Part 25 (1/2)
”We can take them alive, sir,” said Stevenson. ”Come along, lads.”
This last sentence was addressed to the boat's crew. ”Come along quick, and bring the ropes.”
Had old Seth been there, these young Bruins would soon have been la.s.soed. But McBain's men were not over expert at such work. They did manage to rope one in a few minutes, but the other gave them a deal of trouble--sport one man erroneously called it. He invariably flew at the man who tried to throw the rope, and the man invariably made his feet his friends, thus giving another man a chance to try his skill. If he failed he had to run next, and so on until at long last one more adroit or more fortunate than his fellow succeeded in throwing the la.s.so over the young bear's neck, and brought it half strangled to the ice.
”A present for you, Captain Grig,” cried McBain, pulling alongside the _Canny Scotia_ with his double capture.
Silas was delighted when he saw the two live bears. ”Heaven bless you, sir!” he exclaimed. ”Why, sir, they'll fetch forty pounds each in the London _too_. Forty pounds, sir! Think o' that. Eighty pounds for the two o' them. Keep my little wife and all the family for a month o'
Sundays. Hurrah! matie, luck's turned.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
A NEW ARRIVAL--THE DOGS--TRAPPER SETH BECOMES KENNEL-MAN--PREPARATIONS FOR A GREAT SEAL HUNT--THE GREENLAND BEAR.
On the very day that McBain shot the great she-bear--for it was one of the largest that ever fell before a sportsman's gun--on that day, and on the afternoon of that day, just as our heroes were about to leave the island and re-embark on the _Arrandoon_, there landed from off that saucy ”little two-stick yacht” one of the tallest Yankees that ever stepped in boots.
Seth squeezed the hand of this countryman of his till tears sprang into the stranger's eyes; and they were not tears of emotion, nor sentiment either, but of downright pain.
”I say, siree?” cried the newcomer, shaking his hand and looking at the tips of his fingers, ”patriotism and brotherly love are both beautiful things in their way, but when it comes to squeezing the blood out from under a fellow's finger-nails, then I say, bother brotherly love.”
”I'm proud to meet you, sir,” exclaimed Seth, ”let us shake hands once more.”
”Never a shake, old man,” said the stranger; ”let us admire each other at a respectable distance. But come, gentlemen all,” he continued, turning to the others, ”you ain't going on board just yet. Come up with me to my house. I daresay you've been there already; but come back and break bread with Nathaniel Cobb, sometimes called the Little Wonder, because I ain't much more'n seven feet high.”
Nat Cobb's boat's crew were Norwegians every one of them, short, somewhat squat, fair-haired fellows, but as active and bustling as a corresponding number of well-bred fox-terriers. A couple of them were moving on ahead now, with an immense basket between them.
”That's the dinner,” said the Little Wonder; ”and you'll find there's enough for all hands, too.”
”Well, gentlemen,” Nat said, when everybody had done justice to the good things placed before them, ”let us drink each other's healths in a cup of fragrant mocha, for that's the wine for Greenland weather.
Gentlemen, I look around me at your smiling faces, and I pledge you and bid you welcome to my island of Jan Mayen.”
”Hallo!” thought Rory, ”_your_ island.”
”Yes, gentlemen,” continued Nat, looking as if he really read Rory's thoughts, ”_my_ island. Six months and more ago I annexed it, and to-morrow once again the stars and stripes will proudly flutter from yonder flagstaff, and the bird o' freedom will soar over this wild mountain land.”
Apart from his queer, half-boastful speech, Nat Cobb was a very agreeable companion.
He was very frank at all events.
After looking at Rory for the s.p.a.ce of half a minute, he suddenly stretched out his hand.
”I like you,” he said, ”muchly, and I like you all. It is from men like you that the mightiest republic in the world has been built. But why don't you speak more, Rory, as your messmates call you?”
”Ach! troth?” said Rory, ”and sure I'm driving _tandem_ with the thinking.”
”And you're wondering,” said Nat, ”where a piece of elongated mortality like myself stretches himself of a night on board the _Highflier_?”
”Seeing,” replied Rory, laughing, ”that you're about as long as the keel, and maybe a bit longer, I may well wonder that same; and unless you lean against a mast, I don't quite see how you can stretch yourself.”
”Well, young sir, I'll tell you how I do it. I double up into four, and lie on my back! that is how it's done.”
The Little Wonder went off with our party to the _Arrandoon_; and as Yankees are ever ready to trade, he had not been long on board when McBain had purchased from him a dozen of his best dogs. They were to be kept until the s.h.i.+p returned from a week's sport among the old seals, then taken on board just before the _Arrandoon_ left for the extreme north. Old Seth was duly told off to superintend the erection of kennels, forward near the bows, and old Seth was in his glory in consequence.