by Jules Verne
CHAPTER XI
THE DEVIL'S THUMB
During the commander's absence the men had gone through divers worksin order to make the ship fit to avoid the pressure of the ice-fields.Pen, Clifton, Gripper, Bolton, and Simpson were occupied in thislaborious work; the stoker and the two engineers were even obligedto come to the aid of their comrades, for, from the instant they werenot wanted at the engine, they again became sailors, and, as such,they could be employed in all kinds of work on board. But this wasnot accomplished without a great deal of grumbling.
"I'll tell you what," said Pen, "I've had enough of it, and if inthree days the breaking up isn't come, I'll swear to God that I'llchuck up!"
"You'll chuck up?" replied Gripper; "you'd do better to help us toback out. Do you think we are in the humour to winter here till nextyear?"
"To tell you the truth, it would be a dreary winter," said Plover,"for the ship is exposed from every quarter."
"And who knows," added Brunton, "if even next spring we should findthe sea freer than it is now?"
"We aren't talking about next spring," said Pen; "to-day's Thursday;if next Sunday morning the road ain't clear, we'll back out south."
"That's the ticket!" cried Clifton.
"Are you all agreed?" said Pen.
"Yes," answered all his comrades.
"That's right enough," answered Warren, "for if we are obliged towork like this, hauling the ship by the strength of our arms, my adviceis to backwater."
"We'll see about that on Sunday," answered Wolsten.
"As soon as I get the order," said Brunton, "I'll soon get my steamup."
"Or we'd manage to get it up ourselves," said Clifton.
"If any of the officers," said Pen, "wants to have the pleasure ofwintering here, we'll let him. He can build himself a snow-hut likethe Esquimaux."
"Nothing of the kind, Pen," replied Brunton; "we won't leave anybody.You understand that, you others. Besides, I don't think it would bedifficult to persuade the commander; he already seems very uncertain,and if we were quietly to propose it----"
"I don't know that," said Plover; "Richard Shandon is a hard,headstrong man, and we should have to sound him carefully."
"When I think," replied Bolton, with a covetous sigh, "that in a monthwe might be back in Liverpool; we could soon clear the southernice-line. The pass in Davis's Straits will be open in the beginningof June, and we shall only have to let ourselves drift into theAtlantic."
"Besides," said the prudent Clifton, "if we bring back the commanderwith us, acting under his responsibility, our pay and bounty moneywill be sure; whilst if we return alone it won't be so certain."
"That's certain!" said Plover; "that devil of a Clifton speaks likea book. Let us try to have nothing to explain to the Admiralty; it'smuch safer to leave no one behind us."
"But if the officers refuse to follow us?" replied Pen, who wishedto push his comrades to an extremity.
To such a question they were puzzled to reply.
"We shall see about it when the time comes," replied Bolton; "besides,it would be enough to win Richard Shandon over to our side. We shallhave no difficulty about that."
"Anyhow," said Pen, swearing, "there's something I'll leave here ifI get an arm eaten in the attempt."
"Ah! you mean the dog," said Plover.
"Yes, the dog; and before long I'll settle his hash!"
"The more so," replied Clifton, coming back to his favourite theme,"that the dog is the cause of all our misfortunes."
"He's cast an evil spell over us," said Plover.
"It's through him we're in an iceberg," said Gripper.
"He's the cause that we've had more ice against us than has ever beenseen at this time of year," said Wolsten.
"He's the cause of my bad eyes," said Brunton.
"He's cut off the gin and brandy," added Pen.
"He's the cause of everything," said the assembly, getting excited.
"And he's captain into the bargain!" cried Clifton.
"Well, captain of ill-luck," said Pen, whose unreasonable fury grewstronger at every word; "you wanted to come here, and here you'llstay."
"But how are we to nap him?" said Plover.
"We've a good opportunity," replied Clifton; "the commander isn'ton deck, the lieutenant is asleep in his cabin, and the fog's thickenough to stop Johnson seeing us."
"But where's the dog?" cried Pen.
"He's asleep near the coalhole," replied Clifton, "and if anybodywants----"
"I'll take charge of him," answered Pen furiously.
"Look out, Pen, he's got teeth that could snap an iron bar in two."
