Part 13 (1/2)
”Now give way, lads, for your lives,” cried Shafto.
The water around them became violently agitated, and the huge ice-rock swayed to and fro. Shafto cast an anxious look behind him. Its tall summit seemed to be bending over. Where was the other boat? No one could tell. There was little time for thinking of their friends; their own probable fate absorbed all their attention. The men bent to their oars, looking up with horror in their eyes towards the ma.s.s which seemed about to come down and crush them. The ice on which they had lately stood disappeared. Large ma.s.ses of frozen snow came hurtling down, falling with loud splashes into the water on either side of them. One such ma.s.s would have been sufficient to send their boat to the bottom; but only a few small fragments fell on board, and no one was hurt. Then came a cry of terror from many a usually stout heart. The summit of the ice-mountain bent over more and more. What chance had they of escaping from beneath it? Down, down it came with a terrific splash into the hitherto calm sea, throwing up the foaming waters, which dashed over them in dense showers, while the wave raised by the fall of the berg, as it rolled after the boat, seemed as if it were about to break on board and swamp her. The crew needed no urging to put forth all their strength. The boat's stern rose high as it pa.s.sed under her, and then on she glided, away from the danger. They were saved! Narrow, indeed, was their escape.
”But where is the cutter?” exclaimed w.i.l.l.y, looking around. She was not to be seen.
The weather, which had hitherto been so calm, had been changing rapidly while they were engaged in killing the seals. A thick mist had rapidly swept over the ocean, and shut out even the huge ma.s.s of the overturned iceberg, which still floated upon the water. They shouted loudly, hoping that those in the cutter, if she was still above water, might hear them; but no answer came.
”G.o.d's ways are mysterious,” observed Mr Morley. ”He has thought fit to preserve us while our poor companions have perhaps been allowed to perish. To Him our thanks are due.”
The doctor and Captain Twopenny fired their rifles several times, but still there was no reply, and Harry reluctantly continued his course. A light breeze had sprung up, the sails filled, and the ”Ranger's” launch glided rapidly over the water. The doctor at once lighted the stove, and having melted the ice, filled all the water-casks. How eagerly did those who had for so many days tasted barely sufficient water to moisten their throats drink down large draughts of the pure liquid. A plentiful repast of seal cutlets and steaks was served out, and a small quant.i.ty of spirits to those who wished for them. All, however, felt very sad at the loss of their companions. ”Poor Peter Patch!” sighed w.i.l.l.y; ”I little thought, when he was joking with me this morning, that I should never see him again.”
For several days the boat ran on, the breeze having freshened considerably. The charts showed some rocks in their course. Harry kept a bright look-out for them. He was anxious to make them, if possible, at the same time that he dreaded running on them during the dark hours of night. Once more the wind fell, and by this time their water was again getting low. All the ice had been melted, and a good deal of the seal blubber burnt up. What remained was becoming far from pleasant, but the doctor insisted that it was too valuable to throw overboard.
Numerous birds were seen at different times, and several came near enough for the captain and doctor to get a shot at them. Several petrels and Cape pigeons were killed; but it was necessary to haul down the sails in order to pick them up. Though Harry did not like the delay, they were too valuable an addition to their larder to be lost.
It was wonderful all this time how Mrs Morley and her daughters bore up under the trials to which they were exposed. Poor Mrs Twopenny was the only invalid, she constantly requiring the doctor's attention. Thus day after day pa.s.sed away, Paul Lizard in vain trying to catch a porpoise or dolphin, or some other fish. Their dark backs were frequently seen as they swam by at a tantalising distance, and sometimes a whole shoal would appear, by the curious way in which they rose and sank as they darted forward near the surface, making it seem as if they were performing somersaults in the water. w.i.l.l.y could scarcely believe that they only rose to breathe, and that their backs but slightly moved out of the horizontal position, their peculiar shape giving them the appearance of diving. Whales, too, frequently appeared close at hand, sending forth from their blow-holes a column of foam-like breath--the spray which they forced up falling round in graceful jets. The doctor explained that the white spout which appeared was the warm breath of the animal, and not, as the sailors often suppose, a ma.s.s of foam forced from its nostrils. The whales were, however, too formidable antagonists to attack, even had one come near enough to allow Paul Lizard to send his harpoon into its back.
”No, no,” he observed; ”I know what I am about. We should get but little change out of one of those creatures if we interfered with it.
Much more likely to have the boat capsized or sent by its flukes to the bottom.”
