The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

126 other to the bow of the vexsel just vis- ible above the ice. “What is that?” he asked. Eirik was speechless. His face went white as death, and the spear all but dropped from his nerveless grasp. Suddenly he dashed forward, mount- ed the slope at the entrance to the ra- vine, and reached a point where he could see all of the ancient craft that was uncovered. Feltnar bounded after him. “There is more yet to be seen, BKirik,” he declared. “I have been aboard.” Silent still, and like one entranced, Eirik Geogson climbed over the bul- warks and stood upon the ice-strewn deck of the vessel. He saw the open door of the cabin, and the rowers’ seats and chains, and the high swan-neck prow. “It is one of the old sea ships!” burst finally from his lips. “ What does it mean, Mr. Feltnar? Am I dream- ing?” “That is why I brought you here—to prove to myself that I was not asleep.” “ But it can’t be—it is too wonder- ful!” : “It can be then. And more, too. Yhis old craft, I verily believe, was the one Thorhall told us about.” “Thorhall! What can you mean?” “1 mean that it is the ship in which vour ancestor sailed away into the north with the poor Irish priest, and was never heard from again.” “You are mad!” cried Eirik. “No. I guess not. If ’m mad, so are vou, for you'll see the same things I have.” | Eirik looked around in amaze. He observed the hawk-like head on the prow. “The arms of our family!” Feltnar heard him mutter. “It 1s just as the old man said.” Then he turned suddenly on Feltnar. “You remember vour dream, sir?” he asked. “This is the verv vessel.” admitted the American im a low tone. ‘“ Impossible! ”’ “ One like it, then. But the man who spoke to me in my dream is in there,” and he pointed toward the cabin. THE ARGOSY. Kirik shrank back. “A dead man! ” “Pretty dead. Frozen, I should say, some hundreds of years back. He can’t hurt us, I fancy; yet I confess I ran away from him.” EKirik summoned all his courage and pressed forward to the doorway. The sun was getting low now, and there was not so much light in the cabin. ‘I see nobody here,” said Eirik after a long glance into the gloom. “Go in,” almost whispered Feltnar. The falling of the door had carried the table with it. Feltnar, when he got inside behind Eirik, scratched a lucifer and held it above his head. Then they saw a heap of something on the floor behind the overturned table. * There he is! ” exclaimed the Amer- ican, shaking. luirik crept forward and knelt down beside the frozen body. -The light of the expiring match fell upon the face of the dead. The young Icelander shrank back and looked dumbly up into Feltnar’s eyes. “It is horrible,’ said the latter. “Think of the hundreds of years that this poor creature has been here! Ugh!” “I—I can’t stay in here,” whispered Eirik, staggering to his feet. “Help me to get the body outside, then,” remarked the American, who was gradually overcoming his horror. “There is more in here for you to see.” He took hold of the’ giant’s shoulders and attempted to lift him. He was al- most as heavy as stone, and there was seemingly not a joint in his body. “Talk about cold storage!” gasped the American, tugging away while Kirik shrinkingly grasped the feet. ‘“He’s frozen so hard that I believe he would break if we dropped him. The dampness must have got into this place very lately to make that mold on the curtains—be sure of that. Nothing but a very low, dry atmosphere would have kept animal matter so long.” irik shuddered and said nothing. Between them the voung men managed to get the heavy body out upon the deck, GORMIGOOO (COL