"If he moves I'll cut him open," cried Pen, taking his knife in onehand. He bounced in between decks, followed by Warren, who wantedto help him in his undertaking. They quickly came back, carrying theanimal in their arms, strongly muzzled, with his paws bound tightlytogether. They had taken him by surprise whilst he slept, so thatthe unfortunate dog could not escape them.
"Hurrah for Pen!" cried Plover.
"What do you mean to do with him now you've got him?" asked Clifton.
"Why, drown him, and if ever he gets over it----" replied Pen, witha fearful smile of satisfaction.
About two hundred steps from the vessel there was a seal-hole, a kindof circular crevice cut out by the teeth of that amphibious animal,hollowed out from underneath, and through which the seal comes upto breathe on to the surface of the ice. To keep this aperture fromclosing up he has to be very careful because the formation of hisjaws would not enable him to bore through the hole again from theoutside, and in a moment of danger he would fall a prey to his enemies.Pen and Warren directed their steps towards this crevice, and there,in spite of the dog's energetic efforts, he was unmercifullyprecipitated into the sea. An enormous lump of ice was then placedover the opening, thus closing all possible issue to the poor animal,walled up in a watery prison.
"Good luck to you, captain," cried the brutal sailor.
Shortly afterwards Pen and Warren returned on deck. Johnson had seennothing of this performance. The fog thickened round about the ship,and snow began to fall with violence. An hour later, Richard Shandon,the doctor, and Garry rejoined the _Forward_. Shandon had noticeda pass in a north-eastern direction of which he was resolved to takeadvantage, and gave his orders in consequence. The crew obeyed witha certain activity, not without hinting to Shandon that it wasimpossible to go further on, and that they only gave him three moredays' obedience. During a part of the night and the following daythe working of the saws and the hauling were actively kept up; the_Forward_ gained about two miles further north. On the 18th she wasin sight of land, and at five or six cable-lengths from a peculiarpeak, called from its strange shape the Devil's Thumb.
It was there that the _Prince Albert_ in 1851, and the _Advance_ withKane, in 1853, were kept prisoners by the ice for several weeks. Theodd form of the Devil's Thumb, the dreary deserts in its vicinity,the vast circus of icebergs--some of them more than three hundredfeet high--the cracking of the ice, reproduced by the echo in sosinister a manner, rendered the position of the _Forward_ horriblydreary. Shandon understood the necessity of getting out of it andgoing further ahead. Twenty-four hours later, according to hisestimation, he had been able to clear the fatal coast for about twomiles, but this was not enough. Shandon, overwhelmed with fear, andthe false situation in which he was placed, lost both courage andenergy; in order to obey his instructions and get further north, hehad thrown his vessel into an excessively perilous situation. Themen were worn out by the hauling; it required more than three hoursto hollow out a channel twenty feet long, through ice that was usuallyfrom four to five feet thick. The health of the crew threatened tobreak down. Shandon was astonished at the silence of his men and theirunaccustomed obedience, but he feared that it was the calm beforethe storm. Who can judge, then, of his painful disappointment,surprise, and despair when he perceived that in consequence of aninsensible movement of the ice-field the _Forward_ had, during theni
ght from the 18th to the 19th, lost all the advantage she had gainedwith so much toil? On the Saturday morning they were once more oppositethe ever-threatening Devil's Thumb, and in a still more criticalposition. The icebergs became more numerous, and drifted by in thefog like phantoms. Shandon was in a state of complete demoralisation,for fright had taken possession of the dauntless man and his crew.Shandon had heard the dog's disappearance spoken about, but darednot punish those who were guilty of it. He feared that a rebellionmight be the consequence. The weather was fearful during the wholeday; the snow rose up in thick whirlpools, wrapping up the _Forward_in an impenetrable cloak. Sometimes, under the action of the storm,the fog was torn asunder, and displayed towards land, raised up likea spectre, the Devil's Thumb.
The _Forward_ was anchored to an immense block of ice; it was allthat could be done; there was nothing more to attempt; the obscuritybecame denser, and the man at the helm could not see James Wall, whowas on duty in the bow. Shandon withdrew to his cabin, a prey tounremitting uneasiness; the doctor was putting his voyage notes inorder; one half the crew remained on deck, the other half stayed inthe common cabin. At one moment, when the storm increased in fury,the Devil's Thumb seemed to rise up out of all proportion in the midstof the fog.
"Good God!" cried Simpson, drawing back with fright.
"What the devil's that?" said Foker, and exclamations rose up in everydirection.
