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diff --git a/39210.txt b/39210.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ffe293 --- /dev/null +++ b/39210.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5929 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Ice Queen, by Ernest Ingersoll + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Ice Queen + + +Author: Ernest Ingersoll + + + +Release Date: March 20, 2012 [eBook #39210] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ICE QUEEN*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Matthew Wheaton, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 39210-h.htm or 39210-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39210/39210-h/39210-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39210/39210-h.zip) + + + + + +[Illustration: "JIM GOT IN AT LEAST ONE GOOD BLOW."] + + +THE ICE QUEEN + +by + +ERNEST INGERSOLL + +Author of +"Friends Worth Knowing," "Knocking Round the Rockies," etc. + +Illustrated + + + + + + + +New York +Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1884, by +Harper & Brothers, +In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. + +All rights reserved. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + CHAP. + I. THROWN UPON THEIR OWN RESOURCES + II. "THE YOUNGSTER'S" PLAN + III. FITTING OUT THE "RED ERIK" + IV. MAKING A START + V. COMFORT IN A LOG CABIN + VI. NORSE TALES + VII. THE FIRST DAY ON THE LAKE + VIII. JIM'S REBELLION + IX. SKATING BY COMPASS + X. AN UGLY FERRIAGE + XI. CAMPING AGAINST AN ICE WALL + XII. SNOWED UNDER + XIII. SAVED FROM STARVATION + XIV. THE ARCTIC VISITORS + XV. CHRISTMAS BIRD-CATCHING + XVI. HOW TUG MADE "TWITCH-UPS" + XVII. THE BREAKING UP OF THE ICE + XVIII. RESCUING THE WANDERERS + XIX. ADRIFT ON AN ICE RAFT + XX. A NIGHT IN AN OPEN BOAT + XXI. THE ESCAPE TO THE SHORE + XXII. REX FIGHTS UNKNOWN ENEMIES + XXIII. EXPLORING THE ISLAND + XXIV. THE WILD DOGS AGAIN + XXV. THE PERILS OF A MIDNIGHT SEARCH + XXVI. FINDING SNOW-BIRDS AND LOSING THE CAPTAIN + XXVII. ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH THE WILD DOGS + XXVIII. THE ACCIDENT EXPLAINED + XXIX. DECIDING UPON A NEW MOVE + XXX. KATY TAMES THE WILD DOGS + XXXI. ABANDONING THE ISLAND + XXXII. AN ASTONISHED FARMER + XXXIII. THE "TIMES" CORRESPONDENT + XXXIV. A HAPPY CONCLUSION + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS. + + "JIM GOT IN AT LEAST ONE GOOD BLOW" + DISCUSSING THE PLAN + "A MOMENT LATER THEY WERE OFF" + SUPPER IN THE LOG CABIN + "LAY ON!" + CROSSING THE HUMMOCK + JIM AND KATY BRINGING THE RUSHES TO CAMP + "THE LITTLE FIRE WAS SOON BLAZING MERRILY" + CAMPING AGAINST AN ICE WALL + "A SHARP REPORT WAS HEARD" + KATY TRAPPING THE SNOW-BUNTINGS + SETTING THE NEW TRAPS + "REX STRUCK OUT AND SWAM ACROSS" + "THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAG HIS LIFELESS FORM OUT UPON THE ICE" + "TRY TO STEADY HER" + THE CABIN ON THE ISLAND + ATTACKED BY THE DOGS + "DON'T CRY, KATY!" + "'IS HE DEAD?' ASKED JIM" + REPAIRING THE OLD SCOW + "'WA'AL, I DECLARE!'" + + + + +THE ICE QUEEN. + + + + +Chapter I. + +THROWN UPON THEIR OWN RESOURCES. + + +The early dusk of a December day was fast changing into darkness as +three of the young people with whose adventures this story is +concerned trudged briskly homeward. + +The day was a bright one, and Aleck, the oldest, who was a skilled +workman in the brass foundry, although scarcely eighteen years of age, +had given himself a half-holiday in order to take Kate and The +Youngster on a long skating expedition down to the lighthouse. Kate +was his sister, two years younger than he, and The Youngster was a +brother whose twelfth birthday this was. + +The little fellow never had had so much fun in one afternoon, he +thought, and maintained stoutly that he scarcely felt tired at all. +The ice had been in splendid condition, the day calm, but cloudy, so +that their eyes had not ached, and they had been able to go far out +upon the solidly frozen surface of the lake. + +"How far do you think we have skated to-day, Aleck?" asked The +Youngster. + +"It's four miles from the lower bridge to the lighthouse," spoke up +Kate, before Aleck could reply, "and four back. That makes eight +miles, to begin with." + +"Yes," said Aleck, "and on top of that you must put--let me see--I +should think, counting all our twists and turns, fully ten miles more. +We were almost abreast of Stony Point when we were farthest out, and +they say that's five miles long." + +"Altogether, then, we skated about eighteen miles." + +"Right, my boy; your arithmetic is your strong point." + +"Well, _I_ should say his feet were his strong point to-day," Kate +exclaimed, in admiration of her brother's hardihood. + +"It wasn't a bad day's work for a _girl_ I know of, either," remarked +Aleck, as he took the key from his pocket and opened the door of their +house, which was soon bright with lamplight and a crackling fire of +oak and hickory. + +The house these three dwelt in was a small cottage in an obscure +street of the village, but it was warm and tight. Kate was +housekeeper, and The Youngster--whose real name was James, contracted +first into Jim, and then into Jimkin--was man-of-all-work, and +maid-of-all-work too, sometimes, when Kate needed his help. + +While these two are getting tea, and Aleck is carefully wiping the +skates and putting them away where no rust can have a chance at the +blades, or mice gnaw the straps, let me tell you a few things about +the family. + +Jim could remember his father only vaguely, but Kate and Aleck could +tell us all about him. His name was Kincaid, and he was a +master-builder of houses. He had bought and fitted up the cottage, and +had put savings in the bank, though Mrs. Kincaid was sick much of the +time, so that money was spent that would have been laid by "for a +rainy day" if she had been strong and well. + +Unfortunately, the rain came sooner than any one thought for. One day, +about five years before the beginning of our little history, papa was +brought home hurt by falling from a scaffold at the top of a house. He +was not dead, and all thought he would be well again in a few weeks at +most; but instead he grew slowly worse, and after a time died. + +Then the poor mother, always weak, did the best she could, and Kate +tried to help her, while