The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

IN FROZEN FETTERS. It certainly was not Eirik Geogson, nor any of the bouders whom he had seen before. Few of them spoke a word of English, anyway. But before he could make out what manner of man this stranger was in appearance, he had flung himself from the edge of the ice into the tossing sea. Rugged was his passage, but he reached up his hand for Feltnar’s at last. And then the American cried ont in aston- ishment, but did not loose his grip upon the swimmer. A tarpaulin hat buttoned under his chin came up first through the wash of the waters. Underneath it was a forest of red, dripping beard, with like col- ored hair sticking out from under the tail of the hat. Each individual hair and whisker stuck out like copper wire. “Bobolink!” yelled Feltnar, and dragged the man over the bulwark of the Norse ship. “May I niver see Noo Bedford town ag’in if it ain’t Mr. Feltnar! ” chattered the rescued one. “ Aye, it’s I. But how in the name of wonder 7 “Whist now! There’s more than that to think of at thts moment, sir. D‘ye want to wreck this bally old craft? Tho’ I’m sure a stranger one I never set me eyes on.” “'There’s no way to steer it.” “Ts there a sail?” “T don’t see any.” Bobolink darted into the half wrecked cabin. At that instant, odd as the thought might be, Feltnar won- dered what the man would have said or done had the frozen Viking sat at the table in there now, as he did when he had first opened the door. “Great!” cried the muffled voice of Bobolink, the boat steerer. stuff to make a sail.” Then he staggered out with an arm- ful of hangings. “What sort of a craft is this, sir? I never see the like.” “ But the mast? ” cried Feltnar. “Sure, sir, we'll make a_ mast. There’s an ax in there.” He ran into the cabin again and came out with the old weapon. “It’s a master big “un—and awk- “ Here’s . 133 ward enough, too,” he said. “ Now for putting up the sail. And we must have a drag over the starn to help keep her up, too.” He went at the rowing seats, sadly splintered already by the ice which had fallen from the cliffs the night before. ‘“‘ 1 never see wood like this, sir! How tough it be,” grumbled Bobolink. “ Is this one o’ the boats them Iceland folks use?” “It’s a good deal older than that, Bobolink,” said Feltnar; but the other was too busy to hear or understand. He cut holes in the deck, and soon had two rough masts erected, one near - either rail. Between these posts, with Feltnar to aid him, he stretched the curtains brought from the cabin. The ship came up more steadily. It could now be depended upon to run be- fore the wind. But this would carry her away from the shore, and the castaways did not desire that. The energetic Bobolink, with the aid of the battle-ax, wrenched away the staples which held two of the rusted chains, and soon had a heavy timber trailing over the stern. This drag retarded the speed of the ship. Then Bobolink sat down in the shel- ter of the deck-house, drew a pipe and oilskin of tobacco from his pocket, and began to smoke. “Now, sir, tell us all about it. Have ye been floating about on this ’ere ice- field for long? And where in th’ name 0’ goodness did ye come upon this craft, which, without meanin’ no offense, might be twin of the ark.” “You’ve hit it pretty near—nearer than you think, anvway,” said Feltnar, laughing. “ This is a pretty old boat, if it is not quite the age of Captain '. Noah’s craft. : “T can tell vou how I got here easily enough. When those hounds pitched me into the dory I cut loose, so that they couldn’t fling Macklin in, too. I knew they didn’t have too many boats ” “Aye, and you saved the old man by that caper. They didn’t find him in your cabin till next day. Then I think Skipper Josh backed out and wouldn’t let the play go on. They didn’t cast Macklin out.” (SO MICOOO YN Ss) (COL