The Golden Harpoon — page 24: what you’re looking at

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and it was not until many hours afterwards— when the prolonged absence of the steward from the cabin began to be remarked—that any definite conclusions began to be formed. “ Ay, ay,” said Briggs, in his blunt way, “I always did suspect that fellow; and now I feel certain that he has deserted the ship, and that he cut away the other boat to prevent us from catching bim !”’ . “Tt is a terrible loss,” replied the captain, with a groan—“ the loss of those boats, at the present moment; for we have not another in the ship, and so have no means of going in search of Alice. Heaven help her! Heaven help the poor girl!” ee CHAPTER IX. THE DISAPPEARANCE. \O return to the little party upon the ice. We left our friend Stump sitting in a very uncomfortable position, near the edge of the frozen block, and complaining be- cause the lovers had not yet unfastened his bonds. ; “Qh, a thousand pardons, my dear friend !” replied Alice, blushing deeply. “It was, in- deed, very wrong on my part to forget you.” ‘Tam more to blame, Alice, than you are,” interrupted Marline, drawing his sheath-knife and proceeding to cut the cords from the wrists and ankles of the prostrate seaffan. |“ Ay, ay, old chum,” he added, as Stump, with a sigh of relief, rose to his feet, and began to kick the “cramp” from his little legs; “it is all my fault that you were overlooked.” “Never mind apologies, now,” replied Stump, “seeing as the way you acted was par- fectly nat’ral, considering that you hadn’t met for half an hour. But those pow-wows, twist ’em, have sarved us a lubberly trick ;: for, be- sides taking the ship, they haven't left me a drop of ‘ile to grease my pigtail with !” “Your pigtail, friend Jack, is of but little consequence ab present,” said the harpooner ; “it will doubtless need oiling more than it does now before we are picked up.” “Ay, ay! there’s some truth in that last,” retorted Stump, with a mournful grin, “and I’m sorry for it, because I always like to keep the thing neat and shining-like, when there's a young lass to look at it.” “Then you may set your mind at ease, my friend,” said Alice, kindly, “for I like the pig- tail as well without it as with it.” “The Stumps always wore ’em ‘iled,” said the ship-keeper, shaking his head; “but_ it’s consoling to me at any rate, Miss Alice, to hear you say that you like mine as well when it doesn’t shine as when it does.” “We are certainly in a very disagreeable situation at present,” said Marline. “There’s no disputing that p’int,” replied Stump, as he threw a woeful glance round him. “There isn’t a very fine prospectus spread out before us, seeing as these cold blocks and bergs of ice don’t look quite as comfortable as the guarters we are used to, ‘Then, again, we =— —— THE GOLDEN HARPOON. ain’t got any provisions to live on, which is another perfectly overpowering consideration.” “Tt’s a pity,” said Marline, “that the cap- tain and his crew did not remain aboard the ship, as they are accustomed to do. Then all this eaakiin would have been prevented. You and I, Stump, can easily endure the hard- ships before us; but with Alice it is different.” “Indeed,” said the captain’s niece, assuming a gay tone; “you will find that I can bear them, too. Besides,’ she continued, “as soon as the fog clears, we shall see the other boats, - and then we can go ashore, and build a tent, and make a good fire.” * All this will come to pass, in time, I have no doubt,” replied Harry, ‘and very soon, too, if Briggs and the men, who left me about an hour before the ship stove my boat, have succeeded in their purpose, which was to find our friends. But, if they have failed, and have lost themselves, we may have to pass the night upon the ice, and perhaps a great portion of the next day, for this fog, in my opinion, will be of long duration.” s “Never mind,” said the young girl. “ You perce I have a thick fur cloak, which will eep me warm enough, under almost any cir- cumstances ; but you and Stump, I am sorry to see, are not very thickly clad.” The two seamen laughed good-humotredly. “We are use to roughing it, as you know, Alice,” said Harry, “and don’t feel the cold.” “Ay, ay,” cried Stump, “that’s it; our hides are as tough as bull-fish, and we can only feel consarn on your account, sweet lass, for it must be owned that this fog isn’t as good for your lungs as the steam from a cup of tea.” “Tt won't hurt me, nevertheless,” said Alice, smiling; “for I have a good constitution, and you know I have remained on the deck of the ‘Montpelier’ in a thick fog, and when the weather was much colder. than it is now.” “Well, hang me!” cried Stump, in admtra- tion, “if ever I saw such a perfect little duck of a philosopher before. There are few women that could speak so cheery-like under present sarecumstances.” “You are right, there, chum,” said Harry, warily. “TJ have seen girls, before now, that would do nothing but moan and faint, were they to find themselves in a predicament of this kind.” Alice did not atiempe to conceal the glowing manifestations of pleasure that her lover's compliment called forth upon her cheek, and in her eyes. But, before the blush and the smile had faded from her face—with the natural desire to defend her sisters, which ani- mates the bosom of every true-hearted woman, she added: “It is hardly just, Harry, to imply that any woman would act unbecomingly under circumstances in which you have never scen her placed. A girl, who shrinks and trembles when threatened with some light misfortune, may show much bravery and fortitude upon occasions of great peri! “True enough,” said*.he harpooner; “ but you must acknowledge,” he added, smiling, “that there are some young women who, by GCoOmichoo S (E@)