First at the North Pole Part 41

A few minutes later all sank into a profound slumber, from which they did not awaken until well in the morning. Then the barking of the dogs and the shouting of one of the Esquimaux made them leap up and crawl outside.

"Olalola says the wind has died down," said Barwell Dawson. "We may as well make the most of it."

A hasty breakfast was prepared, and inside of half an hour they were again on the way, toiling over ice that was rough in the extreme. They pushed on steadily until noon, when, it being bright sunlight, Professor Jeffer took another observation.

"One hundred and sixteen miles more," he said, after his calculations were complete. "We are gradually lessening the distance! We shall make it after all!" And his face showed his enthusiasm. To such a scientist as the professor, gaining the Pole meant far more than it did to the boys.

In the middle of the afternoon came another setback. Another lead came into view, broad, and with the water flowing swiftly. At this the Esquimaux shook their heads dismally.

"We cannot go over that," said one, in his native tongue.

"We must," answered Barwell Dawson, briefly. With the North Pole so close at hand, he was determined that nothing should keep him from reaching the goal.

The party gathered at the edge of the lead, and there found the ice cracked and uncertain. Andy was with Olalola, who had a sledge drawn now by but six dogs.

Suddenly, as the men were walking up and down the sh.o.r.e looking for some means of crossing the water, there came an ominous cracking. Andy tried to leap back, and so did Olalola, but ere they could do so the ice upon which they and the dogs and sledge were located broke away from the main field, and floated out into the lead.

"Look out, there!" exclaimed Chet, in horror.

"Throw us a rope!" yelled Andy, while Olalola uttered a cry in his native language.

But no rope was handy, and in a few seconds the strong current of the water carried the cake of ice far out into the lead. It still kept its balance, but there was no telling how soon it might turn over and send Andy, the Esquimau, and the dogs to their death.

"Oh, we must save Andy!" screamed Chet. "What can we do?"

"We'll do all we can," answered the explorer.

He ran to one of the loads and tore from it a long rope. Then he hurried along the edge of the lead, in the direction whence the current was carrying the flat cake of ice with its human freight.

Andy and Olalola saw the movement, and both understood at once that they must make some sort of a fastening for the rope, should they be able to catch it. With a sharp-pointed knife, Andy picked away a small hole, and in it set a peg taken from the sledge.

While the lad was doing this, Barwell Dawson curled up the rope as if it were a la.s.so. His outings on the plains now stood him in good stead, and he threw the end of the rope with the skill of a cowboy la.s.soing cattle.

Olalola caught it and slipped it over the peg, and then he and Andy did all they could to hold the peg in the ice.

It now became a question if the explorer could haul the floating ice in, or if the current would be too strong for him. Chet came to his aid, and so did two of the Esquimaux.

"Beware of where you stand!" sang out Chet. "The sh.o.r.e is cracked all along here!"

This was true, and all were in danger of going down. The ice was the most rotten they had yet encountered--why, they could not tell.

Working with care, they at last turned the floating ma.s.s sh.o.r.eward, until it b.u.mped lightly. But just as they did this, the ice at their feet began to give way.

"Jump for it! Don't wait!" yelled Barwell Dawson, and Andy jumped, and so did Olalola. The latter tried to drive the dogs, but ere he could do so the peg came up, allowing the rope to free itself, and off floated the big cake again, carrying the dogs, sledge, and supplies with it.

Andy and Olalola got into water up to their knees, but managed to throw themselves headlong on the firm ice and roll over and over to safety.

"I'm glad to see you safe," said Mr. Dawson, "but it's too bad about those dogs and the supplies."

"Can't we get them in?" asked Professor Jeffers.

"We can try it."

They did try it. But just below where they stood the lead widened out, and another lead cut crosswise, so their further progress was barred.

They stood on the edge of the ice watching the dogs and sledge disappear around a hill to the north of the lead. The dogs howled dismally, as if knowing they were doomed.

The loss of so many dogs and so much of their outfit sobered the entire party, and Estankawak berated Olalola soundly for allowing the team to get away from him. Estankawak had been faint-hearted for several days, and now he came to Barwell Dawson and advised that all turn back.

"We cannot reach the Big Nail," said he. "We have not enough food and not enough dogs." By the "Big Nail" he meant the North Pole.

"We have certainly suffered a severe loss, but I think we can reach the Pole anyway," answered Mr. Dawson.

"Estankawak wants to go back."

"Very well, you can go back if you want to,--but you'll have to go alone."

This, of course, did not suit the Esquimau at all. He said he wanted the other Esquimaux to go with him, and walked away, grumbling to himself.

"He'll have to be watched," said Chet to Andy, when he heard of this talk.

"Right you are," answered his chum. Andy had not suffered from his adventure, but it must be confessed that he had been badly scared.

On the following morning, while they were still trying to get over the lead, a strong wind came up from the northeast. This began to move the ice on the north sh.o.r.e, and in less than six hours the lead was completely choked up with it. When they looked at this transformation, the boys could scarcely believe their eyesight.

"Now is our chance!" cried Barwell Dawson. "Olalola says it is perfectly safe to cross the ice, although it will be a terribly rough journey."

They went forward, Estankawak most unwillingly, and inside of two hours left the lead behind them. They now struck ice that was comparatively smooth, so progress became more rapid. By the next day they were within just a hundred miles of their goal.

"We'll get there!" cried Andy, but in less than ten hours his tune changed, for it commenced to snow furiously, while the wind became a perfect gale. All hands were glad enough to crawl into some hastily-constructed _igloos_, and even the dogs sought whatever shelter they could find.

They were thus stormbound for several days. To make any move whatever would have been folly, and Barwell Dawson attempted none. Yet he chafed roundly at the delay, the more so as he saw his stock of supplies rapidly diminishing.

"We must go on shorter rations," said the explorer, and cut down the quant.i.ties that very day. This led to increased dissatisfaction on the part of Estankawak, and he conversed earnestly with another of his tribe, Muckaloo by name, but not in the hearing of Olalola.

"He is up to no good, and we must watch him," whispered Andy to Chet.

"Maybe he will try to bolt, and take some of our things with him."

This was just what Estankawak had in mind to do, and he readily got Muckaloo to join in the scheme. Early in the morning of the next day, when the weather showed signs of clearing, the two Esquimaux crawled out of their hut and sneaked over to one of the sledges and harnessed up the team of six dogs. On the sledge they placed such of the stores as were handy.

The boys were watching them, and Andy immediately notified Barwell Dawson.

"Going to mutiny, eh?" cried the explorer, and s.n.a.t.c.hing up a shotgun he ran outside without waiting to don his fur coat. He saw Estankawak and Muckaloo at the sledge, just ready to drive off.

"Stop, you rascals!" he roared, in the native tongue. "Go a step, and I'll shoot you down!"

The Esquimaux were startled, for they had not dreamed that any one outside of themselves was stirring in the camp. They looked at Barwell Dawson, and at the leveled shotgun, and Estankawak dropped the whip he had raised, while Muckaloo hung his head.

"You are going to stay with us," went on the explorer. "If you want to leave, you must go without any of our things."

"It is death to try to reach the Big Nail," growled Estankawak.