Part 40 (2/2)

”You don't take,” said Ralph. ”It is fenders to throw overboard when the ice is too obtrusive, isn't it, sir?”

”That's it,” said the captain, laughing. ”Sometimes the bergs may be a bit too pressing with their attentions, and then I'll hang these over.

That's it.”

It took nearly a fortnight to complete the manufacture of these fenders or trusses, for each of them was some twelve feet long by three in diameter composed of compressed straw and s.h.i.+elded by knitted ropework.

To the captain's foresight in making these fenders, they several times owed the safety of their gallant s.h.i.+p during the winter that followed.

A whole month pa.s.sed away. The sun now set every night, and the still, long day began to get sensibly shorter.

The progress northward was hindered by dense white fogs, which at times hugged the s.h.i.+p so closely that, standing by the bowsprit, you could not see the jibboom-end. The vessel, as Sandy McFlail expressed it, seemed enveloped in huge sheets of wet lint. Then the fog would lift partially off and away--in other words, it seemed to retire and station itself at some distance, with the ice looming through it in the most magical way.

At these times the s.h.i.+p would be stopped, and our heroes were allowed to take boat exercise around the _Arrandoon_, with strict injunctions not to go beyond a certain distance of the vessel. Their laughing and talking and singing never failed to bring up a seal or two, or a round-eyed wondering walrus, or an inquisitive bladder-nose, but the appearance of these animals, as they loomed gigantic through the fog, was sometimes awful in the extreme. When a malley or gull came sweeping down towards them it looked as big as the fabulous Roc that carried away Sinbad the Sailor, and Rory would throw himself in the bottom of the boat and pretend to be in a terrible fright.

[The optical illusions caused among the ice by these fogs are well and humorously described in a book just to hand called ”The Voyage of the _Vega_” (Macmillan and Co). I myself wrote on the same subject _thirteen years ago_, in a series of articles on Greenland North.]

”Oh! Ray, boy, look at the Roc,” he would cry. ”I'm come for, sure enough. Do catch hold of me, big brother. Don't let the great baste carry me off. Sure, he'll fly up to the moon with me, as the eagle did with Daniel O'Rourke.”

I think the fog must have caused delusions in sound as well as sight, else why the following.

They were pulling gently about, one day, in the first whaler, when, borne along on the slight breeze that was blowing, came a sound as of happy children engaged at play. The merry laughter and the occasional excited scream or shout were most distinctly audible.

”Whatever can it be?” cried Allan, looking very serious, his somewhat superst.i.tious nature for a moment gaining the ascendency.

”Sure,” said Rory, ”you needn't pull so long a face, old man; it's only the childer just got out of school.”

The ”childer” in this instance were birds.

”It's much clearer to-day,” said Stevenson, one morning, as he made his usual report. ”We can see the clouds, and they're all on the scud. I expect we'll have wind soon, sir.”

”Very well, Mr Stevenson,” was the reply, ”be ready for it, you know; have the fires lit and banked, and then stand by to get the ice-anchors and fenders on board,” (the s.h.i.+p was fast to a berg).

”There is a line of ice to the westward, sir, about a quarter of a mile off, and clear water all between.”

”Thank you, Mr Stevenson.”

But Stevenson did not retire. He stopped, hesitatingly.

”You've something to ask me, I think?” said McBain.

”I've something to tell you,” replied the mate, with a kind of a forced laugh. ”I dare say you will think me a fool for my pains, but as sure as you gentlemen are sitting there at breakfast this morning, about five bells in the middle watch I saw--and every man Jack of us saw--”

”Saw what?” said McBain. ”Sit down, man; you are looking positively scared.”

”We saw--_the great Sea-Serpent_!”

[What is herein related really occurred as described. I myself was a witness to the event, being then in medical charge of the barque _Xanthus_, recently burned at sea.]

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