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CAST AWAY IN THE COLD:
An Old Man's Story of a Young Man's Adventures,
as Related by
Captain John Hardy, Mariner.
[Illustration]
by DR. ISAAC I. HAYES,
Author of "An Arctic Boat Journey," "The Open Polar Sea," Etc.
Boston:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by
Ticknor and Fields,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Relates how an Ancient Mariner met three Little People and
promised them a Little Story 1
CHAPTER II.
Captain John Hardy, otherwise Ancient Mariner,
otherwise Old Man 8
CHAPTER III.
Which shows the Old Man to be a Man of his Word 11
CHAPTER IV.
The Old Man, having related to the Little People how the
Young Man went to Sea, now proceeds to tell what the
Young Man did there 24
CHAPTER V.
In which the Ancient Mariner, continuing his Story, borrows
an Illustration from the "Ancient Mariner" of Song, and
then proceeds to tell how they went into the Cold, and
were cast away there 34
CHAPTER VI.
The Old Man meets the Little People under Peculiar
Circumstances, and relates to them how the Young Man, being
cast away in the Cold, rescued a Shipmate, and also other
Matters, which, if put into this Title, would spoil
the Story altogether 50
CHAPTER VII.
In which the Reader will discover, as the Little People did,
how a Life was saved, and a Life was begun 68
CHAPTER VIII.
In which the Mariner's Rest and the Ancient Mariner himself
receive Particular Attention 85
CHAPTER IX.
Contains a Recovery, a Discovery, and a Disappointment 90
CHAPTER X.
Shows how Some Things may be done as well as Others, with
God's Help and with much Perseverance 100
CHAPTER XI.
In which the Little People are convinced of the Goodness of
Providence, as the Reader ought to be,--seeing that to be
cast away is not to be forsaken 114
CHAPTER XII.
Relates how a Desert Island became a Rock of Good Hope,
and other Hopeful Matters which to be understood must
be read of 131
CHAPTER XIII.
The Ancient Mariner takes the Little People on a Little Voyage;
and the Little People become convinced that an Arctic
Winter, and Aurora Borealis, and an Ancient Mariner,
are very Wonderful Things 144
CHAPTER XIV.
Proves the Ingenuity of Seals, and shows that the Great
Polar Bear is no Respecter of Persons 162
CHAPTER XV.
Shows, among other Curious Matters, that two Boys are better
than one, and that Pluck is a Good Thing, especially
when Polar Bears are around 177
CHAPTER XVI.
Covers a Long Period of Time, and shows, among other Things,
how a Race may be lost at Both Ends 191
CHAPTER XVII.
A very Peculiar Person appears and disappears, and the Castaways
are filled alternately with Hope and Fear 207
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Number of Peculiar People appear, and the Castaways disappear
from the Rock of Good Hope 222
CHAPTER XIX.
The Peculiar People proving to be Savages, the Castaways
seize the First Opportunity to leave them, not relishing
their Company 238
CHAPTER XX.
Brings the Holidays of the Little People and the Story of
the Old Man to an End 254
CAST AWAY IN THE COLD.
CHAPTER I.
Relates how an Ancient Mariner met three Little People
and promised them a Little Story.
[Illustration]
A bright sun shone on the little village of Rockdale; a bright glare was
on the little bay close by, as on a silver mirror. Three bright children
were descending by a winding path towards the little village; a bright
old man was coming up from the little village by the same path, meeting
them.
The three children were named William Earnest, Fred Frazer, and Alice.
Alice was William Earnest's sister, while Fred Frazer was his cousin.
William Earnest was the eldest, and he was something more than eleven
and something less than twelve years old. His cousin Fred Frazer was
nearly a year younger, while his sister Alice was a little more than two
years younger still. Fred Frazer was on a holiday visit to his
relatives, it being vacation time from school; and the three children
were ready for any kind of adventure, and for every sort of fun.
