Archibald Hughson: An Arctic Story

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  MUTINY! MOST OF THE CREW CARRYING THE GREATER PART OF THE PROVISIONS,SET OFF WITHOUT THE OTHERS.--PROPOSALS FOR PURSUIT, BUT NOT CARRIED OUT,AND AT LAST THE REMAINDER COMMENCE THEIR JOURNEY ACROSS THE ICE, MEETINGWITH GREAT DIFFICULTIES.--THE CAPTAIN BECOMES ILL, BUT IS CHEERED BYANDREW.--HE AT LENGTH DIES, AFTER ANDREW HAS PLACED BEFORE HIM THETRUTH, WHICH HE ACCEPTS.--HE IS BURIED IN A SNOW TOMB.

  Archy was awakened by hearing one of the officers, who had gone out ofthe tent, exclaim, "Why, what have become of the boats?" The rest ofthe inmates of the tents were quickly on foot. They looked around. Faraway in the distance two dark spots could be seen on the ice. Andrewand several others ran to the tent of the mutineers--it was empty. Thefire had burnt a hole in the ice and disappeared. Had it not been forthose objects far off they might have supposed that the sleepers hadgone in with it and been drowned. The provisions were next examined--the packages prepared for travelling had greatly diminished. Several,indignant at being thus deserted, proposed setting off in pursuit of thefugitives.

  "They have fire-arms with them, and you will not get them to come back,lads," said the captain, who had come out of his tent.

  In spite of his warnings, and the advice of Andrew, who urged that itwas better to let them go, a number of men, and two of the officers,started away, vowing that they would bring back the mutineers, andpunish them for their treachery.

  At first, the party thus deserted seemed inclined to give way todespair, and Archy more than ever regretted that he had not warned hisfriends of the intended treachery.

  "Come along, lads, to the wreck," exclaimed Andrew. "Perhaps we mayfind another boat, which we may be able to repair, and some moreprovisions to replace those carried off."

  Thus appealed to, the carpenter, with several men, set off with Andrewto the wreck, Archy accompanying his friend. After climbing over anumber of huge masses of ice, they made their way to the opposite floe,which was now firmly united to the one it had struck. Here they found aquantity of the wreck scattered about, as well as several casks of meatand biscuits, and wedged between two slabs, the smallest boat, which hadhung at the stern. The carpenter, on examining her, expressed his hopesthat by fastening canvas round her, he could make her float sufficientlyto enable them to pass from one floe to another, should they meet anyopen channels in their course. This discovery raised their spirits.The party immediately hastened back to their companions with the news.It was agreed that they should at once move across to the floe, with thetents and provisions, and forming a new encampment, go on with the workof preparing the sledges. Frequently as they went backwards andforwards, they looked out for the return of the party who had gone inpursuit of the mutineers. The latter had got far out of sight beforethey could have been overtaken. What had become of the pursuers no onecould say. Some supposed that the two parties had united and gone ontogether, while others fancied that they had fought, and that those whohad been defeated had been left alone on the ice, while the victors hadpushed on with the boats.

  The whole day was occupied in moving to the new encampment, and it wasnearly dark before their tents were erected and other preparations madefor passing the night. The wind had latterly increased greatly, andclouds had been collecting to the north. Scarcely had they got undershelter when the snow began to fall heavily, and the sharp wind sweptacross the icy plain with terrific force.

  "Archy, we may be thankful that we are not with those poor fellows whodeserted us," observed Andrew as they sat together round the fire intheir tent. "It will be a mercy if any of them escape even if theyreached the open water before nightfall, and it's my opinion that theywill not have done that."

  "They deserve their fate, whatever it may be," growled out one of themen.

  "Ah, friend, we all deserve far more than we receive," said Andrew. "IfGod was to treat us according to our merits, the best of us could onlylook for punishment. Let us pray that He will have mercy on them aswell as on us. Oh, mates, I wish you could all understand the greatlove which God has for us poor sinners. We exposed ourselves of our ownfree choice to the danger and hardship we have to endure, but He in Hismercy offers us free salvation and eternal happiness for our souls. Hegave Jesus Christ to suffer instead of us, and it's our own fault if wedo not accept His precious gift. All He asks us to do is to trust toHis love, and believe that Jesus died for us and that His blood washesaway all our sins."