The doctor had now again recourse to his still to obtain a supply of water. One of the casks was always left full, in case of emergency, should bad weather come on, and it be impossible to keep the stove alight. Again they were on a short allowance of food; the wet flour had become perfectly mouldy, and the biscuits were in very little better condition. Starving people only could have eaten them.
One evening, as the sun was setting, a blue hillock appeared rising out of the eastern horizon. At first it was so faint that few on board believed it to be land. Harry hoped that it might prove one of the rocky islets of which he was in search. All he could tell from the chart was its existence. Nothing was said about its size or height. He stood towards it, but the wind was light, and little progress was made.
The last pieces of seal blubber had been expended, and but one small cask of water remained. There was charcoal only sufficient to cook breakfast for the next day. Every one was suffering more or less from thirst.
”Cheer up, friends,” cried Mrs Rumbelow, whose throat, though she did not say so, was as if a hot iron had been thrust down it. ”Yonder is the land, and we there may hope to find water and provisions of some sort.”
The night was very dark, and anxious as Harry was to get on sh.o.r.e, he was afraid of running on some unknown reef, or pa.s.sing the rock, should he continue his course. He therefore hove the boat to, and, as many sailors have had to do, longed for daylight. w.i.l.l.y, that night dreamed of home more than he had done before, and of the loved ones there.
Sometimes, too, thoughts of his late s.h.i.+pmates came into his head, and they appeared to perform a fantastic drama before him. ”Harry,” he exclaimed, starting up, ”what has happened? You don't know what dreadful things I have been thinking about.”
Harry tried to calm his agitation, but it was no easy matter to do so.
The hards.h.i.+ps and anxiety he was going through told on the young boy's nerves, well-strung as they were; as also on those of many others aboard. Poor Mrs Morley struggled bravely; her daughters, feeling their situation not the less keenly, exerted themselves to the utmost to console her. The launch was still a considerable distance from the rocky island when daylight appeared. Harry, now once more easing off the sheets, stood towards it, proposing to go round, and stand in on the other side, knowing that on the weather side landing would be difficult.
As they approached, several parts of the rock were seen covered with white patches, and on drawing nearer, these patches appeared to be moving.
”Why, I believe, those are birds!” exclaimed w.i.l.l.y. ”See, there are hundreds of them. They appear to me to be arranged in rows one above another on the higher ledges of the rock.”
”They are penguins, I have no doubt,” exclaimed the doctor. ”Though they themselves are not very palatable food, their eggs, if any remain unhatched, will afford us some substantial meals. We shall not starve if we can get at them.”
The sun was very hot, and there was a great demand for water; but the doctor would only serve out half-a-gill to each person. He knew full well that in a short time the last drops would be reached, and that then their suffering, hitherto but moderate, would be greatly increased. The wind fell, and once more the oars were got out. As the rock was approached, it was evident that too much surf was breaking on it to allow of landing on that side. The boat was therefore rowed round it; and after coasting along the sh.o.r.e for a short distance, a small sheltered cove was found, into which they gladly ran. For the first time for many a day the wanderers at length stepped on firm ground. The ladies were first a.s.sisted to land, but they could with difficulty walk, after being cramped up for so long a time.
”I am afraid the island will afford but short rambles,” observed Harry; ”but we need fear no savages or wild animals.”
”The first thing to look out for, boys, is water,” exclaimed the doctor; ”though, by the appearance of these rocks, it may be a hard matter to find.”
While the females of the party preferred remaining near the little cove, the rest rambled away in search of the much-desired fluid. The doctor had taken his rifle, and w.i.l.l.y, by his direction, carried an axe in his belt, and a spar sharpened at the end.
”You observe, Dicey,” said the doctor, ”if we come upon any soft place, we shall, by driving this spar into it, more readily ascertain whether water is below.”
They had not gone far, however, before they saw how slight was the probability of discovering water. There might be some trifling rivulet formed by the melting snow, but hitherto not a trace of moisture had been seen on the hard dry rock. They were climbing the rocks when, having pa.s.sed a deep fissure, they saw before them a vast array of strange-looking birds perched on the crags above their heads.
”Come, w.i.l.l.y,” cried the doctor, ”we must have some of these fellows at once.”
Directly they were seen, the birds set up a loud concert of squeaking, squalling, and gabbling. The doctor shouted to w.i.l.l.y to come on, but so overpowering were the cries that he could not hear what was said. Each bird appeared to be endeavouring to out-squall and out-gabble its neighbour. Undaunted by the noise, the doctor climbed on, and was soon in the midst of the feathered colony. w.i.l.l.y followed close at his heels, when the birds fearlessly commenced attacking them, snapping at their legs, seizing hold of their trousers, and showing their anger in every possible way.