Red Rooney: The Last of the Crew

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  A BRIEF BUT SINGULAR VOYAGE WINDS UP WITH A GREAT SURPRISE.

  The calm which had fortunately prevailed since Angut and his friendsfound refuge on the iceberg was not destined to continue.

  A smart breeze at last sprang up from the northward, which soonfreshened into a gale, accompanied with heavy showers of snow, drivingthe party into the cave, where the cold was so severe that they wereforced to take refuge in its deepest recesses, and to sit wrapped intheir bearskins, and huddled together for warmth, as monkeys aresometimes seen on a cold day in a menagerie.

  Being from the north, the wind not only intensified the cold, andbrought back for a time all the worst conditions of winter, but assistedthe great ocean current to carry the berg southward at a high rate ofspeed. Their progress, however, was not very apparent to the eyes ofour voyagers, because all the surrounding bergs travelled in the samedirection and at nearly the same speed. The blinding snow effectuallyhid the land from their view, and the only point of which they werequite sure was that their berg must be the nearest to the Greenlandcoast because all the others lay on their right hand.

  Towards noon of the following day it was observed that the pack-icethickened around them, and was seen in large fields here and there,through some of which the great berg ploughed its way with resistlessmomentum. Before the afternoon the pack had closed entirely aroundthem, as if it had been one mass of solid, rugged ice--not a drop ofwater being visible. Even through this mass the berg ploughed its wayslowly, but with great noise.

  "There is something very awful to me in the sight of such tremendousforce," said Red Rooney to Angut, as they stood contemplating the havoctheir strange ship was making.

  "Does it not make you think," returned the Eskimo, "how powerful must bethe Great Spirit who made all things, when a little part of His work isso tremendous?"

  Rooney did not reply, for at that moment the berg grounded, with a shockthat sent all its spires and pinnacles tumbling. Fortunately, theEskimos were near their cavern, into which they rushed, and escaped theterrible shower. But the cave could no longer be regarded as a place ofsafety. It did indeed shelter them from the immediate shower of masses,even the smaller of which were heavy enough to have killed a walrus; butat that advanced period of spring the bergs were becoming, so to speak,rotten, and liable at any moment to fall to pieces and float away in theform of pack-ice. If such an event had occurred when our Eskimos werein the cave, the destruction of all would of course have beeninevitable.

  "We dare not remain here," said Angut, when the icy shower had ceased.

  "No; we must take to the floes," said Simek.

  "Another shake like that," remarked Okiok, "might bring the whole bergdown on our heads."

  "Let us go, then, at once," said Rooney; "the sky clears a little, sowe'll know how to steer."

  No one replied, for all were already engaged with the utmost activitymaking bundles of their bear-skins and as much of the bear-meat as themen could carry--each of the women taking a smaller piece, according toher strength or her prudence. The sailor followed their example insilence, and in a very few minutes they issued from the cavern, and madefor the shore of the berg.

  Some difficulty was experienced in scrambling over the chaotic masseswhich had been thrown up in front of them by the ploughing processbefore referred to. When they stood fairly on the floes, however, theyfound that, although very rough, these were sufficiently level to admitof slow travelling. They were in the act of arranging the order ofmarch, when the berg slid off into deep water, and, wheeling round as ifannoyed at the slight detention, rejoined its stately comrades in theirsolemn procession to their doom in more southerly seas.

  "Just in time," said Rooney, as they watched the berg floating slowlyaway, nodding its shattered head as if bidding them farewell. "Nowthen, ho! for the Greenland shore! Come, old Kannoa, I'll take youunder my special care."

  He took the old woman's bundle from her as he spoke, and, putting hisleft hand under her right arm, began to help her over the frozen sea.

  But poor old thing though she certainly was, that antiquated creaturebecame a griggy old thing immediately, and was so tickled with the ideaof the stoutest and handsomest man of the party devoting himselfentirely to her, when all the younger women were allowed to look afterthemselves, that she could scarcely walk during the first few minutesfor laughing. But it must be said in justification of the Eskimo men,that their young women were quite capable of looking after themselves,and would, indeed, have been incommoded as well as surprised by offersof assistance.

