Part 8 (1/2)

So great had been the incline of the schooner that the end of the yard of the ed three or four feet into the crest of a wave When it eed Martin Holt, who had been astride on it, had disappeared A cry was heard, uttered by the sailing- amid the whiteness of the foa out one a rope, another a cask, a third a spar--in short, any object of which Martin Holt led up to ht of a massive substance which cleft the air and vanished in the whirl of the waves

Was this a second accident? No! it was a voluntary action, a deed of self-sacrifice Having finished his task, Hunt had thrown hiht save Martin Holt

”Two men overboard!”

Yes, two--one to save the other And were they not about to perish together?

The two heads rose to the foaorously, cutting through the waves, and was nearing Martin Holt

”They are lost! both lost!” exclaiive the order to lower it,” answered West, ”I will be the first to get into it, although at the risk of my life But I must have the order”

In unspeakable suspense the shi+p's crew and ht of the position of the Halbrane, which was sufficiently dangerous; all eyes were fixed upon the terrible waves Now fresh cries, the frantic cheers of the crew, rose above the roar of the ele ht, had seized hold of hi him with his left arm, while Holt, incapable of movement, swayed helplessly about like a weed With the other ar way towards the schooner

A minute, which see the other, were hardly to be distinguished in thewaves

At last Hunt reached the schooner, and caught one of the lines hanging over the side

In a minute Hunt and Martin Holt were hoisted on board; the latter was laid down at the foot of the foreo to his work Holt was speedily restored by the aid of vigorous rubbing; his senses came back, and he opcned his eyes

”Martin Holt,” said Captain Len Guy, as leaning over hiht back from very far--”

”Yes, yes, captain,” answeled Holt, as he looked about hiaze, ”but who saved me?”

”Hunt,” cried the boatswain, ”Hunt risked his life for you”

As the latter was hanging back, Hurliguerly pushed hiratitude

”Hunt,” said he, ”you have saved me But for you I should have been lost I thank you”

Hunt made no reply

”Hunt,” resumed Captain Len Guy ”don't you hear?”

The man seeain, ”come near to me I thank you I want to shake hands with you”

And he held out his right hand Hunt stepped back a few paces, shaking his head with the air of aso simple, and quietly walked forward to join his shi+porously under the orders of West

Decidedly, this e and selfdevotion; but equally decidedly he was a being impervious to impressions, and not on that day either was the boatswain destined to know ”the colour of his words!”

For three whole days, the 6th, 7th, and 8th of Deceed in these waters, accompanied by snow storms which perceptibly lowered the temperature It is needless to say that Captain Len Guy proved hi, that the crew seconded them loyally, and that Hunt was always foreer to be incurred

In truth, I do not kno to give an idea of this man! What a difference there was between him and most of the sailors recruited at the Falklands, and especially between hi-master! They obeyed, no doubt, for such a ood or ill will But behind backs what coed I All this, I feared, was of evil presage for the future

Martin Holt had been able to resuood-will He knew the business of a sailor right well, and was the only man on board who could compete with Hunt in handiness and zeal

”Well, Holt,” said I to hi with the boatswain, ”what terms are you on with that queer fellow Hunt now? Since the salvage affair, is he a little , and I think he even tries to avoid me”

”To avoid you?”

”Well, he did so before, for that uerly; ”I have made the same remark more than once”

”Then he keeps aloof from you, Holt, as from the others?”

”Fro of that?”

”I don't know, Mr Jeorling”

I was surprised at what the two men had said, but a little observation convincedin contact with Martin Holt Did he not think that he had a right to Holt's gratitude although the latter owed his life to hie

In the early e in the direction of the east, which would h the sea still re it became feasible to put on ained the course froed tempest

In that portion of the Antarctic sea the ice-packs were more numerous, and there was reason to believe that the te the s wall towards the east

Chapter XIII

Along the Front of the Icebergs

Although the seas beyond the Polar Circle ildly tuation had been accoood luck it would be if the Halbrane, in this first fortnight of December, were to find the Weddell route open!

There! I ah it were a macadamized road, well kept, with npost!

The nuave our men no trouble; they were easily avoided It seemed likely that no real difficulties would arise until the schooner should have to try to s

Besides, there was no surprise to be feared The presence of ice was indicated by a yellowish tint in the atmosphere, which the whalers called ”blink” This is a phenolacial zones which never deceives the observer

For five successive days the Halbrane sailed without sustaining any da, even for a moment, had to fear a collision It is true that inA proportion as she advanced towards the south the number of icepacks increased and the channels becaave us 72' 37' for latitude, our longitude re the same, between the forty-second and the forty-third meridian This was already a point beyond the Antarctic Circle that few navigators had been able to reach We were at only two degrees lower than Weddell

The navigation of the schooner naturally became a more delicate matter in the midst of those dim, wan masses soiled with the excreta of birds Many of them had a leprous look: compared with their already considerable volume, how ss already towered, must have appeared!

Captain Len Guy admirably combined boldness and prudence in his command of his shi+p He never passed to leeward of an iceberg, if the distance did not guarantee the success of any ht suddenly becoencies of ice-navigation, and was not afraid to venture into the midst of these flotillas of drifts and packs That day he said to ; this is not the first time that I have tried to penetrate into the Polar Sea, and without success Well, if Ibut presuo upon, what shall I not do now that presued into certainty?”