The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

The Wreck of the South Pole. 13 tion, dragging them over the slippery ice behind me. I chose my direction as nearly south as was possible, for what reason or why I was moved to do so I could not then have told, but I learned later. I had traveled probably five miles, and the polar sun was sinking down for a few hours, dip below the horizon, for this was the season of long days and short nights, when i was startled by seeing far ahead, in the dusky twilight, what appeared to be a rude hut. Could it be that other unfortunates had been wrecked on this part of the great iceberg? flashed through my mind. Anyway, I resolved to push forward as rapidly as possible and see. Even should I find no inhabitant, the hut would at least provide me shelter and a chance for rest and sleep. And here, the first of the strange happenings which oc- curred to me in this strange land, was brought to my at- tention. I plainly heard in my ears, as if some one stand- ing close to me had spoken, the words: “Courage. Seek the house and all will be well.” Those who have seen the great fur coats and caps which Arctic whalers wear, will readily understand how a person might slip up near another from behind, or the side, without being seen, and I turned around to look at the person who spoke. But, although I turned completely around and surveyed all points of the compass, I could see nothing but ice. Not a living being of any kind was in sight. Cconmniclooolk (©)