Part 11 (1/2)

The sailor was gazing intently ahead, and did not look up at the sound of Bert's approach, or even when he spoke to him. He knew that the safety of the whole s.h.i.+p and those on board rested on him, and he was taking no chances.

He answered Bert's salutation civilly enough, however, but answered his questions only in monosyllables, and Bert soon gave him up as a bad job.

He realized, moreover, that the man was right, as it was against the s.h.i.+p's rules to talk while on duty.

So Bert leaned against the bulwarks in silence, having little else to do at the time, and gazed ahead in an abstracted fas.h.i.+on. No sound was to be heard save the wash of the water against the bows, and occasionally a shout or laugh from the athletes amids.h.i.+ps.

Suddenly Bert was roused from his reverie by a call from the lookout.

”Ice ahead! Ice ahead!” yelled the sailor, and dashed madly toward the stern, waving his arms wildly.

Bert gazed intently ahead, and could faintly make out a luminous ma.s.s some distance from the s.h.i.+p, but directly in its path. He was conscious of a feeling of damp chill in the air, too, and felt that they were nearing an iceberg. Suddenly the vibration of the engines ceased, and then started again, and Bert knew they had been reversed. The s.h.i.+p seemed to lose little of its speed at first, though, and the huge 'berg loomed up closer and closer. The helm had been put over, and the s.h.i.+p swung around obediently, and so approached the 'berg at an angle. Shouts and cries arose from the crew and some of the pa.s.sengers, and it was an exciting moment.

Gradually the s.h.i.+p lost its momentum under the reverse pull of the big propellers, but to Bert it seemed impossible that they could stop in time. Nearer and nearer they came, and the s.h.i.+p seemed wrapped in an icy fog. Now Bert could make out details of the 'berg, and even in such a time as this, when it seemed that he was approaching certain death, he noted idly the huge spires and needles of ice that rose into the blue sky like church steeples.

Now the good s.h.i.+p was almost touching the 'berg, but was at a long angle with it. Bert saw that the impact would not be as great as he had at first imagined, but nevertheless he awaited it with bated breath.

Then it came--a jarring, grinding, glancing blow, and the s.h.i.+p trembled from bow to stern. Huge fragments of ice clattered down on her decks, and some of her crew were badly hurt by flying ice splinters.

There was great confusion then, and a few of the crew started a rush for the boats, but were met before they could get there by Captain Everett and his first and second officers, all with revolvers in their hands.

”Back there! Back!” shouted the captain, and his ordinarily mild eyes blazed with an angry light. ”The first man who moves another step forward dies! Get back to your posts, every one of you, and be glad I don't shoot you like the dogs you are!”

Cowed by his determined demeanor, and that of the other officers, the men slunk back, and Captain Everett set about finding what damage had been done. Two sailors were sent below to inspect the hold, and the captain awaited their report with keen anxiety.

Soon the two men returned, and one said: ”There seems to be nothing the matter, sir, as far as we can make out. She doesn't seem to be taking in any water.”

”That's well!” exclaimed the captain, after the two men had saluted and gone forward. ”It's barely possible that the s.h.i.+p may not be much damaged, after all, although it seems almost incredible. However, we won't find any fault with providence if it isn't.”

Strange as it may seem, by what appeared to be almost a miracle the s.h.i.+p had come off from the encounter with a few bent bow plates and the loss of considerable paint.

Before long the s.h.i.+p had resumed its course, and the iceberg was falling rapidly to the rear. Bert had been the only person in the vessel's bows at the time of the collision, and he was soon encircled by a group of athletes anxious to hear the story.

”Believe me, fellows,” he said, in a sober voice, ”I gave us all up for lost. I thought our goose had been cooked, sure. Why, that 'berg looked as high as a mountain to me, and if we had hit it head-on it would have been all over but the shouting. It's a lucky thing the captain got warning in time to veer the steamer around a little.”

Everybody realized that they had had a very close escape from death, and for the rest of the day little else was talked about. It was just such a collision as had been responsible for the speedy sinking of the great liner _t.i.tanic_ with over two thousand souls on board. That s.h.i.+p had struck a glancing blow, in the same way that the _Northland_ had, but was less fortunate as to the result. A great projecting sliver of ice had penetrated the ill-fated vessel's hull, and within a few hours she was lying at the bottom of the sea. Indeed, at the present moment they were but a short distance from the leviathan's last resting place, and this made them realize all the more strongly what a miraculous escape they had had.

Needless to say, every precaution was taken to insure against a repet.i.tion of their recent experience, and the s.h.i.+p fairly crawled along at one-quarter speed. They sighted other 'bergs at intervals, but never near enough to give them any concern, and a day or so later were safely out of the danger zone. Then Captain Everett ordered full speed resumed, and the _Northland_ began to plow through the blue water at its customary good clip.

Training, which had been more or less interrupted by the recent exciting events, was resumed in good earnest, and everybody worked with a will to make up for lost time. Reddy had an eye for every athlete on board, and woe betide the man who was found s.h.i.+rking, even in the slightest degree.

He was sure to be forced to make up his deficiencies, with some extra hard training ”stunt” for good measure.

The second day after the encounter with the iceberg the sky became very overcast, and bore every sign of an approaching storm. The haze veiling the heavens became thicker and thicker, and the sun could be seen s.h.i.+ning through it only at rare intervals, and then very faintly.

The barometer fell lower and lower, and there was every evidence of the approach of a severe storm. Nor were these warnings groundless, as they soon had occasion to find out.

Everything aboard s.h.i.+p was made ready, and no movable object on the decks was left unsecured. The athletes regarded the approach of the storm with feelings more of interest than anything else, but Reddy snorted his disgust.

”Everything's agin' me,” he growled. ”This trip so far has been nothin'