Steve Young Part 50

At the first dismal squeal, but unnoticed by the occupants of the boat, the walrus herd stopped its retreat, at the second it turned, and at the third it came rushing back as fast as it could tear through the water.

But little heed was paid to this in the excitement of dragging the heavy calf over the side; for it "gave" in every way. There seemed to be nothing to grasp or of which to get a good grip, while to have hauled the animal in by the thin line looked like trying to cut it in two, as a shopkeeper does soap or cheese. But at last Andrew "got a han'," as he called it, of one hind flipper, Jakobsen of one of the fore flippers, Steve hauled in the line, and Johannes reached over and caught the other fin-like projection. Then there was a haul all together, and the squealing and snorting object rolled over the gunwale and down into the bottom of the rocking boat with what Hamish called "a squelch."

By that time a warning cry was heard from Mr Lowe's boat, and the party with the captain gazed in dismay at the fierce-looking herd charging down.

"Quick! oars!" cried the captain, and the men scrambled into their places with a scared look on their faces.

"It's the youngling's cries has brought them down," said Johannes calmly.

"You know these brutes of old," said the captain. "Will they attack us?"

"They'll come close up, sir; but I don't think there's anything to mind, or I would say throw the calf overboard."

"Yes, that might be the best thing to do."

"But I would not yet, sir. We'll see. These things look very big and fierce, and sometimes they can fight, but it's mostly bully and noise."

The rifles were ready, and the two Nors.e.m.e.n seized their lances, ready to repel any savage attack; while for a time the position of the party appeared to be one of extreme peril. But in this case it proved that, strong as was the desire of the animals to help and protect one of their young in trouble, it did not go far enough to make them run much risk.

The Nors.e.m.e.n in both boats were ready to add to their take by lancing any aggressive individual; but the herd kept at a safe distance, calming down when the pig-like creature in the boat was quiet, and bursting out into furious snortings and shows of attack whenever the unhappy little creature remembered its trouble and burst forth into a wail.

"There!" cried Johannes at last; "there is no danger. A few splashes of the oar will keep them off. Shall we harpoon another?"

"No," said the captain; "we will be content with what is done. We have the bear to get as well, so there is plenty of work."

The second boat threw a line on board, which was made fast, and with this help and the stout arms in their own boat, the dead walrus was towed along the open waterway to where the bear had been found. Then busy hands went to work skinning and flensing with such good will that at last, with both boats most unpleasantly loaded, as the doctor called it, they rowed back to the chasm and reached the ship in safety, well satisfied with their day's work.

There was no aggressive walrus herd to make its appearance now, for, in spite of an occasional wail from the captive, none of its relatives attempted to enter the pa.s.sage through to the fiord, and so the tremendous uproar which arose as soon as an attempt was made to get the captive on board the steamer, and which echoed loudly from the sides of the cliffs, was laughed at merrily, the men thoroughly enjoying the task of hoisting the slippery, yielding creature on deck. This was achieved by laying a tarpaulin in the bottom of the boat, rolling the cub over, lashing the corners together, and hoisting and hauling it up to the gangway, where a little more snorting and barking of a pig-like nature resulted in the little animal settling down in the bows penned up by a couple of gratings, and going to sleep in the warm sun, evidently thoroughly appreciating the dry nature of its new bed.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

THE HEALING OF A FEUD.

Upon the principle of making hay while the sun shone, the little imprisoned party worked hard amongst the walrus, and with so much success, that there seemed to be no doubt about the cargo defraying the expenses of the expedition, and, if it should prove necessary, paying for a second voyage the next year.

"If we can get out," said Steve one day, when the subject was being discussed in the cabin.

"We must take that for granted, my lad," said the captain. "There are many reasons why it is possible for the ma.s.s of ice at the bottom of the fiord to give way. The outside must always be weakening, and the pressure on the inner increasing by the constant flow of water into the fiord, which is rising day by day. That pa.s.sage does not take off half as much as appears to come in somewhere from the rocks, and sooner or later this must break through the ice. If it comes to the worst, we must turn engineers and block the pa.s.sage by blasting down stones in that narrowest part till we have dammed the way out. We should then turn this fiord into a lake, which would, sooner or later, burst down its southern bank."

There was a little talk that evening, too, about the sun, whose career above the horizon was coming to an end, the height at noon being far less, and at midnight so close down to the horizon that it ceased to shine down into the glen, the rays being hid by the glacier. This fact brought forth serious thoughts, for it suggested the time when the brief summer would be drawing to a close, and the approach of that long period during which the arc described by the sun grew lower and lower until it ceased to appear at all, and then came the worst of the wintry time-- that when, saving the rays of the moon, stars, and aurora, there was no light.

"I don't want to suggest difficulties," said the doctor suddenly; "but suppose, when the time for fine weather to be at an end comes, there is no chance of our escape--always supposing that we have seen nothing of the _Ice Blink_ people--what then?"

"In plain English," said the captain, "we must make up our minds to pa.s.s the winter here."

"The winter?" cried Steve.

"Yes, my lad. Why not? We have snug, warm quarters, which we can make warmer, for I saw traces of coal up yonder in the valley close to the glacier. Food is plentiful, and what men have done before men can do again."

"If there is no help for it, we must submit," said the doctor.

