Wild Adventures round the Pole Part 41

McBain did not attempt to laugh him out of his story, but he made him describe over and over again what he had seen; then he called the watch, and examined them verbally man by man, and found they all told the self-same tale, talking soberly, earnestly, and truthfully, as men do who feel they are stating facts.

The terrible monster they averred came from the northwards, and was distinctly visible for nearly a minute, pa.s.sing between the s.h.i.+p and the ice-line which Stevenson had mentioned. They described his length, which could not have been less than seventy or eighty yards, the undulations of his body as he swept along on the surface of the water, the elevated head, the mane and--some added--the awful glaring eyes.

It did not come on to blow as the mate predicted, so the s.h.i.+p made no move from her position, but all day long there was but little else talked about, either fore or aft, save the visit of the great sea-serpent, and as night drew on the stories told around the galley fire would have been listened to with interest by any one at all fond of the mysterious and awful.

"I mean," said Rory, as he retired, "to turn out as soon as it is light, and watch; the brute is sure to return. I've told Peter to call me."

"So shall I," said Allan and the doctor.

"So shall I," said Ralph.

"Well, boys," said McBain, "I'll keep you company."

When they went on deck, about four bells in the middle watch, they were not surprised to find all hands on deck, eagerly gazing towards the spot where they had seen "the maned monster of the deep,"--as poet Rory termed him--disappear.

It was a cold, dull cheerless morning; the sun was up but his beams were sadly shorn--they failed to pierce the thick canopy of clouds and mist that overspread the sky, and brought the horizon within a quarter of a mile of them. They could, however, easily see the ice-line--long and low and white.

A whole hour pa.s.sed, and McBain at all events was thinking of going below, when suddenly came a shout from the men around the forecastle.

"Look! look! Oh! look! Yonder he rips! There he goes!"

Gazing in the direction indicated, the hearts of more than one of our heroes seemed to stand still with a strange, mysterious fear, for there, rus.h.i.+ng over the surface of the dark water, the undulated body well-defined against the white ice-edge, was--what else could it be?-- the great sea-serpent!

"I can see his mane and head and eyes," cried Rory. "Oh! it is too dreadful."

Then a shout from the masthead,--

"He is coming this way."

It was true. The maned monster had altered his course, and was bearing straight down upon the _Arrandoon_.

No one moved from his position, but there were pale, frightened faces and starting eyes; and though the men uttered no cry, a strange, frightened moan arose, a fearful quavering "Oh-h-h?"--a sound that once heard is never to be forgotten. Next moment, the great sea-serpent, with a wild and unearthly scream, bore down upon the devoted s.h.i.+p, then suddenly resolved itself _into a long flight of sea-birds_ (Arctic divers)!

So there you have a true story of the great sea-serpent, but I am utterly at a loss to describe to you the jollity and fun and laughing that ensued, as soon as the ridiculous mistake was discovered.

And nothing would suit Ted Wilson but getting up on the top of the bowsprit and shouting,--

"Men of the _Arrandoon_, bold sailors all, three cheers for the great sea-serpent. Hip! hip! hip! Hurrah!!!"

Down below dived Ralph, followed by all the others. "Peter! Peter!

Peter!" he cried.

"Ay, ay, sir," from Peter.

"Peter, I'm precious hungry."

"And so am I," said everybody.

Peter wasn't long in laying the cloth and bringing out the cold meat and the pickles, and it wasn't long either before Freezing Powders brought hot coffee. Oh! didn't they do justice to the good things, too!

"I dare say," said the doctor, "this is our breakfast."

"Ridiculous!" cried Ralph, "ridiculous! It's only a late supper, doctor. We'll have breakfast just the same."

"A vera judeecious arrangement," said Sandy.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

LAND HO! THE ISLE OF DESOLATION--THE LAST BLINK OF SUNs.h.i.+NE--THE AURORA BOREALIS--STRANGE ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR.

"Well, Magnus," said Captain McBain one day to his old friend, "what think you of our prospects of gaining the North Pole, or your mysterious island of Alba?"

Magnus was seated at the table in the captain's own room, with an old yellow, much-worn chart spread out before him, the only other person in the cabin, save these two, being Rory, who, with his chin resting on his hands and his elbows on the table, was listening with great interest to the conversation.

"Think of it?" replied the weird wee man, looking up and glaring at McBain through his fierce grey eyebrows. "Think of it, sir? Why we are nearly as far north now as _we_ were in 1843. We'll reach the Isle of Alba, sir, if--"

"If what, good Magnus?" asked McBain, as the old man paused. "If what?"

"If that be all you want," answered Magnus.

"Nay, nay, my faithful friend," cried the captain, "that isn't all. We want to reach the Pole, to plant the British flag thereon, and return safely to our native sh.o.r.es again."

"So you will, so you will," said Magnus, "if--"

"What, another 'if,' Magnus?" said McBain. "What does this new 'if'

refer to?"

"If," continued Magnus, "Providence gives us just such another autumn as that we have had this year. If not--"

"Well, Magnus, well?"

"We will leave our bones to lie among the eternal snows until the last trump shall sound."

After a pause, during which McBain seemed in deep and earnest thought.

"Magnus," he said, "my brave boys and I have determined to push on as far as ever we can. We have counted all the chances, we mean to do our utmost, and we leave the rest to Providence."

Allan had entered while he was speaking, and he said, as the captain finished,--

"Whatever a man dares he can do."

"Brave words, my foster-son," replied McBain, grasping Allan's hand, "and the spirit of these words gained for the English nation the victory in a thousand fights."

"Besides, you know," added Rory, looking unusually serious, "it is sure to come right in the end."

The _Arrandoon_, wonderful to relate, had now gained the extreme alt.i.tude of 86 degrees north lat.i.tude, and although winter was rapidly approaching, the sea was still a comparatively open one. Nor was the cold very intense; the frosts that had fled away during the short Arctic summer had not yet returned. The sea between the bergs and floes was everywhere calm; they had pa.s.sed beyond the region of fogs, and, it would almost seem, beyond the storm regions as well, for the air was windless.

So on they steamed steadily though slowly, never relaxing their vigilance; so careful, indeed, in this respect was McBain, that the man in the chains as well as the "nest hand" were changed every hour, and only old and tried sailors were permitted to go on duty on these posts.