Aleck stopped his school-going, and went to +work in the brass foundry. At first, though, he could earn but a +little, and Mr. Kincaid's savings slowly melted away until almost +nothing was left. Then the tired and desolate mother, never strong, +bade her children that long farewell that seems so terribly hopeless +to all of us when we are young, and the three "mitherless bairns" were +thrown upon their own resources. + +The question arose as to what they should do. Jim was now eight years +old, and going to school. Kate had not neglected to do some studying, +and a great deal of reading, too, though she had always been so busy; +and a few weeks before her mother's death she had begun to study +regularly with a lady who lived near, whom Katy repaid by picking +various small fruits as they matured in the lady's large garden. +Aleck, as I have said, was working steadily, and getting enough wages +to keep them all in fair comfort, since they owned the house and +enough garden to give them plenty of vegetables. So, after talking the +prospect over, they decided to stay in their little house and live +together. A letter was written to Uncle Andrew, in Cleveland, who had +offered Kate and Jimmy a home, telling him they would try it alone a +while before burdening any of their friends. + +This decision had been made almost four years before my story opens, +and it had not been regretted. They had even saved some money, but the +larger part of this had been spent in repairing the house, and in +fitting up a new boat for Jim and one of his friends, who thought they +knew a way to make a little money in the summer vacation if they had a +good boat. This boat had been completed only in time to prove how +good it was, before the winter had closed the river with ice at an +unusually early date, and now the pretty craft was safely stored in a +warehouse at the schooner-landing, a mile below the town. + +All slept very soundly after their skating holiday--even Rex, the +great Newfoundland dog, who was a member of the family by no means to +be overlooked; but their ears were not stopped so tight that the +clangor of the church bells about midnight failed to arouse them with +its dreadful alarm of fire. Hastening to an upper window, one glance +at the blaze-reddened heavens showed our friends that the group of +factories in the southern part of the town was burning, and one of +these was the brass foundry where Aleck worked. + +Aleck hurried away, and they did not see him until after sunrise, when +he came home tired, wet, and soot-blackened. The whole shop had burned +to the ground, he reported, and it was only by great risk and exertion +that he had been able to rescue his father's precious chest of tools. + +"I didn't think," said the young man, as he sat wearily down to Katy's +hot coffee, "that my job would be so short when McAbee told me +yesterday I could work there 'as long as the foundry lasted.'" + +During that day and the next Aleck tried every possible chance of +employment in the village, but found nothing; and by the time evening +came he had made up his mind that no regular employment equal to his +old place was to be had there for months to come. + +There was no doubt about it. The time had arrived when they must avail +themselves of Uncle Andrew's kindness, and seek in his hospitable +house at least a temporary home. + + + + +Chapter II. + +"THE YOUNGSTER'S" PLAN. + + +"You see," said Aleck, "though I've about seventy-five dollars ahead, +yet when we have bought what we shall need, there will not be more +than forty dollars left. Now, if we go to Cleveland in the cars and +take our things with us, it'll cost us twenty-five dollars or more, +and leave us almost nothing to get started with there." + +"S'posin'," said Jimkin the Wise, "s'posin' we don't go in the cars. +Cleveland's on the lake, and the lake's all ice; let's skate down to +uncle's!" + +"Humph!" grunted Aleck. + +"Pshaw!" said Kate. + +"Didn't we skate eighteen miles yesterday, and couldn't we have gone +farther?" persisted Jim, unabashed. + +"It's more than a hundred miles to Cleveland. Think you could do that +in one day? Besides, how would you know the way?" + +"Didn't say I could do it in one day. But couldn't we go ashore and +stop at night? That's the way the Hall boys did, who skated up to +Detroit last winter." + +"I read in the newspaper yesterday," said Kate, "that the lake was +frozen uncommonly hard, and was solid ice all the way along the shore +as far as the headlands of Ashtabula." + +"If we could be sure of that," Aleck admitted, "there might be some +use in trying; but one can't be sure. Besides, how could we take along +our baggage?" + +"Pull it on a sled," said Kate, "the way they do in the arctic +regions. Men up there just live on the ice, sleep at night and cook +their food and travel all day, and they don't have skates either. +Gracious! Who can that be?" + +No wonder Katy was astonished, for there came echoing through the +house a noise as if somebody was pounding the wall down with a stone +maul. Aleck hastened to put a stop to it by opening the door. + +He was greeted by the grinning face of a round-headed, chunky lad +nearly his own age, named Thucydides Montgomery; but as this was too +long a name for the Western people, it had been cut down very early in +life to "Tug," which everybody saw at once was the right word, on +account of the lad's strength and toughness. The mammas of the village +thought him a bad boy, getting their information from the small boys +of the public school, whom, in his great fondness for joking, he would +sometimes frighten and tease. + +Aleck knew him better, and knew how brave and goodhearted he was. Jim +had good cause to be fond of him, for, in behalf of The Youngster, +during his first week at school, Tug had soundly thrashed a bullying +tyrant; while Kate gratefully remembered various heavy market-baskets +he had carried for her, since he lived near by. A closer tie between +our little family and their visitor, however, was the fact that, like +them, he was an orphan, and, like them, had relatives in Cleveland, +whom he had often thought he should like to be with better than +staying with his aunt here in Monore. + +When Tug had joined the circle gathered before the big fireplace, and +had begun to talk about the