"It is going to smash us!"
"We are lost!"
"Mr. Wall! Mr. Wall!"
"It's all over with us!"
"Commander! Commander!"
These cries were simultaneously uttered by the men on watch. Wallfled to the quarter-deck, and Shandon, followed by the doctor, rushedon deck to look. In the midst of the fog the Devil's Thumb seemedto have suddenly neared the brig, and seemed to have grown in a mostfantastic manner. At its summit rose up a second cone, turned upsidedown and spindled on its point; its enormous mass threatened to crushthe ship, as it was oscillating and ready to fall. It was a most fearfulsight; every one instinctively drew back, and several sailors,leaping on to the ice, abandoned the ship.
"Let no one move!" cried the commander in a severe voice. "Every oneto his post!"
"How now, my friends? There's nothing to be frightened at!" said thedoctor. "There's no danger! Look, commander, look ahead, Mr. Wall;it's only an effect of the mirage, nothing else."
"You are quite right, Mr. Clawbonny," answered Johnson; "those foolswere frightened at a shadow."
After the doctor had spoken most of the sailors drew near, and theirfear changed to admiration at the wonderful phenomenon, which shortlydisappeared from sight.
"They call that a mirage?" said Clifton. "Well, you may believe methat the devil has something to do with it."
"That's certain!" replied Gripper.
But when the fog cleared away it disclosed to the eyes of the commanderan immense free and unexpected passage; it seemed to run away fromthe coast, and he therefore determined to seize such a favourablehazard. Men were placed on each side of the creek, hawsers were lowereddown to them, and they began to tow the vessel in a northerly direction.During long hours this work was actively executed in silence. Shandoncaused the steam to be got up, in order to take advantage of thefortunate discovery of this channel.
"This," said he to Johnson, "is a most providential hazard, and ifwe can only get a few miles ahead, we shall probably get to the endof our misfortunes."
"Brunton! stir up the fires, and as soon as there's enough pressurelet me know. In the meantime our men will pluck up their courage--thatwill be so much gained. They are in a hurry to run away from the Devil'sThumb; we'll take advantage of their good inclinations!"
All at once the progress of the _Forward_ was abruptly arrested.
"What's up?" cried Shandon. "I say, Wall! have we broken ourtow-ropes?"
"Not at all, commander," answered Wall, looking over the side. "Hallo!Here are the men coming back again. They are climbing the ship's sideas if the devil was at their heels."
"What the deuce can it be?" cried Shandon, rushing forward.
"On board! On board!" cried the terrified sailors.
Shandon looked in a northerly direction, and shuddered in spite ofhimself. A strange animal, with appalling movements, whose foamingtongue emerged from enormous jaws, was leaping about at a cable'slength from the ship. In appearance he seemed to be about twenty feethigh, with hair like bristles; he was following up the sailors, whilsthis formidable tail, ten feet long, was sweeping the snow and throwingit up in thick whirlwinds. The sight of such a monster riveted themost daring to the spot.
"It's a bear!" said one.
"It's the Gevaudan beast!"
"It's the lion of the Apocalypse!"
Shandon ran to his cabin for a gun he always kept loaded. The doctorarmed himself, and held himself in readiness to fire upon an animalwhich, by its dimensions, recalled the antediluvian quadrupeds. Heneared the ship in immense leaps; Shandon and the doctor fired atthe same time, when, suddenly, the report of their firearms, shakingthe atmospheric stratum, produced an unexpected effect. The doctorlooked attentively, and burst out laughing.
"It's the refraction!" he exclaimed.
"Only the refraction!" repeated Shandon. But a fearful exclamationfrom the crew interrupted them.
"The dog!" said Clifton.
"The dog, captain!" repeated all his comrades.
"Himself!" cried Pen; "always that cursed brute."
They were not mistaken--it was the dog. Having got loose from hisshackles, he had regained the surface by another crevice. At thatinstant the refraction, through a phenomenon common to theselatitudes, caused him to appear under formidable dimensions, whichthe shaking of the air had dispersed; but the vexatious effect wasnone the less produced upon the minds of the sailors, who were verylittle disposed to admit an explanation of the fact by purely physicalreasons. The adventure of the Devil's Thumb, the reappearance of thedog under such fantastic circumstances, gave the finishing touch totheir mental faculties, and murmurs broke out on all sides.
