RESCUED
"LESLIE," exclaimed Ranworth. "Can you hear that?"
"Hear what, sir?" asked the lad.
Ranworth was almost the last of the injured men to be brought in by
means of the sleigh. He was still incapable of moving, and spent the
whole of his time lying in the shelter.
"It's a ship's siren," declared Ranworth with conviction.
Leslie listened intently, but could not agree with his patient's
declaration.
"I'll go outside and listen, sir," he said.
"Guy," he whispered, as he joined his chum, who was busily engaged in
teaching the cub to perform simple tricks, "Mr. Ranworth says he can
hear a steamer's siren. Can you?"
Guy listened intently.
"Not a sound," he replied.
Somewhat disheartened, Leslie returned to the hut, and in answer to
Ranworth's mute inquiry he shook his head.
"But I heard it distinctly while you were outside," he maintained.
"Ask the men if they heard anything."
Leslie did so, somewhat reluctantly, since he felt certain that it
was only raising false hopes. One and all were agreed that Ranworth
was imagining the noise.
"And I don't like the idea of having to disillusion him," said the
lad ruefully.
A quarter of an hour passed. The injured man still persisted in his
belief.
Suddenly there was a lull in the wind. Borne faintly through the
clear air came the dull booming of a steamship's whistle.
"Hurrah!" shouted the men in chorus. "That's the _Polarity_. We're
saved."
"She's ten miles off if she's a yard," declared Johnson. "It will
take her an hour at least to come up to the anchorage."
The overjoyed men were on the tiptoe of expectancy. A quarter of an
hour went by, but no further signals came from the approaching
vessel. Perhaps, after all----
The merest suggestion of disappointed hopes appalled them.
Again, this time ever so much louder, the welcome wail of the siren
was heard. This time there could be no doubt. The ship, whatever she
was, was ascending the inlet.
Soon the waiting men could detect the thud of the engines and the
thrash of the powerful propellers. Then, gliding majestically round
the last bend, came the _Polarity_. Her engines were reversed, and
as the ship gathered sternway her anchor plunged with a sudden splash
to the bed of the inlet.
"All safe?" shouted Captain Stormleigh through a megaphone.
"But two, sir," replied O'Donovan.
The cheers that were on the lips of the rescuing men were choked. In
the midst of the fitting climax to their endeavour they realised that
the perils of the Arctic had claimed their toll.
Two hours later, Claude Ranworth, Leslie, and Guy were standing by
the side of John Ranworth's cot. The _Polarity_ had weighed anchor
once more, and Nova Cania was already fading in the mists of the
Arctic.
"I suppose you know, old man, that we lost your precious platinum?"
asked John Ranworth.
His brother nodded his head.
"Yes," he replied. "But it's of little consequence now. I've come to
the conclusion that the game isn't worth the candle. But, thanks to
your efforts, under Providence, Jack, we're safe and sound and
homeward bound."
"Aye," agreed John Ranworth, "and not forgetting our young friends
Leslie and Guy. We'll have to fit out another expedition, Claude, to
retrieve our lost fortunes--but it won't be the Arctic next time.
Central Africa's the place, and when we do decide there are two
persons I shall ask to accompany us---Leslie Ward and Guy Anderson."
"Thank you, sir," replied the chums in one breath.
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[Transcriber's notes
This book contains a number of misprints.
The following misprints have been corrected:
[now was. it would] ->
[now was, it would]
[a dappper little man] ->
[a dapper little man]
[d'r'aps she'll] ->
[p'r'aps she'll]
[like mad?"] ->
[like mad!"]
because it is a statement, not a question.
[reported a ridge of hill] ->
[reported a ridge of hills]
[became imminent; the] ->
[became imminent: the]
[there could be do doubt.] ->
[there could be no doubt.]
[to accompany us---Leslie] ->
[to accompany us--Leslie]
]
End of Project Gutenberg's 'Midst Arctic Perils, by Percy F. Westerman