brass-works, he was promptly hushed by +Aleck. + +"Put that up now, and attend to me. This urchin here, who has become +very cheeky since he began to go to school--" + +"And came under my care," Tug interrupted, loftily. + +"Yes, no doubt. Well, The Youngster finds we all want to go to +Cleveland, but can't afford the railway fare, and so he coolly +proposes that we skate there." + +"Well, why don't you do it? I'll go with you," said Tug, quietly. + +Jim shouted with triumph. Kate laughed, and clapped her hands at the +fun of beating her big brother, and Aleck looked as though he thought +he was being quizzed. + +"Do you mean it?" he asked. + +"Of course I do. I want to go down as badly as you do. I haven't any +stamps, and the walking, I'm told, isn't good. I prefer to skate." + +"Katy says we might drag our luggage on sleds, as they do in the +arctic regions; but supposing the ice should break up, or we should +come to a big crack?" + +"I have read," Kate remarks again, "that they carry boats on their +sledges, and pack their goods in the boats, so that they will float if +the ice gives way." + +"Take my boat!" screamed Jim, eagerly. + +"That would call for a big sled." + +"Well, didn't you two fellows build a pair of bobs last winter big +enough to carry that boat?" + +"Doubtful," answered Aleck. But when they brought out the plan of the +boat, and then measured the bobs, which were stored in the woodshed, +they found them plenty wide, and Tug was sure they were sufficiently +strong. + +Kate looked at them rather dubiously, and said she had never read of +arctic boats mounted on heavy bobs, but that they always seemed in the +pictures to have long, light runners under them; but Jim reminded her +curtly that "girls didn't know everything," so she kept still, and the +planning and talking went on. + +Young people who are under no necessity to ask permission of older +persons, and, besides, are pushed by circumstances, decide quickly on +a plan which looks forward to adventure. Generally, I fear, they come +to grief, and learn some good lessons rather expensively; but +sometimes their energy and fearlessness carry them safely through what +the caution of old age would have stopped short of trying to perform. + +[Illustration: DISCUSSING THE PLAN.] + +They sat up pretty late discussing the plan, but before Tug went to +what he said he "s'posed he must call home," they had determined to +try it if the weather held firm. + +This was on Friday. They hoped to get away early in the coming week. +Then all three went to bed, Jim jubilant, and looking forward to a +long frolic; Kate half doubtful whether it was best, but hopeful; +Aleck sure that, for himself, he didn't care, hating to put his sister +and brother to any risk, yet seeing no better way of resisting +poverty; Tug resolute, and bound to stand by his friends, whatever +happened. So they slept, and bright and early next morning the quiet +preparations began, Tug declining to answer any questions as to how he +arranged the matter of his going with his aunt. + + + + +Chapter III. + +FITTING OUT THE "RED ERIK." + + +The first thing was to settle upon their preparations. + +"What will you want to take, Tug?" + +"Precious little, I guess. Besides my clothing, which won't make much +of a bundle, I don't own much except my shot-gun, and my weasel-trap, +and my odds-and-ends chest, and some hooks and lines. I'm going to +sell all the rest of my duds." + +"Who'll buy 'em?" asked Jim, doubtfully. + +"Never you mind who, infant. 'This stock must be closed out below +cost,' as the old-clo' men say. I can put all my baggage in a +nail-keg." + +"Then that's fixed," Aleck remarked. "Now for _you_, Katy?" + +"I think the little trunk that was mamma's, and my handbag for brush +and comb and such things, will hold all that belongs to me--that is, +of my own _own_," she replied, laughing. "Of course, the cooking +things, and so on, belong to all of us." + +"Well, Jim, your traps and mine will go into the other little chest, I +think--at any rate, they must. Now for the general list." + +The general outfit was then talked over for more than an hour, when, +looking at his watch, Aleck said: + +"Now this plan all depends on what luck I have in renting the house. I +heard yesterday that Mr. Porter (the owner of the burned factory) +would have to leave the hotel, and wanted to find a small furnished +house. I am going to see if I can't let ours to him." + +So Aleck went off, and Tug and Jim started down to examine the boat, +study how much she would hold, and see what would be the best way of +mounting her upon the bobs, which they spoke of as "the sledge." They +were not back until afternoon, and found that Aleck had just come in, +full of success. Mr. Porter would rent the house, and would allow them +a closet in which to store all the small goods they wished to leave +behind. + +"Now, what about the boat?" he asked, as he concluded the story. + +"She'll do beautifully. Jim and I think we'd better deck her over from +the mast forward, and cover it with painted canvas, so as to make a +water-tight place to stow the provisions." + +"That's a good idea." + +"We thought you'd say so, and so we took exact measurements, and can +make a deck here, and fasten it on down there." + +"All right; now, how do you think we'd better fasten the boat to the +sledge?" + +"That's where we want you to help us decide. I don't believe its +weight is great enough to hold it firm." + +"It's the first thing to be arranged," said Aleck, "and after dinner I +guess we'll have to go down to the wharf." + +An hour later the three boys were standing beside the boat, gazing +first at it and then at the pair of strong bobs they had brought +along. + +"We must take that coasting-board off the bobs and put in a heavy +reach-pole pretty near as long as the boat, that's certain," said Tug. + +"And," spoke up Jimmy, "we've got to prop her up on the sledge so +she'll stand even, and won't tip." + +"Yes, you're both right," Aleck agreed. "The best way is to saw chairs +out of two-inch plank which will just fit her bottom, and in which she +will sit solidly." + +"But," Tug broke in, "that won't hold her firm in the racket she has +to go through. She must be bound down to that sledge, and I reckon the +best way is to draw bands of stout canvas--big