The Golden Harpoon — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

— GOLDEI A bd LY 54 | OR, LOST AMONG THE FLOES. CHAPTER THE GOLDEN HARPOON. » N the morning of the 25th day of April, Vy, 18—, the whale-ship ‘“‘ Montpelier,” of = New London, anchored in one of the many bays that open along the coast of Kam- schatka, where it is washed by the waters of the sea of Okhotsk. ; As soon as everything was made snug alow and aloft, the skipper rubbed his hands with complacency, and a satisfied expression was seen to cross even the face of Mr. Briggs, the first mate, who was the ship’s grumbler. “Good quarters,” remarked the captain. “ Ay, ay, sir,” responded Briggs, “the tide is easy here, and I don’t think a gale would hurt us much-—we are so shut in by the cliffs. But,” he suddenly added, turning his glanee towards a large field of ice, about a league from the shore, “I don’t like the looks of yonder floe. It may come upon us and give us a jam.” “Tt will drift past us,” replied the captain ; “the current tends to the north’ard.” ‘Tam not so sure of that,” said the mate, as he snatched a glass from the mizzen fife-rail, and directed it towards the ice. ‘“ Them under- currents up this way sometimes plays the very smash. But if I ain't much mistaken, I see a bear moving along the floe.” “Ay, ay, there it is, sure enough; a brown bear, I believe.” “Uncle!” exclaimed.a gentle voice at this instant, and a light hand fell upon the cap- tain’s shoulder. “ How picturesque! how wild! What place is this?” The speaker was a girl of seventeen, with large brown eyes, a small but well-rounded figure, and a countenance truly lovely in its purity and expression. From her neck, by a strip of bine ribbon, was suspended a golden harpoon of delicate workmanship, and about four inches in length. It was the gift of the captain—her only living relative—who had pre- sented it to her on the day that he complied with her request to accompany him on his pre- sent voyage. And why did she wish to go to sea? Firstly, because the bold and handsome Harry Marline had shipped in the “ Mont- pelier” as boat-steerer and harpooner’s aid. Secondiv, because she was much attracted to her relative, who, having no children of his own, always had treated his niece with the indulgent fondness of a father. “ Good-morning, Alice,” he said. “I am glad to see you stirring so early. How did you pass the night?” “Very well, thank you,” she replied, rais- ing herself upon the tips of her toes, and pre- senting her lips for a kiss, which was imme- diately granted. ‘ Very well, indeed; but you have not answered my question. What place is this?” : “Tt has no particular name that I ever heard of,” replied the captain. ‘“ But you have been long enough at sea, now, Alice, to perceive that I’ve chosen a good place for an anchor- age——” _ “Tf it wasn’t for the ice,” interrupted Briggs. “An excellent place,” continued the captain, paying no attention to the words of his com- panion, “a position well sheltered, where the craft can lie while we fill her with oil—secure from every danger——”- “Oh! I am so glad!” cried Alice, clapping her white hands with an enthusiasm natural to a girl of seventeen. “It is such a wild, beautiful place. And, on pleasant days, I can bring my sewing on deck. It will be very nice sitting here and looking up now and then at those great towering cliffs that rise so far above the tops of our mast-heads.” “Until the ice comes,” said Briggs. “Why, Mr. Briggs, what do you mean?” said Alice, turning towards the first officer with an expression of alarm upon her face ; “this is the second time I’ve heard you speak about the ice. Is there really danger to be apprehended from it?” “Ay, ay, Miss Alice, plenty of it,” bluntly responded the mate, ‘and unless a “You must not mind him, niece,” inter- rupted the captain. ‘He fancies there is danger from that floe that you see off the quarter, ‘but, you may believe me, when [ tell you, that it will have drifted past us before — night.” “There are undercurrents that’ll bring it upon us before the morning,” persisted Briggs. “ This isn’t the first time I’ve sailed in these waters.” “Oh, uncle!” said the young girl, placing both hands upon the captain’s shoulder; “ the mate is an old sailer of this sea, while this is AMIICeLoVoxXe) KS (EO) (c@)