First at the North Pole Part 28

"If that iceberg hit us, it would knock us to flinders," was Chet's comment, as he viewed the oncoming ma.s.s.

On one side of the ship were the icebergs, and on the other the floating cakes, the latter growing thicker every minute. The _Ice King_ was turned into the floating cakes, which thumped and b.u.mped loudly on the bow and sides. Then came an unexpected crashing from the stern.

"What's that?" cried the mate, who was at the wheel, steering under Captain Williamson's directions.

"Ice in the propeller!" answered a sailor.

As he spoke the engine stopped, and in a twinkling the steamer swung around until her bow pointed directly toward the big iceberg.

"Look! look!" yelled Andy. "We are going to be hit, sure!"

"If we are, we are doomed!" echoed Chet.

Before anything could be done the big iceberg came drifting on them, slowly and majestically, a very mountain of crystal-like whiteness. So terrible was it that it fascinated the boys, who could do nothing but stare in commingled wonder and horror. An upper ma.s.s of the iceberg hung over the top, as if ready to fall and crush the steamer beneath it.

A moment pa.s.sed--to the lads it seemed an eternity,--and then the big iceberg sc.r.a.ped the side. There was a strange grinding and crashing, and some pieces of ice came showering on the deck. Then the steamer began to rock, and some of the shrouds became entangled in the ma.s.s that overhung the deck. The _Ice King_ commenced to move backward.

"We are being carried along by the iceberg!" cried Barwell Dawson, and his words told the truth of the awful situation.

CHAPTER XVIII

SHOOTING WILD GEESE

It was certainly a time of extreme peril, and the boys realized it fully as well as did the men. The steamer was caught in the grip of the big iceberg, and the deck was directly beneath an overhanging portion that might at any time break off and crush the vessel and all on board.

Captain Williamson had run aft to learn what could be done with the propeller, and he had already told the mate to get the sailors out with fenders to save the ship as much as possible from chafing on the side of the berg.

"The loose ice on the other side helps to keep us against the big berg,"

said Barwell Dawson.

"I have tried to get some pictures, but the big iceberg is too close,"

came from Professor Jeffer, who was as cool as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Well, we're going to get away from it mighty quick,--if we can,"

answered Mr. Camdal, pointedly. The close quarters did not suit him any better than it suited Mr. Dawson and the boys.

To clear the propeller a man had to be hoisted over the stern in a sling. He carried with him a pickpole, and with this dug out the cake which had become caught in the blades of the propeller.

This work had hardly been accomplished when another grinding sound came from the big iceberg, and a shower of small ice came down on the forecastle, knocking out several lights of gla.s.s. Andy was struck on the head and hurled flat.

"Oh, Andy, are you hurt?" cried Chet, in alarm, as he rushed to his chum's a.s.sistance.

"Not much, but that was a pretty good crack," was Andy's reply, as he felt his head where a lump was rapidly rising.

"You boys had better go below," said Barwell Dawson. "You can't do anything up here, and you may get a worse dose next time."

But the lads were loath to retire, and so lingered on the deck, but took good care to keep out of the way of the ice that fell a little later.

Finding that the propeller would now work, Captain Williamson gave orders for full speed astern. As soon as the engines started there was more crashing of ice, the small stuff being ground down under the ship, and the ice of the pinnacle breaking off along the shrouds. Everybody on deck had to get out of the way, for the deck took on the appearance of "an ice-house upset," as Chet put it, big chunks of the frozen material lying in all directions.

"Hurrah! we are leaving the big iceberg behind!" cried Andy, a few minutes later, and his words proved true.

"I can see clear water ahead!" called out Professor Jeffer, shortly afterwards, and then he turned, to get the photographs he wanted of the big iceberg.

The report concerning open water was correct, and, having left the vicinity of the big iceberg, Captain Williamson had the steamer steered in something of a big circle. Thus they avoided all but the small ice.

The latter, however, thumped and b.u.mped on the bow and sides as strongly as ever, and once there came a shock that threw everybody on the deck headlong.

"I hope that doesn't damage us any," observed Andy, when this new scare was over.

"It may start some of the seams," answered Barwell Dawson, "although the vessel was reenforced to withstand just such knocks."

Inside of an hour the _Ice King_ had pa.s.sed all the big icebergs and a large portion of the floating cakes. Clear blue water was ahead, for which all on board were thankful.

"I didn't expect this, so far south," said Captain Williamson, after making a tour of the ship, and having had the deck cleaned up. "It is unusual."

"I know it," answered Barwell Dawson. "I am thankful we didn't run into the big iceberg at night."

"Yes, darkness would have made the situation much worse."

"Have we started any of the ship's seams?" asked Dr. Slade.

"Not as far as I have been able to discover."

The boys went to the forecastle to see what damage had been done there, and found the ship's carpenter putting in some new lights of gla.s.s. One sailor had received a black eye from a chunk of falling ice, but otherwise little bodily harm had resulted.

"Well, I call that a narrow escape," said Andy, after the excitement was over.

"So do I," responded Chet. "I don't want another such experience."

"You will have to go through harder things than that up north," said Barwell Dawson, who overheard the talk.

"We'll be prepared then," answered Andy. "This wasn't expected."

"I am afraid you boys don't realize what you are up against," went on the hunter and explorer. "We are going to face many perils in the polar regions. If you feel you don't want to go further, you can leave us when we get to Upernivik."

"No! no! we want to see this thing through, perils or no perils," cried Andy, hastily.

"Indeed we do!" added Chet. "I guess you'll find we can stand as much as anybody after we get used to it."

Late that afternoon the steamer came in sight of a large flock of wild geese. Professor Jeffer calculated that there must be thousands of them, and ran for his camera, to take some snap-shots.

"Can't we do a little shooting?" asked Chet, of Mr. Dawson. "They are heading this way."

Permission was granted, and both boys rushed below for shotguns. When they came up, the geese were flying almost directly over the _Ice King_, uttering their strange cries as they did so.