straps would cost too +much--over the boat, from one side of the sledge to the other." + +They examined and re-examined, but could none of them see any better +plan; so they measured, and on their way home bought enough of the +heaviest duck to make three bands, each three inches wide. + +This transaction brought out a bit of Tug's loyalty. As Aleck took out +his purse to pay for the canvas, Tug pushed his hand away and laid a +dollar bill on the counter. + +"You can just put up your cash," he cried. "This is my affair. If you +fellows furnish the boat and sledge and all the rest, I'm going to +pay, myself, for what new stuff we have to buy. It's little enough I +can do, anyhow." + +With this view there was no use of arguing, and Tug had his way that +day and during all the rest of the preparation, spending the whole of +his savings and the money received from the sale of his books and +"contraptions." + +While Tug sawed out the chairs, and screwed and spiked them firmly to +the sledge that evening, the other two boys worked at the bands, and +Katy sewed. They all sat in the kitchen, in order to be where Tug +could work, and before they went to bed both tasks were nearly done. + +The next day was Sunday. + + * * * * * + +On Monday the sledge was finished, and the boat was set upon it. +Tacking tightly over it the canvas bands, two in front and one towards +the stern, the whole affair proved almost as stiff and firm as though +formed of one piece. + +"What was the boat's name?" you may feel like interrupting me to ask. + +It had not been christened yet, but when, as they sat by the fire on +Sunday evening, Katy read aloud the story of "Red Erik," they all +agreed that that was the name they wanted. + +Now the _Red Erik_ was fitted to carry one mast, which passed through +a hole in the forward thwart, and was stepped into a block underneath. +The sail carried by this mast was a square sail of pretty good size, +supported by a gaff at the top and a boom at the bottom. When it was +not in use it was rolled around the mast, the gaff and boom being laid +lengthwise along with it; and by wrapping the sheet around, the whole +was lashed into a bundle, which lay very snugly upon the thwarts under +one gunwale, where a couple of leather gaskets were buckled about it +to keep it from sliding. There was also a jib-sail. + +While they were overhauling this gear, the question of what they were +to do for a tent came up, and Katy asked whether the sails could not +be made useful for that purpose. + +Certainly, the mainsail was large enough to form a very decent shelter +when stretched over a low ridge-pole, but it needed loops of rope at +the ends in order to be pegged to the ground and thus held in place. + +"But there ain't any ground, and you can't drive wooden pegs into +ice," objected Katy, at this point of the planning. + +"Then," said Aleck, "we shall have to get half a dozen iron pegs, and +I have some railway spikes that will be just the thing." + +"That's so," said Tug. "Take 'em along. Now, the next thing is poles. +The gaff will do for one, but the other one we'll have to make, +because we want to use the boom for a ridge-pole." + +"Then I'll tell you how we'll fix it," Aleck explained. "We'll put an +eye-bolt in the far end of the boom, and call that the front end of +the tent. We'll make a front upright post out of hickory, and have the +lower end of it shod with iron, so as to stick in the ice--" + +"Hold up! I've a better idea than that even," Tug exclaimed. "I +suppose you want to save carrying any more timber than you can help. +Well, let's cut off the handle of the boat-hook--that's hickory--until +it is the right length, and its iron point will stick in the ice, or +the ground (if we set her up ashore) first-rate. Then we'll go to the +blacksmith, and have a cap made with a spike in it to go through the +eye in the end of the boom. When we want to use the boat-hook we can +take the cap off." + +"That's a good way; but how about the gaff?" + +"Set a short spike in the far end to stick in the ice, and let the +ridge-pole rest in the jaws of the gaff; the canvas will hold her +steady." + +"Yes, I suppose so. You're an inventor, Tug. Go down to-morrow and get +the irons made." + +Meanwhile, as I said, loops were sewed on the sail, and it was thus +arranged to serve as a tent. It had a queer shape when set up in the +yard on trial, for the sail was broader at one end than the other, +though it did very well indeed. An end piece was lacking; but this was +supplied by putting on tapes so as to tie the broad foot of the jib to +one edge of the rear of the tent, while the sharp top end was folded +around on the outside and tied to one of the side pegs. For the front +they could do no better than hang up a shawl or something of that +kind, if needed, since they decided that a few yards square of spare +canvas which they had must be kept for a carpet upon the ice floor. + +This done, there remained to screw into the forward end of the sledge +two eye-bolts, to which the ropes were to be attached for dragging the +boat. Each of these ropes was about twelve feet long, and had at one +end an iron hook, so as to be put on and taken off very quickly. Three +of them were prepared, but, as you will see, it was rare that more +than two were ever in use at once on the march. They could easily be +hooked together into one long line, however; two of them would serve +as end-stays when the tent was set up; and they were often of the +greatest importance to the young adventurers, in enabling them to +overcome difficulties, or to extricate themselves from some perplexing +or dangerous situation. + +All these arrangements, by hard work, were finished on Tuesday +evening, the very last task being the making of a box with +double-hinged covers, which should fit snugly under the stern-thwart. +This was to be the kitchen chest or mess kit, holding the cooking +utensils and dishes. When its two covers were spread out and propped +up it formed a low table. + + + + +Chapter IV. + +MAKING A START. + + +Katy, meanwhile, had been looking after clothing and provisions. On +Tuesday evening, when Tug came in after tea, she was ready to read to +him a full list, as follows: + +BOAT OUTFIT.