Part 12 (1/2)
”Yes, land,” answered the half-breed ”Islands or continent--understandthere until aid comes to him”
”There, where perhaps Willia back the discussion to more practical points
Captain Len Guy reflected for a little while, and then spoke: ”Is it true, Dirk Peters,” he asked, ”that beyond the eighty-fourth parallel the horizon is shut in by that curtain of vapour which is described in the narrative? Have you seen--seen with your own eyes--those cataracts in the air, that gulf in which Arthur Pym's boat was lost?”
The half-breed looked fro head
”I don't know,” he said ”What are you asking me about, captain? A curtain of vapour? Yes, perhaps, and also appearances of land towards the south”
Evidently Dirk Peters had never read Edgar Poe's book, and very likely did not kno to read After having handed over Pym's journal, he had not troubled hi retired to Illinois at first and to the Falklands afterwards, he had no notion of the stir that the work had reat poet had brought those strange adventures
And, besides, ht not Arthur Pym himself, with his tendency to the supernatural, have fancied that he saw these wondrous things, due solely to his iinative brain?
Then, for the first time in the course of this discussion, West's voice made itself heard I had no idea which side he would take The first words he uttered were: ”Captain, your orders?”
Captain Len Guy turned towards his creho surrounded hiround, ready to intervene if he should think it necessary
The captain questioned the boatswain and his co and anxious look, and I heard him mutter between his teeth,-- ”Ah! if it depended only on me! if I were sure of the assent and the help of thehly: ”Captain,” said he, ”it's two months since we left the Falklands Now, e which was not to take thes than Tsalal Island”
”That is not so,” exclaimed Captain Len Guy ”No! That is not so I recruited you all for an enterprise which I have a right to pursue, so far as I please”
”Beg pardon,” said Hearne, coolly, ”but we have coator has ever yet reached, in a sea, no shi+p except the Jane has ever ventured into before us, and therefore my comrades and I mean to return to the Falklands before the bad season Froo on to the Pole, if you so please”
A -master justly interpreted the sentiainst their opinion, to exact the obedience of these ill-disposed men, and under such conditions to risk the unknown Antarctic waters, would have been an act of teht about so upon Hearne, said to hiave you leave to speak?”
”The captain questioned us,” replied Hearne ”I had a right to reply”
The man uttered these words with such insolence that West, as generally so self-restrained, was about to give free vent to his wrath, when Captain Len Guy, stopping him by acan be done unless we are all agreed What is your opinion, Hurtiguerly?”
”It is very clear, captain,” replied the boatswain ”I will obey your orders, whatever they may be! It is our duty not to forsake Willia them remains”
The boatswain paused for a ns of approbation
”As for what concerns Arthur Pym--”
”There is no question of Arthur Pym,” struck in the captain, ”but only of my brother William and his companions”
I saw at this ht hold of his arer, but kept silence
The captain continued his questioning of the ht reckon The old crew to a ed themselves to obey his orders io
Three only of the recruits joined those faithful sealish sailors The others were of Hearne's opinion, holding that for then was ended at Tsalal Island They therefore refused to go beyond that point, and formally demanded that the shi+p should be steered northward so as to clear the icebergs at the most favourable period of the season
Twenty men were on their side, and to constrain the of the shi+p if she were to be diverted to the south would have been to provoke them to rebel There was but one resource: to arouse their covetousness, to strike the chord of self-interest
I intervened, therefore, and addressed them in a which placed the seriousness of my proposal beyond a doubt
”Men of the Halbrane, listen to es of discovery in the Polar Regions, I offer a reward to the crew of this schooner Two thousand dollars shall be shared ahty-fourth parallel”
Nearly seventy dollars to eachtemptation
I felt that I had hit the reement to that effect,” I continued, ”with Captain Len Guy as your representative, and the suained shall be handed to you on your return, no matter under what conditions that return be accomplished”
I waited for the effect of this pro
”Hurrah!” cried the boatswain, acting as fugleman to his comrades, who almost unanimously added their cheers to his Hearne offered no farther opposition; it would always be in his power to put in his hen the stances should be ain my ends, I have rees of the South and, if the Halbrane should indeed reach that spot, it would never cost me more than fourteen thousand dollars
Early in theof the 27th of Dece south-west
After the scene of the preceding evening Captain Len Guy had taken a few hours' rest Iabout fore and aft, and he called us both to hi that I ca our schooner back to the north! I felt I had not done all I ought to do for our unhappy fellow-countryainstbeyond Tsalal Island”
”That is true, captain; there was a beginning of indiscipline on board, and perhaps it ht have ended in a revolt”
”A revolt we should have speedily put down,” said West, coolly, ”were it only by knocking Hearne, who is always exciting the mutinous men, on the head”
”And you would have done well, Je satisfied, ould have becoether, which we ?”
”Of course, captain, it is better that things passed off without violence! But for the future Hearne will have to look out for himself”
”His coreedy for the prizes that have been pro and persevering The generosity of Mr Jeorling has succeeded where our entreaties would undoubtedly have failed I thank him for it”
Captain Len Guy held out a hand to eneral conversation relating to our purpose, the shi+p's course, and the proposed verification of the bearings of the group of islands on the west of Tsalal which is described by Arthur Pyes of the earthquake did not extend to this group, and that itthe bearings”
”Which cannot bevery far off,” I added ”And then, captain, who knows but that your brother and his sailors e on one of these islands!”
This was ad eventuality, for in that case the poor felloould have fallen into the hands of those savages of whom they were rid while they remained at Tsalal
”Jeood way, and no doubt land will be signalled in a few hours Give orders for the watch to be careful”