The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

16 “T could eat a rhinoceros.” “Well, I have no such delicacy as that to offer, but how would roast goose with baked potatoes, cranberries, and pineapple suit you?” “Don’t, Dag. You have just con- vinced me this wasn’t delirium. Don’t destroy your good work.”’ I laughed, and went to get his din- ner. We ate together in the cabin, Ordway propped up in the berth, and I sitting at the table. From the windows we could see the fragment of the berg still holding its own at about the same distance from us, keeping back the seas, thus giving us a fairly calm shore, if the edge of an iceberg can be called a shore. The drifting loose ice moved slowly through the channel, and then back again. Having finished our meal, Ordway felt well enough to smoke, so we sat there, idly, puffing at our cigars. To any one else, even .then our position would have seemed most uncomforta- ble and dangerous. But compared to what we had been through it was like home to us. Suddenly there came a bump under the boat. It was lifted, and almost turned over. Then it settled back with a splash. From outside there came a tremen- dous noise like the exhaust of the Northbird’s motor when in condition. “What the deuce is that?” gasped Ordway. “Just that, I guess,’ I answered. “ But Tl see.” CHAPTER VIII. AN IMPENDING CRASH. I COULD not repress a cry of amaze- ment, as well as delight. Lying well away from the boat and the edge of the ice was a beast about seven feet long, with a smooth, oily skin, small head, and a dorsal fin I “recognized. It was a dolphin. Why this peculiar mammal should ~ gods provide. THE ARGOSY. have humped its way up under our boat and on to the ice I could not imagine, till it uttered its peculiar groan again. I looked then past the stern of the Northbird, and‘ saw a strange com- motion in the water. | The explanation was at hand. The dolphin is an intelligent animal, and frequently, when pursued by its enemy, the narwhal, from whose deadly sword it always flees, it flops on to a low- lying cake of ice where the other fellow can’t follow. Well, I felt sorry for this dolphin. But my sorrow was much like that of a hungry man who looks lovingly at a fine, fat, strunting turkey, then wrings its neck and enjoys a good dinner. I proceeded to put a couple of rifle balls into the small head. I heard Ordway shout. No doubt he had an idea that we had been at- tacked by enemies. I hurried back to “What was it? You shot some- thing,” he exclaimed excitedly. “ Ordway,” I said solemnly, “ the How would you like a nice beefsteak ? ”’ “Don’t, Dag. I felt that way before I began to whirl round. Take another drink—a good one. That's a good fel- low. Don’t get woozy as I did.” “Never, Jack, was I in better con- trol of my faculties. We have now on hand a supply of fine meat.” “Fish, you mean.” “Nix on the fish. This is meat. Real meat from a—well—a sort of cow.” “Come again. I can stand anything now.” “It’s a dolphin. And, as you know, a dolphin is not a fish, but a mammal. This chap was running away from something else—probably a narwhal. Anyway, his running days are over. A fine piece of roast dolphin is fit for the gods. In fact, they were almost gods once. The ancients feasted upon them —only the rich could so entertain their friends.”’ “Where did you learn all this?” CoOMmicbook CO