Part 11 (1/2)
And then, as if it were a hter still, as there was a wary, murky sea At that ainst an obstacle grew louder, as the fog rolled away from the shi+p off to the north, and five minutes later the crew burst into a loud cheer; for, flashi+ng froh the now iridescent mist, and so quickly that it was hard to realise the truth that astern, and to southward, the sea was sparkling like some wondrous stretch of sapphire blue, while the yards, stays, and ropes of the shi+p, which were hung with great ht
The change was indeed wonderful, and, feeling as if he must climb up somewhere and shout, and then that he should like to run to the door of the galley and shake hands with Watty Links, Steve drew in long, deep breaths of soft, warm air But he neither shouted nor shook hands with the cook's boy, for he stood with Captain Marsha for the explanation of the heavy, increasing roar which came fro to the north-west, a couple of hundred yards on the starboard bow, and rising up to the skies, now one glorious span of silver and gold
They had not long to wait, for the fog was gliding away fast before the soft, su froan to look white, a minute later it could be seen to be in wild commotion, and in another minute to north and south there lay, not more than a mile away, a wave-beaten beach, upon which the blue waves beat and fell back in dazzling silver and diamond spray with a tremendous roar
But there was plenty yet to see; for, as the row reat clouds up so, narrow beach; then a line of chaotic rocks, which had fallen froher, cliff upon cliff, weather-beaten to a hundred hues; and up above these again, toweringbeauty to the scene, the clouds rolled away frohts, croith dazzling ice and snow, vivid and beautiful in the glorious summer sun
”That's worth some trouble to come and see!” said Captain Marsham
”Worth trouble?” cried Steve, whose heart elling with delight and the words he wanted to say ”Oh!”
That ejaculation contained all It was very short, but it ; and it was soazing at and as being done
It ith quite a start that he turned on being touched upon the shoulder, and found Dr Handsob at his side
”Well, Steve boy,” said the doctor, ”what do you think of Jan Mayen?”
”Is this Jan Mayen--the island?”
”Yes”
”Beautiful! lovely! What a place to live in!”
”Delightful!” said the doctor drily ”Not a tree hardly a green thing, eternal ice and snow!”
”Oh, but it's dazzling, lovely!”
”Yes, when the mist's off it,” said the doctor
”And it is not quite off thatat is from a volcano”
”And shall we land and explore it?”
”I hope so”
”When?”
”That depends on the captain I hope to spend a few good days there”
”And do you think _they_ are here?”
”Impossible to say yet,” said the doctor ”If our friends have taken refuge here, it will be on this southern shore, where they could get n of a wreck But there, I daresay Captain Marsham will run close in for us to explore”
By this ti before the in the sunshi+ne like a band of silver stretching beyond the floe, the ice of the polar ocean It was miles away to north, to east, and west, and apparently only a few feet above the sea, that, strain their eyes as they would, there was always the floe offering itself as a barrier to stay further progress in that direction