  Rooney had spoken cheerily, though his feelings were anything butcheerful, for he knew well the extreme danger of their position, but hefelt it a duty to do his best to encourage his friends. The Eskimoswere equally well, if not better, aware of their danger, and took to thefloes with resolute purpose and in profound silence--for true men insuch circumstances are not garrulous.

  A gleam of sunshine from a rift in the dark clouds seemed sent as aheavenly messenger to guide them. By it the Eskimos as well as thesailor were enabled to judge of the position of land, and to steer,accordingly, in what western hunters would call "a bee-line." The greatdanger, of course, lay in the risk of the pack breaking up before theycould reach the shore. There was also the possibility of the pack beinga limited strip of floe-ice unconnected with the shore, which, if it hadbeen so, would have decided their fate. In these circumstances they allpushed on at their best speed. At first the women seemed to get alongas well as the men, but after a while the former showed evident symptomsof exhaustion, and towards dusk old Kannoa, despite Rooney's powerfulaid, fairly broke down and refused to walk another step. The seamanovercame the difficulty by raising her in his arms and carrying her. Ashe had not at that time quite recovered his full strength, and washimself pretty well fatigued, he was constrained to think prettysteadily of the old woman's resemblance to his grandmother to enable himto hold out!

  After another mile or so the mother of Arbalik succumbed, whereupon herson put his arm round her waist and helped her on. Then the pleasantlittle mother of Ippegoo broke down with a pitiful wail; but her son wasunable to help her, for he was already undulating about like a piece oftape, as if he had no backbone to speak of. Okiok therefore came to heraid. As for the hardy spinster Sikogow, she seemed inexhaustible, andscorned assistance. Nuna was also vigorous, but her sons Norrak andErmigit, being amiable, came on each side of her, and took her in towbefore the breaking-down point was reached.

  Thus they continued to advance until the darkness became so profound asto render further travelling impossible. The danger of delay they knewwas extreme, but men must perforce bow to the inevitable. To advancewithout light over rugged ice, in which were cracks and fissures andhummocks innumerable, being out of the question, Rooney called a halt.

  "Rest and food, friends," he said, "are essential to life."

  "Huk!" was the brief reply.

  Without wasting breath on another word, they untied their bundles,spread their bearskins in the lee of a hummock, fed hastily butheartily, rolled themselves in their simple bedding, and went to sleep.

  During the night there occurred one of those sudden changes which arecommon in Arctic lands at that season of the year. Snow ceased to fall,the sky cleared, and the temperature rose until the air became quitebalmy. The ice of the floes eased off, narrow openings grew into lanesand leads and wide pools, until water predominated, and the ice finallyresolved itself into innumerable islets. When Rooney was at lastawakened by a blaze of sunshine in his face, he found that the partyoccupied a small cake of ice in the midst of a grand crystalarchipelago. Not a zephyr ruffled the sea, and the hills of Greenlandwere visible, not more than six or eight miles distant, on their lefthand. What particular part of Greenland it was, of course they had nomeans of knowing.

  The sight was indeed such as might have filled human hearts withadmiration and joy, but neither joy nor admiration touched the hearts ofRed Roone
y and his companions. So far from land, on a bit of ice scarcelarge enough to sustain them, and melting rapidly away, exposed to thevicissitudes of a changeful and stormy climate, without the means ofescape--the case seemed very desperate.

  "The Great Spirit has forsaken us," said Angut gloomily, as he surveyedthe scene.

  "That He has _not_," returned the sailor, "whatever may befall."

  An exclamation from Arbalik drew attention to a particular part of thehorizon.

  "A flat island," said Okiok, after a long earnest gaze; "but we cannotreach it," he added in a low voice.

  "You know not," said Angut. "The current sets that way, I think."

  "A few minutes will show," said Rooney.

  With almost trembling eagerness they watched the islet, and, as Rooneyhad said, it soon became evident that the current was indeed carryingtheir ice-raft slowly towards the spot.

  "We can scarcely expect to drift right on to it," said Rooney, "and itis apparently our last chance, so we shall have to take to the waterwhen near it. Can we all swim--eh?"

