Percy F. Westerman

“ The Bird of Freedom was still held to the ice by the two cables, but during the time her crew had been asleep the gradient had increased still more. From the water's edge to the mean level of the rest of the ice was a slippery slope as steep as the high-pitched roof of a house, its surface marked only by the half obliterated notches which Payne had cut some time previously.
"There's no time to be lost," declared Ranworth. "Get her fairly on the ice and we can have breakfast while we are moving. Look alive, Leslie, with the motor, or we'll be baulked." ”

“ Foam, sea, and fog seemed blended into a horrible chaos as Leslie found himself struggling in the water. Although a good swimmer, he was frantic, for the bight of a rope held him entangled. More by chance than design, his efforts to free himself from the rope were successful, only to be quickly followed by a worse predicament.
Already he was about five or six feet below the surface. As he struck out to regain the air, his head came in contact with the ratlines of the mizzen shrouds. It was like being caught in a huge net. ”

“ Above the ice-worn portion of the cliffs the granite rocks were rugged and fantastically shaped.
Cautiously the sleigh approached the end of the glacier. Here the ice slid gently towards the waters of the inlet. The surmounting of the glacier would be an easy matter provided the ice would bear, for the surface, mottled by pieces of rock and small stones, afforded a good grip to her decapod wheels.
Like a seal dragging itself clear of the water, the Bird of Freedom began the ascent of the glacial river. Under her weight, the ice creaked ominously. ”

“ Beyond that space the surface of the water was lashed into a cauldron of foam by the wind and the driving, bullet-like flakes of snow.
The men clung together for mutual protection. Not a word escaped their lips, yet one and all knew the ghastly truth. The whole field of pack ice was breaking up. Already the outer portion had broken off; more than likely taking the Bird of Freedom with it.
"We'll have to go back a bit and dig ourselves in, sir," said Payne hoarsely. "It's our only chance. We may outlive the blizzard." ”

“ The whole fabric of the sleigh trembled under the retarded movement. Anxiously, Ranworth watched the granite cliffs now barely ten yards ahead. Nearer and nearer they appeared to approach, but more and more slowly, until, when only a hand's breadth separated the forepart of the sleigh from the rugged rocks, the Bird of Freedom came to a standstill, then slowly backed astern.
Once more man's command of science had overcome the forces of Nature.
Having withdrawn to a safe distance from the ice shore, Ranworth ordered easy ahead, and put her helm hard over. ”

“ For three miles the Bird of Freedom threaded her way up the tortuous and ever-narrowing creek, until further progress by water was barred by the abrupt termination of the water-way.
Ahead lay a forbidding-looking defile, enclosed on both sides by tall cliffs. Through the valley thus formed, a glacier wended its way—a gigantic river of ice mingled with masses of rock brought down by its resistless march from the lofty interior of Nova Cania. ”

“ Just as the Polarity altered her course, a tall, broadshouldered man of about thirty years of age sprang up the bridge ladder.
"Why are you starboarding your helm, Captain Stormleigh?" he asked, with a tinge of anxiety in his voice. "Not another breakdown, I trust?"
"No, sir," replied the skipper. "We've just sighted some wreckage, and we're standing in a bit to see what it actually is."
"But we really cannot afford the time; every moment is of vital importance," expostulated the new arrival. ”

“ So insecure did it look that it seemed in momentary danger of breaking away and crashing upon the deck of the vessel. To edge farther away to starboard was impossible, owing to the obvious presence of a ledge of ice a few feet beneath the surface.
Leslie and Guy gazed spellbound as the masthead approached the overhanging ice. It seemed as if the stout spars must crash into the obstruction. Perhaps it was as well that the foremast had been partly carried away, for, as it was, the main truck missed the lower side of the ledge by a few inches. ”

“ Despite the protestations of Guy and the two seamen, Rogers and Payne, the trio were ordered to leave the cabin and take their place on the ice. If things went amiss, and the cabin walls were stove in, the sleigh would sink like a stone, without the faintest chance of escape for Ranworth and Leslie. In that case, Guy and the two men would be able to retrace their way on foot to the Polarity.
Leslie felt sorry for Guy, as his chum exchanged the comfort of the enclosed cabin for the bitter cold of the open air. In spite of his warm fur clothing, the keenness of the wind cut Guy like a knife. ”

