Chums No. 785, Vol. XVI — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

IN THE GRIP OF THE GLACIERS. Al Fight to a Finish on Frozen Seas, By G, FIRTH SCOTT, Author of ‘The Track of Midnight,”’ etc, SYNOPSIS.—-CHAPTERS 1,—XII, 1 Steve Malins junior officers of the ship Destirty, are ‘ that vessel and discussing the Mystery surrounding F ps, who has chartered the vessel, and the in Matins (Steve's father and Dan’s uncle), come on board, nut any explanation, tells Dan to go to Rio Janeiro niself as a stowaway in a Certain ship there. He also oy to ‘keep his ears and eyes epen and his mouth closed,” plain what he sees and hears when they next meet. Mr, s Eeckes to reward him with a thousatd pounds if everything t well, arties out his mission, and hides on board the Ship in question, er the vessel (which is called the 4 syot) has got out to sea, he is die red bya huge negro. A struggle ensues, during which Dan bad'y shes the mate for attacking him, Thea he is put in irons and taken Lelt alone, Dan is wondering what wilt be the outcome of the when from out of the darkness a cuciously familiar voice whis- vim that he has been recognised, although he will not know the Next morning he is released, and, as Dan Daniels, he is sent nong the crew. The latter show signs of discontent at his one man—a_red- haired fellow called “ Fire-pot' — being aggressive. Tim, the negro, proves to be frien ly, however, Jan that the skipper (Captain Bird) and a man named | (called “Skinny” by the crew) are taking the ship to a place ¢ South Pole in erder to secure some gold hidden there. The Morms Dan that as soon asthe gold is in the vessel the crew He adds, too, that the men think that Dan is there to spy Later, Tim turns against Dan, while Jowles, the first mate, n into dis avour with the captain, The latter, however, f the impending outbreak among the crew, asks Dan to join es is imprisoned in the stateroom. He contrives to escape, and the men in a mutiny. Dan and Bird, together with Smailes, the nd mate, try to suppress them, and during the fight that ensues {in Jowles is shot) the ship strikes an ice flog, All hands are forced cave the vessel, the mutineers forming a camp on the ice on one side rand the captain's adherents (including Sammy, the cook) going e other side. The former party make merry round a cask ot ram, Dan tries to stop them. in's camp is attacked by the mutineers, and in the scuffle the Jonging to Bird and Smailes are stolen, A little later Dan mpanions see a glare of | ght shining over the ice, and hear a rt followed by cheering trom their late assailants. Without # to see whether his conirades follow him, Dan, crying that a ship ave arrived and fired a gun, dashes over the ice, CHAPTER XIlll. In the Enemy's Camp. U NDER the impression that the others were } close behind him, Dan ran as fast as he was able towards the red glare. It increased in brilliancy, until it lit up the night with a weird gleam, making the rugged ice hummocks glisten and sparkle like fairy palaces. He turned to speak to the companions he thought were close behind him. They were not there. He was alone. ; Stopping, he looked around. In what direc- tion did the camp lie? He had run on without heeding. Behind him there was nothing but ice, growing grey in the deepening gloom. On the other side there was the red glow lighting up the scene. He went towards it. ‘Stumbling over the rough ice, which became more uneven as he advanced, he found his way barred by a steep ridge of hummocks. Rather than try to find a way round them, he clambered up to the top of one. f ‘As he reached the top, the meaning of the glare burst npon him. Below him there was a smooth patch even sheltered and protected by hummocks than the site he had selected for the camp. lhe mntineers had diseovered it, and had built up the stores they had taken from the ship uto a serviceable protection from the weather. They were huddled together under it, the isk of rum standing on end near them. In the centre of the patch one of the barrels of rd had been fired, and was the cause of the are Dan had seen. It was blazing furiously. 'he hummock Dan had climbed was some distance away from the men. He saw another, directly in front of the camp; if he could get the top of that he would be able to look right down wpon them. He realised that the te of affairs demanded that he should learn \l he could as to their plans and ideas while had the chance. There were several things inted to know. One was whether Fire-pot was amongst them. I the time when he and Smailes had made , fast in the stateroom on the ill-fated ‘, Dan remembered that he had not seen edoubtable Fire-pot. He did not take part mutiny; he was not amongst the men d revolted; nor was he on the other more here he was, Dan conld not clearly all the men. ‘he figure of one d the fiery-headed grumbler, but Dan ly see the fionre; the face and head Sao oR The ridge, of which the hummock he was on formed a part, ran irregularly round behind the pile of stores. If he conid creep unseen to the end of it, he might be able to erawl right up behind the shelter. Once there, he would be able to overhear what was bein said. It might mean salvation of himself an the others. He slipped down and worked his way gradu- ally nearer the end of the ridge. As he went, he understood how the hummocks were formed, “WITH A REVOLVER IN EACH HAND, DAN MADE A DASH TO ESCAPE” (p. 182). The floes, crushing one upon the other as wind and sea forced them onwards, exerted enor- mous pressure. Where the ice was weakest, the strain was greatest, with the result that it was forced upwards, breaking off in great rugged masses which iled upon themselves and so formed hummocks, either in single instances or spread out into ridges, When the strain was over, the part that had been the weakest was a line of tumbled blocks of ice, which, later, became frozen into solid mounds, making the weakest part the strongest and forming the hummocks. There must have been an immense strain along the line he was now following, for the ridges were flung in all directions. It took him a long time to work his way round to what he considered was the back of the piled-u stores. Then he had to scramble over severa lines of blocks before he obtained a clear view . of the blazing ‘barrel again. A He had succeeded in getting directly behind the shelier, Creeping on ai) fours, he passed from the broken ice, The roar cf te ames | as they played round t Seat 2 rel came clearly a him. One of the men was ee ; His voice was thick, as of one who too bo ac ¥ n ites “What's the good?” he was saying, “Th ain't no more rum, They’ye only got a few biscuits, Leave ’em to do thé best they can. — pony ge mighty big on board we, with their — gold braid aad their buttons. e does the ~ work. We has the hard times of it. All they “ porrina HIS HAND TO UIS MOUTH HE GAVE A LONG CALL” (p, 182). do is to boss us round and monkey about navigatin’, as they calls it. Where'd they be if it wasn’t for us sailor chaps? Eh? at’s what I want to know. Where'll they be, left to their own on the ice?” “That's all right for the ee and Smailes,” said another voice. “ But what about that stowaway spy? Leaye the others to freeze, or starve, or drown, as they like, but roasting ain't too bad for that smoogin’ chap.” “That's the talk,” snarled another. “Mr. Dan Daniels, squire, is the cave T wants to i A