Part 38 (1/2)
[Both these adventures are sketched from the life.]
When safe to bank, and when he noticed the manner in which he had been helped out, poor Allan felt sick, there is no other name for it.
”Oh, Ralph, Ralph!” he said, clutching his friend by the shoulder to keep himself from falling, ”what if I had killed you?”
When told of the incident that evening after dinner, McBain, after a momentary silence, said quietly,--
”I'm not sorry such a thing should have happened, boys; it ought to teach you caution; and it teaches us all that there is Some One in whose hands we are; Some One to look after us even in moments of extremest peril.”
But I think Allan loved Ralph even better after this.
Two weeks' constant sealing; two weeks during which the crews of the _Arrandoon_ and _Canny Scotia_ never sat down to a regular meal, and never lay down for two consecutive hours of repose, only eating when hungry and sleeping when they could no longer keep moving; two weeks during which n.o.body knew what o'clock it was at any particular time, or which was east or west, or whether it were day or night. Two weeks, then the seals on the ice disappeared as if by magic, for the frost was coming.
”Let them go,” said Silas, shaking McBain warmly by the hand. ”Thanks to you, sir, I'm a b.u.mper s.h.i.+p. Why, man, I'm full to the hatches. Low freeboard and all that sort of thing. Plimsoll wouldn't pa.s.s us out of any British harbour. But, with fair weather and G.o.d's help, sir, we'll get safely home.”
”And now,” McBain replied, ”there isn't a moment to lose. We must get out of here, Captain Grig, or the frost will serve us a trick as it did before.”
With some difficulty the s.h.i.+ps were got about and headed once more for the open sea.
None too soon, though, for there came again that strange, ethereal blue into the sky, which, from their experiences of the last black frost, they had learned to dread. The thermometer sank, and sank, and sank, till far down below zero.
The _Arrandoon_ took her ”chummy s.h.i.+p” in tow.
”Go ahead at full speed,” was the order.
No, none too soon, for in two hours' time the great steam-hammer had to be set to work to break the newly-formed bay ice at the bows of the _Arrandoon_, and fifty men were sent over the side to help her on. With iron-shod pikes they smashed the ice, with long poles they pushed the bergs, singing merrily as they worked, working merrily as they sang, laughing, joking, stamping, shouting, and cheering as ever and anon the great s.h.i.+p made another spurt, and tore along for fifty or a hundred yards. Handicapped though she was by having the _Scotia_ in tow, the _Arrandoon_ fought the ice as if she had been some mighty giant, and every minute the distance between her and the open water became less, till at last it could be seen even from the quarter-deck. But the frost seemed to grow momentarily more intense, and the bay- ce stronger and harder between the bergs. Never mind, that only stimulated the men to greater exertions. It was a battle for freedom, and they meant to win.
With well-meaning though ridiculous doggerel, Ted Wilson led the music,--
”Work and keep warm, boys; heave and keep hot, Jack Frost thinks he's clever; we'll show him he's not.
Beyond is the sea, boys; Let us fight and get free, boys; One thing will keep boiling, and that is the pot.
With a heave O!
Push and she'll go.
To work and to fight is the bold sailor's lot.
Heave O--O--O!
”Go fetch me the lubber who won't bear a hand, We'll feed him on blubber, we'll stuff him with sand.
But yonder our s.h.i.+ps, boys, Ere they get in the nips, boys, We'll wrestle and work, as long's we can stand, Then cheerily has it, men, Heave O--O--O!
Merrily has it, men, Off we go, O--O--O!”
Yes, reader, and away they went, and in one more hour they were clear of the ice, _the Arrandoon_ had cast the _Scotia_ off, and banked her fires, for, together with her consort, she was to sail, not steam, down to the island of Jan Mayen, where they were to take on board the sleigh-dogs, and bid farewell to Captain Cobb, the bold Yankee astronomer.--There was but little wind, but they made the most of what there was. Silas dined on board that day, as usual. They were determined to have as much of the worthy old sailor as they could. But before dinner one good action was performed by McBain in Captain Grig's presence. First he called all hands, and ordered them aft; then he asked Ted Wilson to step forward, and addressed him briefly as follows:
”Mr Wilson, I find I can do with another mate, and I appoint you to the post.”
Ted was a little taken aback; a brighter light came into his eyes; he muttered something--thanks, I suppose--but the men's cheering drowned his voice. Then our heroes shook hands with him all around, and McBain gave the order,--
”Pipe down.”