Steve Young Part 75

"Full speed ahead!" signalled the captain; and the propeller churned up the water now rushing by them at a terrific rate, while all gazed wildly at the sides, expecting to be swept down the fiord to destruction in the ma.s.ses of ice. For the great floe dam which closed them in had given way at last, and for a short time their position was one of terrible peril. But the cables proved true, eased as they were by the full power of the propeller, and half an hour after the _Hvalross_ was riding nearly forty feet lower than she had been in the morning, with the way out to the ocean free.

In those precarious waters no opportunities can be lost. A place open one day may, by a change of wind, be closed the next by the ice-floes; and in view of this the _Hvalross_ glided out of her prison deeply laden with the spoil of another summer in the far north, and with the two crews cheering loudly as they went. Then after various vicissitudes of being caught in the ice, freed, caught, and freed again, she made her way southward till the last lane in the ice-floes was threaded, and her head laid for Nordoe in the brightest of sunshine, and the deck in the long summer day feeling hot.

There was a warm and friendly, almost affectionate, parting from the Norwegians, Johannes looking quite mournful when he shook farewell hands with Steve; but they were cheered loudly as they stepped on to the little quay, any sadness they felt being chased away by the many friends who pressed round them to welcome them back from the icy seas.

Next morning the head of the stout little steamer was laid for home, and the crew gave vent to the heartiest of cheers, which increased to a roar of delight as Andrew, forgetful of all past suffering, made his appearance, proud and solemn-looking, to march round the deck with his pipes, driving Skene the dog below with crest and tail drooping, and his sharp, white teeth bared to the gums.

Then all settled down to the quiet monotony of the voyage home, for the stormy times were past, and the vessel glided south, heavily laden, but steady, and looking, as Steve said, perfectly satisfied with having well done her work. And so she had, for every man who had sailed was returning safe and sound, and she was bringing back the captain and crew of brave men for whom they had gone in search.

"I feel convinced," said Captain Marsham one evening, "that we were the first visitors to those icy sh.o.r.es."

"Yes," said Captain Young; "I doubt whether any one ever reached so far north before; but I don't like leaving my ship and so much valuable cargo behind."

"Let them rest for the next who go there," said Captain Marsham. "It would have been madness to have run the risk of being caught in the ice again."

"Yes, we had enough darkness and cold to last some time."

Steve went out on deck, and found Watty right in the bows bribing Skene to sit up with sc.r.a.ps of meat brought from the galley; but he ceased and looked shyly at the boy as he advanced.

"Well, Watty," cried Steve, "we shall soon be home again now, all alive and well."

"Ay, she'll sune pe seeing Glasgie, and her puir auld mither ance again."

"How should you like to go up north once more?"

Watty shook his shock head.

"The pear's grease is peautiful, Meester Stevey, and she ton't mind the chilplains after a pit; but it's a' tat tairkness mak's her hairt sair.

Hey, but it's a waefu' place."

"Then you wouldn't care to go again?"

"Na," said Watty; "put if she ganged there acain to fetch the ither ship she'd gang wi' her."

"You would, Watty?"

"Ay, tat she would, and to the ferry wairld's end."

THE END.