The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

IN FROZEN FETTERS. against the sky at which he had seen the Wild Woman pointing. It was not an iceberg, as he had thought. It was the riding sail of a bark of some size, and the thought flashed across his mind instantly that she must be the Goodcheer. She was the only vessel likely to be in the vicin- ity. CHAPTER XV. THE FALSE LIGHT. BoBoLINK came rolling up the ridge- side, his face one vast smile, and his hair and beard standing out about his bullet-head like a crimson halo. “One o° the young leddies tells me there’s a bark in sight,” he said. “ Give us a peep at her, Mr. Feltnar.” The spy-glass was handed over, and the two men watched the newcomer’s face. “Sure, that’s her!” Bobolink cried. “The Goodcheer ? ” “ Aye, aye, sir! There ain’t no other whale ship in these waters, I’m sartin - of that.” | “ Think they’re looking for you? ” “ Shouldn’t wonder. The boys won’t let that sarpint of a Larry Toole make the skipper sail away an’ leave me.” “ But they'll look for you on the ice.” “ An’ not findin’ me, an’ knowin’ the ice was clost in to the shore yesterday, they'll likely send a boat in to look me up. They’ll know that the sea ain’t riz that can drown me,” and Bobolink chuckled hoarsely. | “She’s getting in pretty near the land, isn’t she?” queried Hirik, who had taken the glass again. “Dunno. Is this here coast danger- ous? ” | “There’s a had current into the fiord. And there isn’t a foot of anchor- ace. It’s too deep and the bottom is rock.” “ Smooth ? ” “Yes. It’s lava rock.” “By mighty,” exclaimed the sailor: “then the old barkie oughter keep off. Don’t know what they’re likely to do In this sea.” The waves were too high for either a boat to be sent ashore from the bark or for the smack to be launched to go out ‘watched them, his 137 to her. All there was to do was to wait for the falling of the wind and sea. Feltnar wandered off again in the direction of the Wild Woman’s house. He said nothing to the young Icelander regarding what he had discovered about the crew of the lugger. But their presence in the neighbor- hood—especially when he thought of the treasure hidden aboard the old Viking ship—troubled him greatly. The day grew old while he wandered along the coast, having made a détour to avoid both hut and lugger. He reached the hidden vessel and went aboard. Everything was as they had left it the afternoon before. The boat had been moored to the rocks with ropes brought from the fish- ing smack. He saw to it that these had not chafed on the edges of the rock, | and that they were taut enough so that the ship should not bump seriously against the shore. The cabin was dark, but he knew his way about and remained long enough to put a plan he had formed into opera- tion.. This was to lower the small chest of coins and ecclesiastical furnishings into the compartment beneath the floor, and to close the trap-door again. “If anvbody chances to come aboard, the stuff won’t be found so easily now,” he muttered as he leaped ashore again. ~ It was dusk, and he found much diff- culty in making his way toward the byre again. He carried Eirik’s pea-rifle, having made the excuse of gunning be- fore he left the farm, but he had bagged no game. Stumbling along through the dark, he heard at last the boisterous voices of the lugger’s crew. They were in a hollow in the rock, well hidden from the sea, and Feltnar stopped and presence quite un- suspected. One was playing an abominably squeaky fiddle, and there was a jug of what was likely liquor in evidence. They had evidently given themselves up to an evening of jollity. But he did not see the man with the long cloak, and he was careful to slink away from his place of observation without allowing his presence to be known. COL ElOOO (COL