The Internet Detective Library — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

212 A VOYAGE ON AN ICEBERG. It needed but a glance at the giant Swede’s sunken cheeks and bloodshot eyes to show that he was indeed suffering from atarve ticn. There was no more fight in him. His Serce enmity to Stokes had piven him the nerve to make an effort at revenge, and when he found that the detective’s blow was enough to tumble him over his courage left him. Stokés saw that he was harmless, and without stopping to ask questions or even to search him for weapons that might be con- cealed upon him, the detective hastened to the sled and brought the Swede a piece of bear’s meat, which Ole devoured greedily. ‘‘Ah!’’ he said between his mouthfuls, ‘‘t’ere is no escaping you. I had rather be your prisoner t’an starve to deat’.”’ ‘‘How did you get here?’’ asked Stokes. Ole shook his head doubtfully. ‘‘How can I tell?’’? he answered. ‘‘My boat wrecked-vmy Esquimau drowned—I t’rown on shore—I walkendonit know how many days, for I don't see t’e sun.’’ | ‘*How far away is the sea?’’ ‘Ten mile, perhaps.’’ ‘Is your boat lying on the shore ?’’ ‘*What t’ere is left of it.’’ ‘*Do you suppose we could repair it?’’ ‘No. 99 ‘Well,’ said Stokes, ‘‘we can at least move to the south, and that ought to bring.us somewhere if we keep moving ‘Jong enough,’’ ‘*Yah!’’ responded Ole. *‘We walk south if we no freeze here, and if we go far enough we melt.’’ There was no humor in the Swede’s tore. He spoke in a mel- ancholy way, as if-he had no courage cr hope of any kind left, but he kept on devouring bear’s meat greedily. “You didn’t need to come so far north for this meeting,” said Stokes after a moment. **No,’’ Ole responded, ‘‘I know t’at.’’ “You know it?” ‘Wah 99 **How so?”? ‘‘Me know you wait for me at Yedvik.”’ ‘“You knew that?”’ 6 Vah. 99 “*How did it happen? I thought I had kept myself out of sigh as your boat’came into Yedvik harbor.’’ ‘Oh, yah! You no give ’way anyt’ing. It wast’is way.” The Swede laid down his food and spoke with considerable rapidity. Gaiety ‘*] t’ink you great man,’’ he said. “I tink you do anytling, £ 0 Fe A sO ch books _ com (@) com