gazed eagerly in the direction to which he
pointed. There appeared a range of snowy mountains far higher than any
icebergs. They were clear and well defined, and Andrew and Foubister
declared that they could not be, as some of the rest supposed, a bank of
clouds. They remained visible till the sun sunk beneath the horizon.
The discovery somewhat cheered their spirits, but still many days must
elapse before they could reach the shore, and even when there, no
inhabitants might be found to assist them, or food to enable them to
exist during the coming winter. Their present condition indeed was very
trying. The tents were on the sledges, and they had only sufficient
fuel in the boat to keep a fire alight for one night; while their
provisions, with the utmost economy, would last them but a fortnight or
three weeks at the furthest.
"If the cold goes on increasing, we shall be frozen to death before the
morning," exclaimed several of the men.
"Not so, mates," said Andrew. "I have seen the natives build a snow-hut
in the course of an hour, and have been as warm as I could wish within
it during the hardest frost. They call it an igloo, and they fashion it
much after the way the seals make their houses, so that it is well
suited to the climate. We may depend on that, as God himself taught the
seals. Now turn to and clear a space down to the ice, while the
carpenter and I saw out some blocks of snow." His companions followed
Andrew's directions; and while Foubister sawed out the blocks, which
were about three feet long, and half as wide, he placed them in a circle
on the space which had been cleared. He then put on another tier,
gradually sloping inwards till a dome was formed, and lastly the
keystone of the arch was dropped into its place. Archy, who was helping
Andrew, remained with him inside, and were thus completely walled in.
The carpenter, with his saw, then cut a hole to serve as a doorway, on
the lee side of the hut.
"We have yet got to form a bed and fire-places. Hand in more blocks,
mates," said Andrew.
With these he and Archy quickly built up a raised place on either side
of the hut, with a circular one in the centre. Some of the provisions,
with a portion of the fuel, and all the bedding and blankets, were then
brought inside, when Andrew stopped up the doorway with some blocks of
snow, which he had retained for the purpose.
"Now, mates," he said, "you will soon see that we can be warm enough,
but we must keep up as small a fire as can be made to burn. Look here
now; this log will last us all night if we chop it into chips, and just
put on three or four at a time."
Andrew's plan was found to answer perfectly. The fire was sufficient to
melt the snow in a saucepan, and to enable them to enjoy some hot tea,
and the hut soon became so warm that they were glad to throw off their
great coats. Their only regret was that Andrew had not thought before
of building a snow-hut.
"Better late than never. It will not be the last by many that we shall
have to build," he answered.
They were all so comfortable that Andrew had great difficulty in rousing
them in the morning to encounter the biting wind blowing across the
floe. Having enjoyed a warm breakfast, and put on their outer clothing,
they cut their way out of their burrow, and once more proceeded
eastward. They did not fail to look out for their companions, but not a
moving object was to be discerned in any direction across the wide
ice-field.
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 shipmates 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 shipmates.
"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 passed quietly away, but about midnight Archy was awoke
by the sound of the crashing of ice, and a loud dashing 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 passed over it. Whenever they halted, the crashing 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 passed 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
crashing 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 crashing 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 space.
Archy was the first to awake, as he did so he heard a scraping 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 passed 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 shore, 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 shore. When, however,
morning came, the ice ahead appeared even rougher than that which they
had passed 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.