The children saw the old man before the old man saw the children; for
the children were looking down the hill, while the old man, coming up
the hill, was looking at his footsteps.
As soon as the children saw the old man, the eldest recognized him as a
friend; and no sooner had his eyes lighted on him than, much excited, he
shouted loudly, "Hurrah, there comes the ancient mariner!"
His cousin, much surprised, asked quickly, "Who's the ancient mariner?"
And his sister, more surprised, asked timidly, "What's the ancient
mariner?"
Then the eldest, much elated, asked derisively, "Why, don't you know?"
And then he said, instructively: "He's been about here for ever so long
a time; but he went away last year, and I haven't seen him for a great
while. He's the most wonderful man you ever saw,--tells such splendid
stories,--all about shipwrecks, pirates, savages, Chinamen, bear-hunts,
bull-fights, and everything else that you can think of. I call him the
'Ancient Mariner,' but that isn't his right name. He's Captain Hardy;
but he looks like an ancient mariner, as he is, and I got the name out
of a book. Some of the fellows call him 'Old Father Neptune.'"
"What a funny name!" cried Fred.
"What do they call him Father Neptune for?" inquired Alice.
"Because," answered William, looking very wise,--"because, you know,
Neptune, he's god of the sea, and Captain Hardy looks just like the
pictures of him in the story-books. That's why they call him Old Father
Neptune."
By this time the old man had come quite near, and William, suddenly
leaving his companions, dashed ahead to meet him.
"O Captain Hardy, I'm so glad to see you!" exclaimed the little fellow,
as he rushed upon him. "Where did you come from? Where have you been so
long? How are you? Quite well, I hope,"--and he grasped the old man's
hand with both his own, and shook it heartily.
"Well, my lad," replied the old man, kindly, "I'm right glad to see you,
and will be right glad to answer all your questions, if you'll let them
off easy like, and not all in a broadside"; and as they walked on up the
path together, William's questions were answered to his entire
satisfaction.
Then they came presently to Fred and Alice, who were introduced by
William, very much to the delight of Fred; but Alice was inclined to be
a little frightened, until the strange old man spoke to her in such a
gentle way that it banished all timidity; and then, taking the hand
which he held out to her, she trudged on beside him, happy and pleased
as she could be.
The party were not long in reaching the gate leading up to the house of
William's father. A large old-fashioned country-house it was, standing
among great tall trees, a good way up from the high-road; and William
asked his friend to come up with them and see his father, "he will be so
delighted"; but the old man said he "would call and see Mr. Earnest some
other time; now he must be hurrying home."
"But this isn't your way home, Captain Hardy,--is it?" exclaimed
William, much surprised. "Why, I thought you lived away down below the
village."
"So I did once," replied the old man; "that is, when I lived anywhere
at all; but you see I've got a new home now, and a snug one too. Look
down there where the smoke curls up among the trees,--that's from my
kitchen."
"But," said William, "that's Mother Podger's house where the smoke is."
"So it was once, my lad," answered the old man; "but it's mine now; for
I've bought it, and paid for it too; and now I mean to quit roaming
about the world, and to settle down there for the remainder of my days.
You must all come down and see me; and, if you do, I'll give you a sail
in my boat."
"O, won't that be grand!" exclaimed William; and Fred and Alice both
said it would be "grand"; and then they all put a bold front on, and
asked the old man if he wouldn't take them to see the boat now, they
would like _so_ much to see it.
"Certainly I will," answered the old man. "Come along,"--and he led the
way over the slope down to the little bay where the boat was lying.
"There she is!" exclaimed he, when the boat came in view. "Isn't she a
snug craft? She rides the water just like a duck,"--whereupon the
children all declared that they had never, in all their lives, seen
anything so pretty, and that "a duck could not ride the water half so
well."
It was, indeed, a very beautiful little boat, or rather yacht, with a
cosey little cabin in the centre, and space enough behind and outside of
it for four persons to sit quite comfortably. The yacht had but one
mast, and was painted white, both inside and out, with only the faintest
red streak running all the way around its sides, just a little way above
the water-line.
