The Internet Detective Library — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

ay A ph ohh fee ON AN ICEBERG. | which they floated was getting further and further from the land, and in the morning this was proved to be the ¢ase. : When it was light enough for them to see objects at any distance, it was discovered that there was open water near them, stretching away further than the eye coiild reach. In thé other direction the ice field seemed to be unbroken, ‘“lis is an immense iceberg,’’ remarked Ole -to Kotuk, who had sat by the fire most of the night without stirring. ‘*Yah,’’? Kotuk responded, ‘‘but not stay so long.’’ ‘*You mean t’at it will break up into smaller pieces ?’’ ‘Yah; him break where you stand any minute.”’ “well, if it breaks it breaks,’’ said Stokes. - ‘“We can't: help that.’’ Inspired by the ‘detective’s nerve, the Es’quimau prepared a meal of bear’s meat,and from that time on did the work of cook- ing for the camp without waiting to be asked. He was silent most of the time, but even he seemed to — ‘in confidence from Stokes. Ole spent most of the time in the snow hut. He came out to eat, and at midday he would stand looking all around as long as the light lasted, as if hoping to see some promise of rescue. Several days passed thus, “As the Esquimau foretold, the iceberg. broke into giialler frag- ments, but no crack occurred near enough to the camp to endan- ger the travelers. When there was a break it was accompanied by a chorus. of terrific howls from the dogs. ~ How far or how fast they were traveling, or even. in what direc- tion, it.was impossible to. say; but one day, when Kotuk and Ole were at the moment in the hut, they heard Stokes uttering a wild hurrah, They crawled out hastily to see what was ‘the matter. . *{Look!’’ shouted the detective, pointing to the south. On the very edge.of the horizon they saw the rim of the:sun.: We're going south,’’ cried Stokes, ‘‘and to-morrow we: miay have half an hour of real sunlight,”> Andso it proved, 2:2) -Kach day after that grew little longer, and with every. day they saw land to the east: Neither Kotuk nor Ole was familiar enough with the coast to make out where they were. The weather was not always pleasant, but with their shelter they suffered no very great discomfort, and the bear’s meat held out so well that they had plenty to eat, On the day when the sun rose‘at eleven, Kotuk pointed to" s cliff ee almost to the south of them and remarked: = com O | 200! EO