  To this question some answered Yes and some No, while others shook theirheads as if uncertain on the point. But the seaman was wrong. Straightas an arrow to a bull's eye the raft went at that islet and struck onits upper end with such force as to send a tongue of ice high on theshore, so that the whole party actually landed dryshod. Even old Kannoagot on shore without assistance.

  The joy of the party at this piece of unlooked-for good-fortune wasunbounded, although, after all, the improvement in their circumstancesdid not seem to be great, for the islet was not more than a hundredyards in diameter, and appeared to be quite barren, with only a clump ofwillows in its centre. Still, their recent danger had been so imminentthat the spot seemed quite a secure refuge by contrast.

  The men of the party, after landing, were only just beginning to commenton their prospects, when they saw the willows in the centre of the isletpart asunder, and a man of strange aspect and costume stood before them.

  The stranger who had burst thus unexpectedly upon them like a visitantfrom another world, bereaving them for a few minutes of speech andmotion, was evidently not a native of the land. His pale and somewhatmelancholy face, as well as parts of his costume, betokened him one whohad come from civilised lands; and Rooney's first thought was that hemust be a shipwrecked sailor like himself; but a second glance causedhim to reject the idea. The calm dignity of his carriage, theintellectuality of his expression, and, withal, the look of gentlehumility in his manner, were not the usual characteristics of seamen inthose days. He also looked very haggard and worn, as if from severefatigue or illness.

  A slight smile played for a moment on his lips as he observed the blankamazement which his appearance had produced. Hastening forward he heldout his hand to Rooney whom he at once recognised as a man of civilisedlands.

  "Let me congratulate you, friends, on your escape, for I can see thatyou must have been in great jeopardy from which the Lord has deliveredyou."

  The stranger spoke in the Danish language, which was of course utterlyincomprehensible to the natives. Not so, however, to Red Rooney, who inhis seafaring life had frequently visited Copenhagen, Bergen, andChristiania, and other Scandinavian ports, and had learned to speakDanish at least fluently, if not very correctly. He at once replied, atthe same time returning the warm grasp of the stranger's hand--

  "We have indeed just escaped from great danger, through the mercy ofGod. But who are _you_, and how come you to be in such a lonely place,and, if I do not greatly mistake, in a starving condition?"

  "I am a missionary to the Eskimos," replied the stranger, "and have beenforced to take refuge here by stress of weather. But I am notabsolutely alone, as you seem to think. There are five natives with me,and we have an oomiak up there in the bushes. They are now asleep underit. For five days we have been detained here almost without food, bythe recent storm and the pack-ice. Now, thanks to my Father in heaven,we shall be able to launch our little boat, and get away. In fact,being the first of my party to awake this morning, I rose very quietlyso as not to disturb the poor people, who stand much in need of rest,and I had come to look at the state of the ice when I unexpectedlydiscovered you on the shore."

  "Stay now, sir; not another word till you have broken your fast," saidRooney, with kindly violence, as he hastily cut a large slice from hispiece of bear's meat. "Sit down on that stone, and eat it at once. Afasting man should not talk."

  "But my companions need food to the full as much as I do," objected themissionary.

  "Do as I bid ye, sir," returned Rooney, with decision. "You say theyare asleep. Well, sleep is as needful as food and sleeping men cannoteat. When you have eaten we will go up and awake and feed them."

  Thus urged, the poor man began to eat the raw meat with as much relishas if it had been the finest venison cooked to a turn. Beforecommencing, however, he clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and audiblythanked God for the supply.

  While he was thus engaged Red Rooney did not speak, but sat looking athis new friend with profound interest. Perchance his interest wouldhave deepened had he known that the man was none other than the famousNorwegian clergyman Hans Egede, the originator of the Danish mission toGreenland, who founded the colony of Godhaab in the year 1721, abouttwelve years before the commencement of the missions of the MoravianBrethren to that land.

  The surprise which our voyagers had received by the unexpectedappearance of the missionary was, however, as nothing, compared with thesurprise that was yet in store for them on that eventful day.