Part 3 (1/2)
Passing round some rocks, I saw several dark heads in the water, which I at once recognised as walruses As I felt sure they would not land to attack me, I went on without hesitation Presently I heard a shout
Looking round the rock I saw Mr Patterson, with his rifle clubbed, engaged in what seeh he was retreating, the creature, working its way on with its flappers, pressed him so hard that it was i my rifle, which I had hitherto carried athiet to one side of the walrus so that I ht take sure aim, when, to reat force The next instant the hugeits forht be killed I was still nearly twenty paces off, but there was not a ht take effect, I liftedto see the result ofin ti the mate out of the way of the monster's terrific tusks Thankful I was to see that the walrus was not ht with one blow of its tusks have killed theto Andreas, I supposed, not far off, I sprang forward
The walrus was dead, and so I feared was the mate Not a sound did he utter, and his eyes were closed It ith the greatest difficulty that I could drag hiain I shouted, and at last Andrew appeared, his countenance expressing no little dismay at what he beheld
”He is still alive,” he said, after he had examined the mate ”The walrus has not wounded hih pressed the breath out of his body, and may possibly have broken some of his ribs
We'll carry hiht a fire, and I hope he'll soon co the shore and sued to carry the mate to the cavern While Andrew attended to hiht the drift-e had collected, and getting some dry moss fro
Andrew reported unfavourably of the s fearfully crushed
”Much turns upon his having a good constitution to enable hiet over it,” observed my brother ”He has been a temperate man, and that's in his favour, but I wish that he was safe on board, as he requires careful nursing, and that's ion”
A restorative which the doctor always carried, at length brought the mate somewhat round, and he was able to speak
”Have you seen anything of the shi+p?” was the first question he asked
”No, we did not expect her so soon,” answered Andrew; ”she will coood time, I dare say!”
”Then where are the boats?” inquired the ed,” said Andreethe other to this side of the island In theill see what is best to be done”
The poor mate asked no further questions, but lay back in an almost unconscious state, while Andrew sat by his side, endeavouring to alleviate his sufferings
The rest of us, having cooked some venison, made a hearty supper, but theEwen andpot, in which hethe sail of the daht assist to shelter hiet the boat round to the bay, he thought it would be best to leave her there, and to let all the ear of the two boats, and as much of the wood of the wrecked one as they could carry His idea was to build a hut, or to reed that we should catch as ht haveourselves
”It will be wise at once to make preparations for the winter We , and fuel, and this will fully occupy all hands until the cold weather sets in,” said Andrew ”Had we been cast on shore here at the end of the summer, we should in all probability have perished; but now I hope that we shall be able to support existence until another spring, e may expect the appearance of a shi+p to take us off”
Our plans being arranged, Andrew told us to lie down and try and get so bear should pay us a visit, besides which he wished to attend to the ed hi to call him, should I fancy that our injured companion required his assistance He at last consented In a few minutes he and the rest of the party were fast asleep I carefullydrowsy, I took ht was tolerably light, indeed the darkness in that latitude was of short duration As I looked in the direction where the body of the walrus lay, I fancied I sao or three white objects on the rocks At first I thought that they were piles of snow or ice; but, watching the, and I had no doubt they were bears attracted by the body of the dead walrus, on which they expected to banquet I now regretted that we had not had time to carry off the skin, which would of course be torn to pieces and rendered valueless I was ht easily have done while they were feasting, but I considered that I ought not to leave my post, and I did not like to awake Andreho required all the rest he could obtain, I therefore returned to the cave and sat down by the fire, thankful for the wared I had been on watch a couple of hours, I arousedto shoot the bears, for even had you killed one the others ht have set upon you, and we cannot afford to lose another of our party,” he said ”Lie do, as you have a long journey before you; and I shall be glad if you can bring the ht sets in” It was broad daylight when my brother awoke me and the rest The mate appeared somewhat better, and, as he had no feverish sympto breakfasted and done up a portion of the cooked venison for provisions during our journey, Ewen and I set off, leaving Croil to assist ed us not to expend our powder on birds, or we ht have shot as e flocks on their way to stillsummer day without interruption I will not describe the journey, which we ed to accomplish in about six hours Sandy, who ca well, thankful for the food we had sent theet the boat round for the present, either over the ice or across the land
All hands therefore were ready to obey the directions Andrew had sent them While Ewen and I rested, theythe boat aed that side of the island, it was clearly impossible unless in the cal knocked to pieces; for the sea continually rolled in hugesound were shi+vered into frag that we had escaped, e looked at the spot where we had landed
”We are all ready, and if you and Ewen think you can trudge back by the way you have coht,” we answered, springing to our feet and taking our rifles, with a few articles--all the men would let us carry--we led the way
The men, however, had not taken any of the shattered boat, or oars, or spars, and it would, therefore, be necessary tothem across The other boat was turned bottos we had to leave placed under her We took longer to perfor, as the men, with their heavy loads, could not proceed as fast as Ewen and I had done On approaching the bay we looked out for Croil, e expected to see on the watch for us He was nowhere visible
We shouted to give notice that ere near, but no reply reached us
”He is probably in the cave assisting the doctor,” observed Ewen ”I hope thenear the shore, however,my brother, who had just come out of the cave He waved to us to hasten on
”Thank heaven you are co Croil He went away a couple of hours ago to collect drift-wood, and has not returned I could not leave the mate, who still continues in a very precarious condition, to look for him, and I fear that some accident has happened; probably he has been attacked either by a walrus or a bear, and, if so, I fear that he will be added to our list of casualties”