“ The sudden jerk well-nigh capsized the rest of the party, for the smooth ice afforded but little foothold. The strain, too, caused the rope to "render" through their thickly-gloved hands, and had not the Russian taken the precaution of knotting his end round his waist, the coil with Ranworth at the end would have been lost for ever. As it was, the luckless man was dangling fifty feet over the brink of an unfathomable abyss.
The two lads and their Russian comrade began to haul away. Foot after foot of rope came home, till Ranworth's voice was heard feebly shouting to hold on. ”

“ Once the water was violently agitated by the fall of a huge mass of ice and snow, but the ripples subsided quickly, and the surface resumed its mirror-like aspect.
"That's what we have to look out for," commented Ranworth. "There is always the risk of a miniature avalanche taking place. Farther up, I understand, there is no such danger."
For quite five miles the Bird of Freedom threaded her way up the sinuous creek, till, rounding a precipitous bluff, her astonished crew found the Polarity at anchor. ”

“ Away, broad on the port beam, could be discerned the rugged outline of the giant berg which had so nearly proved to be the tomb of the Polarity and her crew.
"Five miles in length, and two hundred feet in height, at the very least," declared Travers.
"What causes an iceberg to form?" asked Guy.
"It's the seaward end of a glacier," replied the second mate. "Every year, as the temperature rises a few degrees, the mighty glaciers of the Arctic rid themselves of a few cubic miles of ice. ”

“ Then, seeing the look of incredulity on the lads' faces, he added: "It stands to reason a fellow can't press a trigger when his fingers are muffled in fur gloves. If you were to take off your gloves and touch any metal object you would find that the intense cold would cause the metal to act in much the same way as if it were quite hot. It would probably peel the skin from your fingers. Stow the rifle under the seat, Guy; Leslie, you sit immediately in front of me. I'll let you take the tiller after I've got the hang of it." ”

“ Then, as the rope took the strain, the Bird of Freedom swung round as if on a pivot, almost capsizing every man on board who had neglected to obtain a firm grip. This was followed by a sudden jerk, and the sleigh, riding head to wind, brought up within ten feet of the starboard side of the Polarity. ”

“ Well it was that the sleigh had a firm grip by means of the decapod wheels. Had she been supported solely by her runners, there was a great possibility of her being swept at a breakneck speed before the well-nigh irresistible gusts.
The whole fabric of the sleigh quivered as the snow-squall struck it. In less than ten seconds the observation scuttles exposed to the direct force of the wind were completely obscured with snow.
"She's holding," announced Ranworth cheerfully. "But there's no moving until the blizzard is over. It's much too thick to last long." ”

“ Several times Guy was just in time to give the wheel half a turn and thus save the Bird of Freedom from coming into violent contact with a projecting boulder. His coolness did not desert him in spite of the nerve-racking strain, yet he would have given almost anything to have handed the wheel over to some one else. "Hadn't we better slow down, sir?" he asked at length, for the snow was now falling with increasing violence.
"No, carry on," was Ranworth's reply. "It's all plain going now, until we approach the head of the glacier. We can't go wrong." ”

“ A hundred yards ahead lay the open waters of Desolation Inlet, but between lay the rough ice left by the violent disruption of the seaward end of the glacier.
"We'll see what it is like before we start any steeplechasing with the sleigh," declared Guy. "I'll get Petrovitch to give a hand, for it won't be safe to approach the edge unless we are roped together."
"It looks an awfully nasty bit to tackle," remarked Leslie, as the two, connected by twenty feet of rope, stood as near as prudence dictated to the edge of the glacier. "There's something of an incline away on the right. ”