  Several of Andrew's companions listened with deep earnestness to hiswords, and on that bleak floe, and amid those arctic snows, believed tothe salvation of their souls.

  All night long the wind swept by them, the snow fell faster and faster,but they heeded not the tempest. A bright light had burst upon them,and they could look forward with hope to the future, trusting to thatGod of love and mercy whom they had hitherto only known as a stern andsevere judge.

  When morning broke all hands set to work to clear away the snow, whichhad covered up the boat and everything left outside the tents. Thewind, however, had ceased, and they were able to go on with theirlabours, and by the evening the sledges were completed and the boatprepared and placed on runners. They were then loaded, that the partymight be ready to start the following morning on their journey. Twiceduring the day, Andrew with several of the other men had gone over tothe old encampment to ascertain if any of those who had deserted themhad come back. They cast their eyes in vain over the wide snow-coveredplain,--not a trace of a human being could be seen. It was too probablethat all had perished. More than half the ship's company had thus beenlost.

  The night was passed in comparative comfort. They had well-formedtents, abundance of bedding, and ample fires. All knew that in futurethe case would be very different. The sledges were chiefly loaded withprovisions. They were obliged to reduce their tents to the smallestpossible size, and they could carry but a limited supply of fuel. Therewere five sledges in all, each drawn by four men, while six men wereharnessed to the boat, in which the old captain, who was unable to walk,was placed. Andrew joined the latter party, and Archy, on account ofhis youth, was excused from dragging a sledge,--he, however, carried hisblankets and some provisions on his back, each man being also loaded inthe same way. The snow having partially melted under the still hot raysof the sun, had again frozen, and had filled up all inequalities in theice. This enabled the party to drag the sledges along during the firstday without difficulty. They had, however, to make frequent circuits toavoid the hummocks, which in some places were very numerous. Theycalculated by nightfall that they had advanced nearly twelve miles ontheir journey towards the coast. The uneven appearance of the icebeyond them, interspersed in many places with huge icebergs, warned themthat in future they could not hope to advance so rapidly.

  Hitherto they had not suffered much from cold, but that night, as theylay in their tents with the small fires which their limited supply offuel allowed them to keep up, they were nearly frozen. Andrew severaltimes remembering the advantage he had before gained from takingexercise, got up and ran about to warm himself. Those who followed hisexample awoke refreshed and fit for work, whereas those who had remainedquiet all the night, found their limbs stiff and their feet and handsfrozen, and it was not till after, with the help of their companions,they had moved about and undergone great pain, that they were able toproceed. Some, indeed, had suffered so much, that they entreated to beleft to die rather than undergo the hardships they would have to endure.Andrew urged them to arouse themselves.

  "It is our duty, lads, to straggle on as long as we can. God may thinkfit to try us, but let us trust in Him and He may find a way for us atlast to escape, though we are too blind to see it," he observed.

  His exhortations produced a good effect, and once more they proceeded ontheir journey. The old captain had suffered the most, and it seemedvery probable that he would be unable to hold out many days longer.Andrew seeing his condition, frequently spoke to him, and thoughhitherto he had turned scornfully away, he now willingly liste
ned to thewords the faithful Christian uttered.

  "Oh!" he exclaimed at length, "I wish that I had heard you before. Itis too late now, I have been a terrible sinner, God can never pardon sobad a man as I am."

  "Oh, sir!" exclaimed Andrew, "Jesus Christ came into the world to savesinners. He saved the thief on the cross, He saved the jailor atPhilippi. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. He says,`Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, thoughthey be red like crimson they shall be as wool.'"

  This was said while they were stopping to take their mid-day meal.

  The old captain raised himself up and grasped Andrew's hand.

