The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

39 THE FROZEN CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP. Bf ee ee because you are in a grapnel’s length of canger ! “ Poor fellow!” gig TRL) Heave to, or we shall have a worse voyage of it “TJ don’t know B from a marlinspike. presently.” ‘Never mind; you must make a mark, and I will The crew of the El Malachor, whose worst pas- | witness it myself.” sions had been aroused through the machinations of |_| In this manner the buccaneer compelled the re- this Spaniard, were now shuddering with fear and luctant candidate to accept office. < trembling as he addressed them in these authori- | “ Now, my lads,” continued Rotaldo, “let us bear tative tones. a-hand to put the schooner in sailing condition. “Well, Senor Rotaldo,” replied the pirate, De’il| The crew manifested a vast deal of animation as Rob, ‘‘ you must admit that our case is a desperate they commenced to obey the order. one—sailing without rudder and compass, and drift- ‘*Senor Rotaldo, you will take the vessel entirely ing, for ought we know, into Arctic latitudes.” under your charge, and steer us to some place of The men groaned despairingly, and remonstrated safety. : , within themselves on their late cowardly treatment ‘‘ That is no such easy matter, seeing that he have of Paul Jones, whose fate, likea judgment, seemed | neither rudder nor compass.” now about to be their own. “ Cannot ingenuity circumvent difficulty >” ‘‘ Must this be?” said one, addressing Rotaldo, to “ The wind is in. our favour; by tacking we have whom they were bound by a power more potent | a chance of reaching the fur settlements in Baffin than oaths—the tyrant fear. Bay.” “Not if ye are men !” he retorted, “there is hope | “They are the most northerly known.”” — for us yet!’ ‘‘Yes; but it is our only chance. I will mak ‘¢Where?” exclaimed the crew, simultaneously | the essay if you wish if, but mark, I do not gua rising to a man from their despondency.’’ rantee that I shall be successful in the under ‘‘T see you were not born to die upon tke inhos- | taking.” pitable coasts of ice and snow—to travel over paths where the foot of man has never trod, or where trace of life and verdure is never met. I begin to per- ceive some evidences of better spirit.” “Tell us, then, how the dreadful penalty may be avoided.” ‘“‘Stand stanch by me, and you will soon know; unless you submit tamely to my commands you cannot expect to release yourselves from the present danger. In a word, have you faith in me ?”’ ‘“We have.” *‘ Then in silence, and without murmuring, await the issue of my determination.” “ Obedience is the pirate’s motto,” “No flag but the black one, with asxull and cross bones emblazoned on it.”’ ‘“‘ Bravely and boldly spoken, my noble comrade ; give me your grapples,’’ exclaimed Rotaldo, seizing the hand of Black Bill, who had been the late speaker, ‘‘You are made of the right sort of material for free life on the ocean.”’ ‘* ‘I'he El Malachor in her present condition is no more fit for a buccaneer craft. than a tub is fit fora race boat,” said Nipcheese, whose previous terror had tied his tongue, speaking for the first time. “We can soon rig jury masts,” answered Rotaldo, “‘and then run into some distant port, in distress, where we can get a new fit-out, with other apperte- nances for our profession. Now, comrades, for the last time I ask may I rely implicitly on your obedi- ence to me as your leader ?” “Ay, ay!” was the response of everv pirate on board. “‘ Nipcheese,” said the Spaniard, addressing the individual bearing that name, ‘‘ as your office will be of some importance to the comfort of the crew, it will be my first consideration—I appoint you ship’s steward.” ** Ship’s steward ?” “Yes, in the place of that swab, Brandy-nose Nick who, with Gonzalvi, has so mysteriously dis- appeared from among us.” As Rotaldo spoke, he took a paper from his bosom, and asked Nipcheese to sign the agreement. The latter, for reasons best known, excused him- self on the false plea that he could not write. ‘* Not write,” echoed the Spaniard. “‘Can’t write my name even,” rejoined Nipcheese, subtily; “never saw the inside of a school in my life.” 24 DE Towards evening of the subsequent day it was a dead calm. Not a wind disturbed the glassy surface of the Northern ocean, from which was reflected with the most perfect distinctness the noble hull of the pirate schooner. The arctic sun beamed bright and beautiful as he descended towards his golden bed. Through extra exertions, the crew of the El Mala- chor, under the direction of their leader, had suc- ceeded in raising several substantial jury masts, and binding several spare sails upon her dispropor- tionate spars, had put their ship in manageable condition. There was a feeling of joy in the breast of every buccaneer, and every hope entertained that they would reach their goal of safety in Baffin’s Bay. But these desperate men were again doomed to disappointment. As twilight shad@s were fast stealieg over the waters a breeze sprung up from the south, moving the ship from her hitherto steady course, As night closed a heavy squall set in, accompanied with peals of thunder and heavy rain, rendering it so thick that nothing could be seen. *T don’t like this fog.” said Rotaldo; “it is the harbinger of coming difficulties.” “T thought as much,” said Black Bill, “ carrying as we do'such a press of sail.” “Twas the only chance we had of weathering our point.” ‘* What are your worst fears?’’ “These: that if the haze continues we shall be drifted by a current into higher latitudes, and com- pelied to winter in the icy regions of the Northern ole. | s ang prediction of Rotaldo was too soon to be veri- ed. On the lifting of the fog, the El Malachor appeared closely beset by frozen rocks, and cut off from the world by impregnable walls of solid ocean. They had arrived, as had been foretold, in a fathomless sea of ice—remorseless, cold and endless night, which changes its dreary face only in the ghastly smile of the moon. Take heed, mariners. As you still involuntarily sail northward you are among sheets of ice, whose boundary is far, far beyond human vision. The sea is in a fury. The timbers of the stout schooner crack, but brave a SS = comicbooks-com