--Sailing and rowing gear complete; one piece of spare +canvas three yards square; one oil lantern and a gallon of oil; one +compass; a locker under the stroke-thwart, containing calking-iron, +oakum, putty, copper nails, gimlet, screw-driver, screws, sail needle, +thread, wax, etc. + +CAMP OUTFIT.--Tent (_made out of the sails_), pegs, poles, etc.; one +axe; one hatchet; one small handsaw; one shovel; one clothes-line; one +mess chest, containing the fewest possible dishes, tin cups, knives, +forks, etc., also a skillet, a coffee-pot, etc.; one iron kettle; one +covered copper pail. + +PERSONAL BAGGAGE.--One trunk for Aleck's and Jim's clothing; one trunk +for Katy's clothing; Tug's box (_clothing, and what he says are +"contraptions"_); small valise for Katy's toilet necessaries and other +small articles. + +BEDDING (_tied up in close rolls_).--For Aleck, three blankets and a +thick quilt. + +For Jim, the same. + +For Tug, three blankets and a piece of old sail-cloth. + +For Katy, a buffalo-robe trimmed square, two flannel sheets, three +blankets, and a heavy shawl. + +Thick woollen nightcaps or hoods for all. + +FOOD (_enough to last two weeks, it is supposed, and consisting +chiefly of the first seven articles named_).--Corn-meal, coffee, +sugar, crackers, dried beef, bacon, and ham; also small quantities of +potatoes, beans, dried corn, tea, chocolate, maple sugar, buckwheat +flour, and condiments. (Katy did not count the luxuries of the first +day's evening meal.) + +All these supplies, as far as possible, were put into bags made of +strong cloth or of heavy paper, or into wooden boxes, and then were +stowed under the forward deck. To carry them and the rest of the +luggage down to the wharf, a box was fastened upon Jim's hand-sled, +and several trips were made. + +At last Wednesday afternoon came, and the preparations for the +adventurous journey were complete. All the morning had been spent by +Tug and Jim in packing away goods in the boat, while Aleck and Kate +finished the home-leaving, bringing down a final sled-load with them +about two o'clock. Besides this, Katy's arms were full of +"suspicious-looking" bundles, as Tug noticed, the contents of which +she refused to let any one know before night. + +The boat lay hidden underneath the warehouse wharf, and of the few who +knew of their intentions nobody seemed to have let out the secret; +moreover, the day was unusually cold and somewhat windy, so that few +skaters were out, at least, so far down the river. Thus they were not +annoyed by inquisitive visitors. Ten minutes after Aleck and Kate +arrived the final package had been stowed, the mantle of canvas spread +over, the oars and rolled-up tent laid on top, and Tug announced +everything ready. + +"Then let's be off," said Aleck, as he buckled the last strap of his +left skate, and stood up. + +"Not till you give the word of command, Captain." + +"Captain!" echoed Jim, standing very straight. + +"Captain!" Kate caught up the word, and made a funny girlish imitation +of an officer's salute. "Not till you give the order, sir!" + +"Oho!" laughed Aleck. "That's election by acclamation, I should say! +All right; only, if I'm to be Captain, remember you must do as I say +at once, and save any arguing about it until afterwards. When you get +tired you can vote me out as you voted me in. Will you agree?" + +"Yes--agreed!" cried all three. + +"Then my first order is 'Forward!'" and so saying he seized a +drag-rope and sent the sledge-boat spinning out upon the smooth ice +far from under the shadow of the wharf, showing how easily it could be +run in spite of its weight, which was not less than five hundred +pounds. + +[Illustration: "A MOMENT LATER THEY WERE OFF."] + +A moment later they were off on the first strokes of a trip that +proved far more eventful than any of them anticipated--Aleck with the +drag-rope, Tug by his side, Jim pulling his sled, Rex leaping and +barking, and Kate bringing up the rear with her hands on the +stern-rail of the boat. Two or three boys and men called after them, +and one followed a little way, but he was sent back with short +answers, and in a few moments the church spires, the big, bell-crowned +cupola of the High School, and the lofty spans of the railway bridge +had been left far behind. Not much was said, for even heedless Jim +felt that this was a serious undertaking, and the pleasant scenes they +had known so long might never be revisited. + + + + +Chapter V. + +COMFORT IN A LOG CABIN. + + +The pain of this farewell did not long cloud their faces. Tug and Jim +had had no luncheon, and were growing anxious for something to eat. +Down at the mouth of the river stood a small cabin, often occupied in +early spring by the sportsmen who went for a day's duck-shooting in +the great marshes that spread right and left on both sides of the +stream. It was buried among big cottonwood and sycamore trees, and was +pretty snug. Besides, it had a fireplace, into which somebody had +stuck a long iron bolt pulled out of some bit of wreckage on the +beach, and which served as a great convenience in the rude cooking of +the sportsmen. + +At this cabin our party proposed to spend the first night. They +thought it would be an easy letting down from sleeping in their beds +at home to the tenting they feared they might have to do afterwards. +Katy had been the one to suggest this, and Tug had earnestly supported +the idea. + +"Things don't seem so hard when they come upon you gradually, as the +kind-hearted man said when he cut off his dog's tail a little piece at +a time, so the pup wouldn't mind it." + +The sun was just disappearing straight up the river behind them as the +cabin came in sight; and before its half-closed door + + "'All _bloody_ lay the untrodden snow,'" + +as Kate exclaimed, misquoting her "Hohenlinden" to suit the red glow +of the rich evening light. + +"Hurrah for supper!" screamed Jim; and with an extra spurt they swung +the boat up to the bank. + +A little sweeping with a broom made of an alder branch cleared the +cabin of the snow that had blown into the cracks and fallen down the +mud-and-stone chimney. This done, Aleck called to them to listen to +his first orders, which he had written down in a note-book, and now +read as follows: + + CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 1.