Captain Hardy (for that was the old man's proper name and title, and
therefore we will give it to him) now drew his little yacht close in to
a little wharf that he had made, and the children stepped into it, and
ran through the cosey cabin, which was but very little higher than their
heads, and had crimson cushions all along its sides to sit down upon.
These crimson cushions were the lids of what the Captain called his
"lockers,"--boxes where he kept his little "traps." In this little cabin
there was the daintiest little stove, on which the Captain said they
might cook something when they went out sailing.
When they had finished looking at the yacht, they jumped ashore again,
and then, after securing the craft of which he was so proud, the Captain
took the children to his house. It was a cunning little house, this
house of the Captain's. It was only one story high, and it was as white
and clean as a new table-cloth, while the window-shutters were as green
as the grass that grew around it. Tall trees surrounded it on every
side, making shade for the Captain when the sun shone, and music for the
Captain when the wind blew. In front there was a quaint porch, all
covered over with honeysuckles, smelling sweet, and near by, in a
cluster of trees, there was a rustic arbor, completely covered up with
vines and flowers. Starting from the front of the house, a path wound
among the trees down to the little bay where lay the yacht; and on the
left-hand side of this path, as you went down, a spring of pure water
gurgled up into the bright air, underneath a rich canopy of ferns and
wild-flowers.
William was much surprised to find that this house, which everybody knew
as "Mother Podger's house," should now really belong to Captain Hardy;
and he said so.
"You'd hardly know it, would you, since I've fixed it up, and made it
ship-shape like?" said the Captain. "I've done it nearly all myself too.
And now what do you think I've called it?"
The children said they could never guess,--to save their lives, they
never could.
"I call it 'Mariner's Rest,'" said the Captain.
"O, how beautiful! and so appropriate!" exclaimed William; and Fred and
Alice chimed in and said the same.
"And now," went on the Captain, "You must steer your course for the
'Mariner's Rest' again,--right soon, too, and the old man will be glad
to see you."
"Thank you, Captain Hardy," answered William, with a bow. "If we get our
parents' leave, we'll come to-morrow, if that will not too much trouble
you."
"It will not trouble me at all," replied the Captain. "Let it be four
o'clock, then,--come at four o'clock. That will suit me perfectly; and
it may be that I'll have," continued he, "a bit of a story or two to
tell you. Besides, I think I promised something of the kind before to
William, when I came home this time twelvemonth ago. Do you remember it,
my lad?"
William said he remembered it well, and his eyes opened wide with
pleasure and surprise.
"Now what is it?" inquired the Captain, thoughtfully. "Was it a story
about the hot regions, or the cold regions? for you see things don't
stick in my memory now as they used to."
"It was about the cold regions, that I'm sure of," replied William; "for
you said you would tell me the story you told Bob Benton and Dick
Savery,--something, you know, about your being _'cast away in the
cold,'_ as Dick Savery said you called it."
"Ah, yes, that's it, that's it," exclaimed the old man, as if recalling
the occasion when he had made the promise with much pleasure. "I
remember it very well. I promised to tell you how I first came to go to
sea, and what happened to me when I got there. Eh? That was it, I
think."
"That was exactly it, only you said you were 'cast away in the cold,'"
said William.
"No matter for that, my lad," replied the Captain, with a knowing
look,--"no matter for that. If you know how a story's going to end, it
spoils the telling of it, don't you see? Consider that I didn't get cast
away, in short, that you know nothing of what happened to me, only that
I went to sea, and leave the rest to turn up as we go along. And now,
good-day to all of you, my dears. Come down to-morrow, and we'll have
the story, and maybe a sail, if the wind's fair and weather fine,--at
any rate, the story."
The children were probably the happiest children that were ever seen, as
they turned about for home, showering thanks upon the Captain with such
tremendous earnestness that he was forced in self-defence to cry,
"Enough, enough! run home, and say no more."