“ The only member of the crew already on deck was Peter, the ship's boy, who was steering with the skill of a born sailorman, keeping the stiff little ketch "full and bye" without shiver in her well-stretched canvas.
"Good-morning, Peter," said Guy. "It looks as if it's going to be a jolly fine day."
"Not for trawling," replied Peter sagely. "Might do for pleasure folk, but the wind'll die down when the sun gets up, and more'n likely there'll be a fog."
"Where do we wash?" inquired Leslie innocently. Peter grinned.
"There's a canvas bucket up for'ard," he informed his questioner. ”

“ Quickly those who were able to move set to work to assist their less fortunate comrades. Buried beneath four unconscious forms, they found Ranworth, motionless, but still alive.
Of the fifteen who formed the complement of the Bird of Freedom, eight were obviously unfit for further duty, most of them for many a long day. Only Leslie, Guy, O'Donovan, Johnson, Wilson, and two Russians were capable of taking any part in the task of extricating themselves from their dangerous position. ”

“ Old Mick was standing at the tiller, with legs stretched wide apart, and his hands in his pockets. His work for the time being consisted in doing nothing, for the ketch barely carried steerage way. Long Garge was for'ard scratching the foremast and whistling blithely in the hope, common to the old-time seamen, that the joint action would result in a breeze.
"Better now than when we've got the holds full of fish," declared the skipper, commenting upon the lack of wind.
Leslie and Guy slept badly that night. ”

“ Into the blinding snow the seven workers made their way. After strenuous efforts, a square of canvas was set up to prevent the snow blocking the newly-made tunnel, then all hands set to work to build a hut.
It was a toilsome task. Encumbered by their fur clothing and mittens, their faces cut with the frozen flakes, the seven manfully stuck to their work. ”

“ So I make so bold as to suggest that we tidy up a bit and wait."
"Suppose we are buried in the snow?" asked Leslie.
"Sure, we're that already," rejoined O'Donovan. "That's why it's so warm here considering there's half a dozen holes at least knocked through our hull. We can dig ourselves out in good time. What I don't like is the chance of another of those heavy launches."
O'Donovan's fear of another avalanche was justified, for the glacier was confined between two lowering cliffs from which ice and rubble were continually falling. ”

“ After traversing a mile, and meeting with no fissure in the ice sufficiently wide to impede the progress of the sleigh, Ranworth called a halt.
Sheltering under the lee side of a hummock, and huddled together for mutual warmth, the pioneers rested for a quarter of an hour. Hardly a word was spoken during the interval. The men were too exhausted, after stepping and stumbling over the rough ice and facing the biting wind. ”

“ Yet there was no respite for the weary toilers. Furs were brought from the cabin and laid upon the floor of the hut. One by one the injured men were carried up the slanting tunnel and tenderly placed in the hut.
This done, the Russians hauled up their sleigh, which, until the men were ready to set out, was to serve as a door.
Thrice the lads descended into the now deeply buried Bird of Freedom, returning each time heavily laden with eatables, while the Russians busied themselves with obtaining fuel and oil. ”

“ Each man was now tormented with the same thought, yet none dared express himself to the others. With the sudden springing up of the gale, the Bird of Freedom was in danger. Should the grapnels drag, or the securing ropes part under the strain, the sleigh would scud rapidly along away from the floe. The explorers, without provisions and means of shelter, would be doomed. ”

“ Even the decapod wheels would fail to find support upon the soft, slanting bank of snow. Ranworth and O'Donovan set to work to cut a passage through the obstruction.
"I'll bear a hand, too," volunteered Leslie, and, returning to the sleigh for another spade, he surmounted the mound of snow and vigorously began to attack the barrier.
"It's snowing again," declared Guy, as a few flakes drifted past.
"And the wind has changed," added Ranworth. "It's coming from almost due south."
"So much the better for us—until we start on the return journey," declared Leslie. ”

“ The old whaler man was right, for the animal, possibly mistaking the sleigh for a mammoth after its own kind, was preparing to attack.
As quickly as possible Leslie coupled up the two aerial propellers, at the same time increasing the revolutions of the motor. With a decided jerk, the Bird of Freedom picked up speed and fled.
"Hanged if we are even holding our own," exclaimed Ranworth, who with Guy and Rogers had gone aft to keep the pursuing whale under observation. ”