  "Do you really speak the truth to me?" he exclaimed.

  "I repeat what God says, sir, and He cannot lie," answered Andrew."Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

  "I do, I do," cried the old man. "But oh! what would I now give had Iknown this in my youth. What years of wickedness and misery it wouldhave saved me."

  "Ah, sir! there are thousands upon thousands who may say that," repliedAndrew. "Archy, you hear the captain's words. Don't forget them, boy.If God in His mercy allows you to return home in safety, repeat them toyour young companions, and urge them to `seek the Lord while He may befound.' You may thus render them a service for which they will havecause to thank you through eternity."

  "I will try," said Archy humbly, "but it is difficult to speak toothers."

  "Pray for the aid of God's Holy Spirit, and He will enable you to doit," said Andrew.

  "I will try," repeated Archy, for he had discovered his own weakness.Through that discovery alone can strength be obtained.

  The shipwrecked party again pushed on, the party keeping ahead. Some ofthe men had begun to complain that the boat detained them. Theysupposed that the ice was attached throughout to the mainland, andbelieved that they could do without her. The captain tried to persuadethem that they were mistaken, but they had lost their respect for him,and declared that they knew better. Andrew thought the captain wasright, and entreated them to listen to his advice. Their replies showedthat they were bent on pushing on. The worthy carpenter, JamesFoubister by name, also a Shetlander, sided with Andrew, and promisednot to desert the old captain. Their example influenced most of theother men attached to the boat, who agreed, should the rest of the partydo as they proposed, to remain with them. By exerting themselves to theutmost they overtook the sledge parties soon after they had encamped.Andrew again spoke earnestly to his companions, pointing out to them thedanger they would ran by separating, and he hoped at length that theyhad abandoned their design.

  The next day they went on as before. The cold was increasing, andexcept when they were in active exercise, they felt it severely. Theold captain especially, from being unable to move, suffered greatly, andwas rapidly sinking. Andrew, whenever the party stopped, acted the partof a true Christian, and was by his side, endeavouring to console andcheer him with the blessed promises of the gospel. What other comfortcould he have afforded? The old man felt its unspeakable value, andafter his voice had lost the power of utterance, holding Andrew's hand,he signed to him to stoop down and speak them in his ear, and so hedied,--with a peaceful expression in his countenance, which told of thesure and certain hope he had gone to realise. Andrew and the carpenterproposed carrying on the captain's body to bury it on shore, but therest objected, as causing them unnecessary labour. A snow tomb wastherefore built, in which the old man's body was placed, and there theyleft him, out on that wild frozen ocean, where many of England's bravestsons rest from their toils. Happy are those who have died as he died,trusting in the Lord. The men were too much engrossed with their ownsufferings to mourn his loss, but few failed, when the next morning theystarted on their journey, to cast a glance at the tomb. "Poor old man,he is better off than we are," was the expression uttered by most ofthem.

  The fatigue of dragging the sledges over the rough ice was now so great,that some of the men purposed leaving their tents and the remainder oftheir fuel behind, and the officers had much difficulty in making themsee the folly of such a proceeding. As they advanced, not only largehummocks, but vast icebergs became numerous, among which they werefrequently enveloped, and many a circuit had to be made to avoid them.

  The day after the captain's death it began to snow heavily. The sledgeswere as usual ahead, still Andrew and his party managed to proceed withthe boat. The snow-storm increasing in density, they at length lostsight of their companions. For some time they followed up their tracks,but these were gradually obliterated by the falling snow. Still theywent on, till they found themselves at the base of an iceberg, but not atrace was visible to show whether the party ahead had made their wayround by the north or south end. As any delay would have increased thedifficulty of overtaking them, they pushed on, taking a southerlydirection.

  Having doubled the berg, they saw a clear space before them, but thoughthe snow had ceased, the sledge parties were nowhere visible.

  The captain's rifle had been saved. Andrew fired it in the hopes thatthe signal might be heard, but no reply came to their listening ears.Once more they went on, but their progress was slow and tedious.