Part 27 (2/2)
Then he appeared lost in deep thought, which seemed to absorb every sense, and his countenance became almost terrible in its fixed expression. At last, as if by no volition of his own, he uttered, in low, stern tones, the following rhapsody:--
”'You will meet in the desert of ice the man who will lead you to your heart's dearest wish. He shall lose, and you will gain.'”
La Salle's face was pale, and his lips firmly set, as he listened to the ending of this strange recital; but he took up the broken chain of evidence, with the firm intention of finding the missing links.
”Did you read my letter because you thought that Miss Randall might prove to be your sister?”
”Yes, Charley, I did. Her name was Pauline Hubel. She was named after our father, Paul Hubel. My name is Regnar Orloff Hubel.”
”Well, Regnie, all I can tell you now is, that the young lady's English is not the best in the world, and that she is an orphan child. Of the whereabouts of her adopted father she knows nothing, but in a book which I took up there one day, I found written, 'A. P. Randall;' and Mrs.
Randall said--”
”What?” asked Regnar, hoa.r.s.ely.
”That it belonged to her brother. Now, Regnie,” said La Salle, kindly, ”you know all that I can tell you. Perhaps you may find in the hilt of yonder antique weapon the clew to much more. But we have other duties to perform; and first, how shall we seal up this cave so that no one can possibly suspect our having entered this place. That Peter has the eyes of a lynx, and should he follow us, would not fail to discover all.”
”In an hour hence,” said Regnar, ”no human being can stand where we are now, and you can walk the stanchest hound over the ledge, without his dreaming of what lies beneath. Come up to the top of the berg.”
Taking their equipments, they left the grotto, and issued through the narrow entrance. Regnar pointed to a shelving path, like a shallow groove in the face of the cliff.
”Can we climb there?” said he.
”I should think so,” answered La Salle; and taking an axe and the end of the rope, he began to ascend the cliff along the shelving pathway. As he ascended, he heard behind him the blows of an axe, and, turning, saw Regnar cut a narrow cleft from the entrance of the cove to the level of the way to the top of the berg. ”Are you mad,” asked La Salle, ”that you scatter your chips about the berg like that, and into the very pathway?”
Regnar gave a finis.h.i.+ng stroke to his work, and came lightly up the path.
”I shall finish my work above,” said he; and in a moment more they stood upon the summit.
The brink of the pool lay near the edge of the cliff, and without stopping to look around him, Regnar commenced cutting a deep, narrow gutter from the pathway to the huge reservoir. As he struck the blows which shattered the thin wall of ice between the pool and its new outlet, the water poured in a stream a foot deep through the little ca.n.a.l, and down the slanting ledge into the cavern below.
”I understand it now,” said La Salle, ”and I now know why you lashed the body to its support.”
”Yes,” answered the boy, coolly, ”should any try to break into yonder tomb to-morrow, they would do so at the risk of their lives; but if we have a week of frost, the cove will be full to its outlet of solid ice.”
”But, Regnar, let us think of something else. Where are the islands we saw last evening? We ought now to be near the southern sh.o.r.e of the group.”
”We have been wedged off to sea by stranded ice, I should judge; for there, about fifteen miles to the northward, lies Amherst Island.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHAPTER XXI.
NORTHWARD AGAIN.--THE STEAMER.--TAKING TO THE BOAT.
”Yes, Regnar, we are now on the outer side of the pack, and the wind has s.h.i.+fted to the southward again. Look to the eastward, Regnie. Has not the pack broken up there?”
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