CHAPTER XV
THE SOUND OF A VOICE
For hours the fog showed no signs of lifting. The three remainedseated near the carcass of the polar bear, discussing the one questionthat had already been discussed so long, until there really seemednothing left to say.
Not long after the collision between the icebergs a singular thingtook place. It was evident that the two were acted upon each by adiverse current, but the preponderating bulk of the greater was notdisturbed by the smaller. The latter, however, as if anxious to breakaway from its master, began slowly grinding along the face, until,after awhile, it swung clear and gradually drifted out of sight in themisty vapor.
"She will know better than to tackle one bigger than herself," was theremark of Rob Carrol, "which reminds me that if there should happen tobe a bigger iceberg than this floating around loose we sha'n't be inany danger."
"And why not?"
"Because being so big it will be under the influence of the samecurrent as this and going in the same direction, so there won't bemuch chance of our coming together."
"Unless the big one should overtake us," suggested Fred.
"Even then it would find it hard to run over us, so there isn't muchto be feared from that; what I do dread is that we shall strike someshallow place in the sea that will make this thing turn a somersault."
"It would be a terrible thing," said Fred, unable to drive it from histhoughts.
"Is it possible for the berg to strike something like that and stickfast, without shifting its centre of gravity?"
The question was addressed to Jack Cosgrove, but he did not attempt toanswer until the last clause was explained to him.
"Oh! yes; that has been seen many times. A berg will ground itselfjust like a boat, and stay for days and weeks until a storm breaks itup, or it shakes itself loose. I don't believe if we do strike bottomagain that there's much danger of capsizing."
"Why didn't you tell us that before?" asked Rob, reprovingly; "wemight have been saved all this worry."
"It's only guesswork, any way, so you may as well keep on worrying,for, somehow or other, you seem to enjoy it."
"I think there is a thinning of the fog," remarked Fred, some timelater.
"A little, but not much; it's growing colder, too; we'll run into keenweather afore reaching the Pole."
"I shouldn't wonder if it came pretty soon. Hello!" added Rob, lookingat his watch; "it is past noon."
"Do you want your dinner?" asked Jack, with a grin.
Both lads gave an expression of disgust, the elder replying:
"I can stand it for twenty-four hours before hankering for anotherslice of bear steak, and I shouldn't be surprised if Fred feels thesame way."
"You are correct, my friend."
"Ah, you chaps can get used to anything!" was the self-complacentremark of the sailor, as he assumed a comfortable attitude on the ice.
While the boys talked thus, Jack was carefully noting the weather. Hesaw with pleasure that the fog was steadily clearing, and that, beforenight, the atmosphere was likely to be wholly clear again. That factmight avail them nothing, but it was a thousand-fold better than themist, in which they might drift within a hundred feet of friendswithout either party suspecting it.
From what has been told, it will be understood that no one of thethree built any hope of a rescue by the "Nautilus." The violent galehad driven her miles away, and a search on her part for thisparticular iceberg would be like the hunt of one exploring party foranother that had been lost years before.
But it was not to be supposed that Captain McAlpine would quietlydismiss all care concerning the lads from his mind. One of them was ason of a leading director of the Hudson Bay Company, and the other wasa favorite of the son and his father. For the skipper to return toLondon at the end of several months with the report that he had leftthem on an iceberg in the Greenland Sea would be likely to subject himto unpleasant consequences.
The most natural course of the captain, as it seemed to the sailor,after making the best search he could, was to put into some of thetowns along the coast, and organize several parties to go out insearch of them.
"He is no fool," thought Jack, as he turned the subject over in hismind without speaking, "and he must have took the bearings of the shipand the berg as I did. He won't be able to keep track of us, but hewill know better than to sail exactly in the wrong direction, as mostother folks would do. Yes," he remarked to his friends, as he lookedoff over the sea, "the weather is clearing and the fog will be allgone before night."
This was gratifying information, though neither youth could tellprecisely why it should give them special ground for hope.
You will understand one of the trials of the boys when adrift on theiceberg. The latter was moving slowly, and, though in a directiondifferent from the surface current, yet it was barely perceptible. Noother objects were in sight than the berg itself, which gave theimpression to the passengers that it was motionless on the vasty deep.You know how much harder it is to wait in a train at a station than itis in one in motion. If they could have realized that the berg wasactually moving, no matter in what direction, the relief would havebeen great. As it was, they felt as though they were simply waiting,waiting for they knew not what.
The afternoon was more than two-thirds gone when the last vestige ofthe fog vanished. The sun shone out, and, looking off to sea, thepower of the eye itself was the only limit to the vision.
Without explaining the meaning of his action, Jack Cosgrove made hisway down the path to the place where they had spent most of thepreceding night, and climbing upon a slight elevation, stood for afull minute looking fixedly off over the sea. He shaded his eyescarefully with his hand, and stood as motionless as a stone statue.
"He either sees or expects to see something," said Rob, who, like hiscompanion, was watching him with much interest.
"He is so accustomed to the ocean that his eyes are better than ours,"said Fred.
"I can't make out anything."
Suddenly Jack struck his thigh with his right hand and wheeled about,showing a face aglow with feeling.
"By the great horned spoon, I knowed it."
"What have you discovered, Jack?"
"You chaps just come this way," he said, crooking his stubbyforefinger toward them, "and put yourself alongside of me and take thesharpest squint you can right over yonder."
Doing as directed, they finally agreed, after some hard looking, thatthey saw what seemed to be a long, low, white cloud in the horizon.
"That's Greenland," was the astonishing reply; "I don't know whatpart, but it's solid airth with snow on it."
This was interesting, indeed, though it was still difficult tounderstand what special hope the fact held out to them.
It seemed to grow slightly more distinct as the afternoon advanced.Since it was hardly to be supposed that the iceberg was approachingland, this was undoubtedly caused by the contour of the coast.
When night began closing in the party fired their guns repeatedly,thinking possibly the reports might attract notice from some of thenatives fishing in the vicinity. The chance, however, was soexceedingly slight that they made preparations for spending the nightas before--that is, huddled together against the projecting ice. Therewas hardly a breath of air stirring, though the temperature continuedfalling.
"I hear it!" exclaimed Fred, starting to his feet, within five minutesafter seating themselves as described.
"What's that?" asked the amazed Rob; "are you crazy?"
"Listen!"
They did so. There was no mistake about it. They caught the sound of avigorously moved paddle, and, had any doubt remained, it wasdissipated by the loud call in a peculiar voice, and with an oddaccent:
"Holloa! holloa! holloa!"