--Any order given by the Captain must be + obeyed by the person to whom it is addressed, unless his reason + for not doing so will not keep till camping-time; merely _not + liking_ the duty is no excuse. + + CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 2.--The Captain will say when and where + camp shall be made, and immediately upon stopping to camp the + duties of each person shall be taken up as follows: the + Captain shall secure the boat, get out the tent, and proceed to + set it up; Tug shall take the axe and get fuel for the fire; + Kate shall see to the building of the fire and the preparation + of food; Jim shall help Kate, particularly in carrying articles + needed, and in getting water; and all, when these special + duties are finished, shall report to the Captain for further + duty. + + CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 3.--Any complaints or suggestions must be + made in council, which will commence after camp work is + completed and supper is over, and not before. + +"There," said Aleck, "do you agree to that?" + +"Yes--agreed!" shouted three voices in chorus. + +"Then pitch in, all of you; you know your work." + +At this Tug seized the axe, Aleck and Jim went to the sledge, and Katy +began to kindle a little blaze on the hearth with some bits of dry +wood she found lying about, so that when Tug had brought an armful of +sticks, a good fire was quickly crackling. Then the iron pot, full of +water, was hung upon the old spike, where the blaze began curling +around its three little black feet in a most loving way. + +"Jimkin," called the girl to her brother, who was gazing with delight +at the bright fire, "Jimkin, bring me all those paper packages at the +stern of the boat, and be careful of the white one--it's eggs." + +"I guess there won't be much tent to set up to-night, Aleck," he +remarked, as he found the Captain, who had hauled the sledge well up +on the bank and tied it securely to a tree, now busy in dragging out +the sail. + +"No," was the reply, "but the canvas'll come handy. Tell Tug I say +he'd better get a big heap of wood together, for we're going to have a +cold night. The wind has turned to the north, and is rising." + +When he had taken the canvas up to the cabin, he called Jim to help +him, and they brought in the mess chest, the rolls of bedding, and the +piece of spare canvas which had covered the prow. Then, telling Jim to +take the little sled that had been dragged behind the boat, and haul +to the door the wood Tug had cut among the trees not far away, Aleck +seized the shovel and began heaping snow against the northern side of +the house, where there were many cracks between the lower logs. But +his hard work to shut them up in this way seemed to be in vain, for +the wind, which was blowing harder and harder every minute, whisked +the snow away about as fast as he was able to pile it up. Kate, +stepping out to see what he was about, came to his rescue with a happy +thought. + +"I read in Dr. Kane's book of arctic travels, that when they make +houses of snow they throw water on them, which freezes, and holds them +firm and tight. Couldn't you do that here? It's cold enough to freeze +anything." + +Aleck thought he might, and bidding Kate go back to her fireside, he +called the other boys to help him; then, while Jim stuffed the cracks +with snow, Aleck and Tug alternately brought water from a hole cut in +the river ice, and dashed it against the chinking. Some of the water +splashed through, and a good deal was tossed back in their faces and +benumbed their hands, so that it was hard, cold work; but before long +a crust had formed over the snow-stuffed cracks, and Katy came to the +door to say that she couldn't feel a draught anywhere. The roof was +pretty good, and when, tired and hungry, but warm with their exercise +(except as to their toes and fingers), the three lads went in and shut +the door, they found their quarters very snug, and didn't mind how +loud the gale howled among the trees outside. Rex, especially, seemed +to enjoy it, curling down at the corner of the fireplace as though +very much at home. + +Meanwhile Katy bustled about, setting out plates, knives, and forks on +the top of the mess chest, which she had covered with the clean white +paper in which her packages had been wrapped. She had put eight eggs +to boil in the kettle, which were now done, and were carefully fished +out, while the coffee-pot was bubbling on the coals, and letting +fragrant jets of steam escape from under the loosely fitting cover. A +cut loaf of bread lay on the table, and beside it a tumbler of currant +jelly, "as sure as I am a Dutchman"--which was Tug's favorite way +of putting a truth very strongly indeed, though he wasn't that kind of +a man at all. The eagerness to taste this sweetmeat brought out the +melancholy fact that by some accident there was only one spoon in the +whole kit. + +[Illustration: SUPPER IN THE LOG CABIN.] + +"We'll fix that all right this evening," Aleck remarked. "I'll whittle +wooden ones out of sycamore." + +"Shall I broil some mutton-chops, or will you save those for +breakfast?" + +"Broil 'em now," cried Jim. + +"Hold your opinion, Youngster, till your elders are heard," was Tug's +rejoinder. "I vote we save 'em." + +"So do I." + +"And I." + +"Done," says Captain Aleck. "Give us the chops for breakfast, Miss +Housekeeper." + +"Then supper's all ready," she said, and took her seat on a stick of +wood, pouring and passing the coffee, while the eggs and the bread and +butter went round. By the time the meal was finished it had become +dark, but this did not matter, since there was no need to go out of +doors. + +"How shall I wash the dishes?" asked Katy, with a comical grin, as she +rose from the table. "I couldn't bring a big pan." + +"Well," suggested Aleck, "you can clean out your kettle, refill it +with water--Jim, there's business for you!