Part 15 (2/2)
It is not unlike my father's peat moss in the dreary depths of winter.
Where are the lofty pinnacled bergs I expected to see, the rocks and towers of ice, the green glistening gables, and the tall spires, like a hundred cathedrals dang into one?”
”Ah!” said McBain, laughing, ”just bide a wee, doctor lad, till we go farther north, and if you don't see ice that will outdo your every dream of romance, I'm neither Scot nor sailor.
”But what is this?” continued the captain. ”Who in the name of all that is marvellous have we here?”
”I 'spects I'se Freezin' Powders, sah,” was the reply of the little negro boy. ”Leastways I hopes I is.” Here the urchin touched his cap.
”Freezin' Powders, at your service, sah--your under-steward and butler, sah?”
”Well, my under-steward and butler,” said McBain; ”but whoever could have expected to see you rigged out in this fas.h.i.+on--pilot suit, fur cap, boots, and all complete? Why, who dressed you, my little Freezin'
Powders?”
”De minor ole gem'lam,” replied the boy; ”but don't dey fit, sah?
Don't dey become dis chile? Look heah, sah!” and Freezing Powders went strutting up and down the quarter-deck, as proud as a pouter pigeon; and finished off by presenting arms with his seal-club in front of his good-natured captain.
”Well,” said McBain, much amused, ”you are a comical customer. By 'the minor ole gem'lam' I suppose you mean honest Magnus? But your English is peculiar, youngster.”
”My English is puff.u.k, sah!” replied the boy; ”but lo! sah! suppose I not have dis suit of close, I freeze, sah! I no longer be Freezin'
Powders, 'cause I freeze all up into one lump, sah! Now, sah, I can go on shoh wid de oder officers.”
”Ho! ho!” laughed McBain; ”the _other_ officers. It's come to that, has it? But,” he added, turning to Allan and Rory, ”you'll look after the lad, won't you?”
”That will we,” said both in a breath.
Here are the names of those who went on sh.o.r.e in Jan Mayen on this memorable day--Allan, Ralph, Rory, Seth, and the doctor, with three club-armed retainers, and lastly, Freezing Powders himself.
They were a merry band. You could have heard them laughing and talking when they were miles away from the s.h.i.+p. They had to leap from one piece of ice to another; but as the bergs were from forty to fifty feet square--thus affording them a good run for their leaps--and as the pieces were pretty closely packed, jumping was no great hards.h.i.+p. When now and then they came to a bit of water that required a tolerable spring to get over, tall Ralph vaulted first, then brawny-chested Allan pitched Freezing Powders after him, whom Ralph caught as easily as if he had been a cricket-ball.
They landed on the island in a kind of bay, where the land sloped down to the snow-clad beach. Not far from the sea they were much surprised to find the ruins of huts that had been. No smoke issued therefrom now, but there was ample proof that roaring fires had once burned in each hut. They were partly underground, and though built of wood and sealskins they were thatched and fortified with snow. The largest cot of all was in the centre, and entering this they found a key to the seeming mystery, for here were evidences of civilisation. Pots and pans stood on the empty hearth; a chair or two, a truckle bed, a deal table and a book-cupboard, formed the furniture, and to cap all a written doc.u.ment was found, which informed them that this village had been the encampment for the summer months of a party of American walrus-hunters, the captain of which had aided science by making innumerable observations of a meteorological and scientific nature.
”I reckon,” said Seth, ”there ain't many parts o' the world where my enterprising countrymen hain't shown their noses.”
”All honour to them for that same,” said Rory; ”and troth, there isn't a mightier nation on the face of the earth bar the kingdom of Ireland.”
”Now, look here,” said Allan, ”this wee chap, Freezing Powders, will be far too tired if he goes with us; and here, by good luck, is a frozen ham in this enterprising Yankee's cupboard. I move we light a fire, hang it over it, and leave the little black butler as cook till we come back.”
”Bravo!” said Ralph. ”Allan, you're a brick. You won't be afraid, will you, Freezing Powders?”
”I stop and do de cookin', plenty quick,” answered the boy, briskly.
”Freezin' Powders never was afraid of nuffin in his life.”
So the fire was lighted--there was fuel enough in the hut to keep it going for a month; then, leaving the boy to watch the ham, away went our explorers, upwards and onwards, through the ruggedest glens imaginable; winding round rocks and hills of ice and snow, they soon lost sight of the primitive village, the distant s.h.i.+p, and the sea of ice itself.
They wandered on and on for miles, pausing often to allow Rory to make a sketch of some more than usually wild and fantastic group of ice-clad rocks or charming bit of scenery; but wherever they went, or whichever way they turned, there loomed the great mountain cone of Jan Mayen above them.
The scene was everywhere silent and desolate in the extreme, for not a breath of wind was blowing, not a cloud was in the sky, and no sign of life was there to greet them, not even a solitary gull or s...o...b..rd.
It wanted two good hours to sunset when they once more returned to the deserted village, eager to test the flavour of the Yankee's ham, for walking on the snow had given them the appet.i.te of healthy hunters.
<script>