"Better submit than venture to sea in these two boats," said the captain; "and in case of the first emergency, I propose that we begin exploring the land now. We have thoroughly examined all the coast that we could reach north and south."

"And hunt as we go?" said the doctor.

"And hunt as we go, so as to lay in a good store of fresh meat. This will freeze and keep any length of time. I don't think our prospects are so bad--that is, for seamen."

"I thought we should have found some trace of our friends," said the doctor; but the captain shook his head.

"It is all the merest chance," he said; "we have nothing to guide us.

They might have been at Jan Mayen, or up on the north coast of Greenland or the coast of Spitzbergen, or they might be here in the next valley, or north or south where we could not penetrate. On the other hand, they may be in Novaya-Zemlya, or in some region of the far north never yet penetrated by others. Feeling all this has made me think that it will be by accident we shall meet our friends more than by searching; but we shall go on searching all the same."

"Then you will make a start to-morrow?"

"Yes, as soon as the carpenter has knocked together a few bars, to make a contrivance that I mean to be a hand-barrow for four or eight men when the ground is rough, and a sledge when it is smooth enough for them to pull it, or on snow."

"Which way shall you go?" said Steve. "Couldn't we try the valley up by the glacier?"

"That is where I mean to go first," said the captain, "so as to examine more fully those traces of coal; so let's go to rest in good time and start early."

Steve went on deck to see to his dumb companions before retiring for the night, and found Skene and the young walrus comfortably asleep together forward; for four weeks of imprisonment had sufficed to make the new acquisition so tame and friendly with the dog that Skene quite appreciated his new companion, treating it as a kind of huge india-rubber cushion, over and about which he had a right to stretch himself wherever and whenever he pleased.

But a word roused up the dog, who leaped off the walrus, waking it in the act; and seeing its master it, too, advanced, not like the dog in capers and bounds accompanied by barking, but in a curious shuffling fashion, with plenty of whines and whimpers suggestive of its satisfaction and demand for caresses.

"Good old Skeny!" cried Steve. "Long walk to-morrow, old man, hunting and bear and all sorts."

The dog uttered a cheery bark at every announcement as if he understood every word, and leaped up at his master, certainly comprehending that there was something on the way.

"Hullo, Blub!" cried Steve, stooping to give the walrus some sounding slaps, which were evidently appreciated. "Rum old chap, ar'n't you?

Why, you always feel as if one ought to sit on you, or roll over you, don't you?"

For answer the curious-looking object made a barking kind of grunt, and thrust its curious, neckless head over the lad's shoe, peering up to him, and evidently enjoying the company of one who talked to and favoured it with plenty of slaps and pats, all of which appeared to be thoroughly appreciated, and missed as soon as the lad moved away, the animal shuffling after him in the most absurd way, and to the great delight of the crew, which joined in petting the uncouth beast in the intervals of being free from some busy task.

All this while the stock of oil had rapidly augmented, and one portion of the hold had been set apart for the reception of the great solid tusks, which were carefully extracted from the walrus skulls by Johannes, who never seemed happier than when engaged in some task relating to the capture or storing of the produce of one or other of the arctic animals.

The next morning the party bound for the search and hunt for fresh food started quite early, the boat landing them very near to the side of the great glacier, with its wonderful bluish tints in the chasms and hollows about its feet. At Steve's request Watty was one of the party, for several times lately he had noticed the longing eyes the lad had directed at them when they were bound on an expedition; and now at last, when he was to have a run on sh.o.r.e and see the shooting of the reindeer, his excitement seemed to bubble over, and he could hardly contain himself as he tramped on by the side of Andrew McByle.

A brief glance was given to the grand glacier, and then the party bore off to the right along the valley, finding, to Steve's great delight, as they reached the warmer and more sheltered position, where the ground was protected from the sea breeze and from the icy currents which blew from the north, quite an abundance of flowers, though there was a perfect absence of trees. They were dwarfed and ordinary-looking plants, saxifrages and other alpine growths, and so insignificant, that in another part of the world they would have been looked upon as paltry weeds, but here they were rushed after by both the lads, Watty being down on his knees directly to pick a handful.

"Leuk at her," said Andrew contemptuously. "She always thocht the callant had a bee in her bonnet. She's gane daft aboot the bit weeds."

But Steve was quite as "daft"; and in the course of their searching for fresh blossoms they came in contact over a tuft which each had espied from a distance, and paused a yard apart, with eyes glistening from eagerness and hand outstretched, the other holding a spare rifle over the left shoulder. Neither spoke for a moment or two, and then Watty broke the silence and looked quite friendly at his young superior; while Steve waited, expecting to hear some unpleasant remark, or to see some annoying gesture, on the lad's part.

"I dinna want them," said Watty at last. "She'll find plenty mair.

Hey! but it does the hairt good to see the bonnie bit floores ance mair.

Peck them and come alang, Meester Stevey, and we'll be finding bilberries oot yonder on ta brae."

"There's plenty for both, Watty," said Steve; and, in the most friendly way brought together by the tiny blossoms, the lads gathered each a handful, Steve sticking his in his breast, and Watty taking off his flat, Celtic, worsted bonnet, laying the flowers carefully therein, and then replacing it upon his bear's-greasy, shock head.