--and then wash them in +that." + +"That's a matter never bothered me much when _I_ was camping," added +Tug, dryly. "I just scrubbed the plates with a wisp of grass, and +cleaned the knives and forks by jabbing 'em into the ground a few +times." + +While the dishes were washing Aleck opened the tent bundle, and laid +the mast across two pegs that somebody had driven into the north wall +of the room just under the ceiling beams, perhaps to hang +fishing-poles on. Then, with Tug's aid, he tied to the mast the inner +hem of the sail-cloth, which thus hung loosely against the wall, like +a big curtain, shutting out every draught. + +"That's splendid!" cried Katy, watching them from the end of the room +where the fire was. + +"So is _this_!" came a voice from overhead, making them all look up in +surprise. + +It was Jim, who, unnoticed by any one, had clambered into the loft, +which had been floored over about two thirds of the room, and who was +now thrusting his red face down through the open part. + +"What do you think I've found?" + +"Give it up. I knew of a man who died after asking conundrums all his +life," answered Tug, gravely, "and I've fought shy of 'em since." + +"Tell us at once, Jimkin," called out Aleck. + +"_Straw!_" shouted Jim. + +"Pshaw!" was the next rejoinder heard. + +"No rhymes, Katy," Aleck admonished. "Is it clean, Youngster?" + +"Cleaner than he is, I should say, by his face," said Tug, and with +some reason, for the loft was dusty. + +"Don't know; you can see for yourself," and down came a great yellow +armful. + +It was pounced upon, and, proving dry and fresh, the delighted Jim was +ordered to send down all he could find, which was laid on the floor, +not far from the fire, and covered with the spare canvas. This made a +soft sort of mattress, upon which each one could spread his blankets, +and sleep with great comfort, since there was plenty for all. + +"Sha'n't have so good a bed as this another night," groaned Aleck. + +"Can't tell--maybe better!" said the cheerful Tug. + +The warmest place was set apart for Katy, and Aleck made a small +screen, covered with a newspaper curtain, which separated her from the +other three, who were to sleep side by side. These preparations made, +the fire was heaped high with fresh wood, and then the little quartet +took their ease, lounging on the springy straw before it, and +indulging in a quiet talk over the busy day just finished, or what +they were likely to meet on the morrow. + +Aleck said something about being able to travel by compass in case +they were caught in a snow-storm, which was what he dreaded the most, +when Jim asked him to explain the compass to him, leaving Katy's side +and going over to where his big brother was stretched out at the other +corner of the fireplace. The girl, thus deserted, went to the valise +in which she kept her small articles, and came back with a book. + + + + +Chapter VI. + +NORSE TALES. + + +"What are you reading?" asked Tug, who was the last boy in the world +to be interested in a book, unless it was one about animals, but who +had nothing else to do just then. + +"A book of old stories." + +"What about?--adventures, and things of that sort?" + +"Partly. Some of them are fairy stories--about queer little people, +and animals that talk, and heavenly beings that help lost children, +and people that have hard times." + +"Why, those are the very fellows we want to see. Let's hear about +'em--mebbe we can give 'em a job." + +"Well, if you would like it, I'll read you this story I've just +begun," said Katy, good-naturedly. + +"Much obliged. I think that would be tip-top." + +So Katy read to him, as he lounged on the straw and gazed into the +bright fire, an old myth-story of the North Wind. How, away in a far +corner of Norway, there once lived a widow with one son. It was +midwinter, and she was weak, so the lad was obliged to go to the +"safe" (or cellar dug near the house, where the food was kept) to +bring the materials for the morning meal. The first time he went, and +the second, and again, at the third attempt, the fierce North Wind +blew the food out of his hands. These three losses vexed the lad +greatly, and he resolved to go to the North Wind and demand the food +back. After long travelling he found the home of the giant, far +towards the pole, and made his demand. The North Wind heard him, and +gave him a cloth which would serve all the finest dishes in the world +whenever the boy chose to spread it and call for them. On his way home +he stopped at a tavern for the night, and, spreading his cloth, had a +feast. The landlady was astonished, as well she might be, and thinking +what a useful thing such a tablecloth would be in a hotel, she stole +it while the lad was asleep, and put in its place one that looked like +it, but which had no secret power. + +The lad, not suspecting the change, went home, and boasted gleefully +to his mother of what he had brought. But when he tried it, of course +the false cloth could do nothing, and the old lady both laughed at him +and scolded him. Vexed again, the lad hastened back, and accused the +North Wind of fraud. So the giant gave him a ram which would coin +golden ducats when commanded. Stopping at the tavern as before, the +landlord exchanged this remarkable animal for one from his own common +flock, and the lad found himself fooled a second time. Going back a +third time, he told the story to the North Wind, who gave the angry +lad a stout stick which, when it had been told to "lay on," would +never cease striking till the lad bade it to stop. + +At the tavern, the landlord, thinking there was some useful +enchantment in the stick, tried to steal it also, but the boy was wide +awake. He shouted, "Lay on," and the landlord found himself being +clubbed till he was nearly dead, and gave back all that he had taken. +Then the boy went home, and he and his mother lived rich and happy +ever afterwards. + +Tug's vigorous applause aroused the attention of the other two, who +may have been listening a little, and Aleck asked what the book was. + +"Dr. Dasent's 'Norse Tales,'" Katy replied. + +"Who or what is 'Norse'?" Jim inquired. + +This was a question Tug had been wanting to ask too, but had felt +ashamed to expose his ignorance--one of the few things not really mean +which a boy has a right to be ashamed of. + +"The Norse people," Katy said, "are the people of Scandinavia (or the +_Northmen_, as they were called in ancient times), and these stories +are those that old people have told their children in Norway and +Sweden for--oh! for hundreds of years. Many are about animals, and +others--" + +"Give us one about an animal," Tug interrupted. + +Very well, here's one that tells why the bear has so short a tail: + + One day the Bear met the Fox, who came slinking along with a + string of fish he had stolen. + + 'Whence did you get these?' asked the Bear. + + 'Oh, my Lord Bruin, I've been out fishing, and caught them,' + said the Fox. + + So the Bear had a mind to learn to fish too, and bade the Fox + tell him how he was to set about it. + + 'Oh, it's an easy craft for you,' said the Fox, 'and one soon + learned. You've only to go upon the ice, and cut a hole, and + stick your tail down into it; and so you must go on holding it + there as long as you can. You're not to mind if your tail + smarts a little; that's when the fish bite. The longer you hold + it, the more fish you'll get; and then, all at once, out with + it, with a cross pull sideways, and with a strong pull too.' + + Yes; the Bear did as the Fox said, and held his tail a long, + long time down in the hole, until it was fast frozen in. Then + he pulled it out with a cross pull, and it snapped short off. + That's why Bruin goes about with a stumpy tail to this day. + +[Illustration: "LAY ON!"] + +When this short and stirring tale of a tail had been concluded, the +Captain's voice was heard. + +"Now for bed!" he ordered, winding up his watch, whose golden hands +pointed to nine o'clock. + +Partially undressing, they tucked themselves into their quilts and +blankets on the crackling straw, and silence followed. Sleep was slow +to close the eyes of the younger ones, who were kept awake by their +strange situation; and Rex, lying at Katy's feet, frequently raised +his head as the roaring wind shrieked through the tall trees outside, +or rattled a loose board in the roof with a strange noise. + +The first one to awake next morning was Aleck, who looked at his watch +by the glimmer of the coals, and was surprised to find it after eight +o'clock, though only a gray light came through the little window of +the cabin. Creeping out, he raked the embers together, laid on some +fresh wood, and hung the kettle on the spike. Then he called his +companions, who sat up and rubbed their eyes. + +"Katy, you lie still till the boys go off. We'll bring you some water, +and then you can have the house to yourself for a while. Get out of +this, you fellows! Jim, bring a pail of water for the cook. Tug, you +and I will go and see how the boat has stood the night." + +Two minutes later they were gone. After Jim had brought the fresh +water (he was slow about it, because he had to rechop the well-hole) +the girl sprang up to make herself neat, and was busy at breakfast +when the boys pounded the door like a battering-ram with the +axe-handle, "so as surely to be heard," and begged to know if they +might come in. + +"Good-morning!" she greeted them. "How is the weather?" + +"Weather!" exclaimed Tug, spreading his hands before the fire, and +working his ears out from underneath a huge red comforter just as I +have seen a turtle slowly push his head beyond the folded skin of his +neck. "Weather! It's the roughest day I ever saw. I don't believe old +Zach himself could skate a rod against that wind." + +(Zach was a six-foot-three lumberman in Monore, who was noted for his +great strength.) + +"Then how can we go on?" asked Katy, dropping eggshells into the +coffee-pot. + +"I'm afraid we can't," Aleck said, soberly; "at least, until this gale +goes down. It is very, very cold, and I'm sure we are much better off +here. Don't you all think so?" + +"_You_ bet!" shouted Tug. + +"You _bet_!" Jim echoed. + +"Then I must worry about dinner," said Katy, with a pretended groan +which made them all laugh. + +At breakfast came the promised chops. Then, while Katy and Jim set +the cabin into neat shape, the older lads went after more wood, and, +having done this, walked out to the neighboring marsh and cut great +armfuls of wild rice and rushes, with which to make their straw beds +thicker and softer. This, and other things, took up the morning, and +then all came in to help and hinder Katy while she got dinner. + +When it had been set out they found half a boiled ham, potatoes, some +fried onions ("arctic voyagers always need to eat onions to prevent +scurvy, you know," Katy explained), and even bread and butter; but the +last item represented almost the end of their only loaf. + +In the afternoon the wind moderated, the clouds that had made it so +dark in the morning cleared away, and the sun came out. Under the +shelter of the long wharf and breakwater they walked out on the ice to +the lighthouse, where they had been so often in midsummer; but now it +was shut up, for there would be no use in burning a signal-light on +the lake after the cold weather of the fall had put a stop to +navigation, until spring recalled the idle vessels. + +Supper was simple, but they had lots of fun over it, and then all set +at work to help Aleck make straps of canvas to put over the shoulder +and across the breast when they were hauling on the drag-rope. This +contrivance saved chafing, and gave a better pull. Jim had pooh-poohed +the taking of a sail-needle and some waxed twine along as +unnecessary, but Aleck had persisted; and here was its service the +very first day. Before the trip was through with, everybody wanted a +hundred little articles they did not possess, worse than they would +have missed this sail-needle had it not been brought. + + + + +Chapter VII. + +THE FIRST DAY ON THE LAKE. + + +No howling gale disturbed their rest that night, and on the next +morning, which was Friday, the third day out, breakfast had been +disposed of long before the hour of rising on the previous day. What +had they for breakfast? Hot and tender buckwheat cakes, with syrup +made from maple sugar melted in a tin cup. The boiled ham and some +crackers were put where they could be got at easily for luncheon. + +The stowing of the loose goods in the boat took no longer than Katy +required to get the mess kit packed after breakfast. As the day was +fine, and the ice, as far as they could see to the southward, whither +their course lay, was smooth and free from snow, the sled was loaded +with cut wood and rushes, ready for making a fire, and Jim was +appointed to drag it. + +As they were leaving the cabin, after a last look to see that nothing +had been forgotten, Katy spoke up: + +"Why can't we take along some of this nice straw? It doesn't weigh +anything to speak of." + +"Oh, we can't," says Jim, crossly. "Girls are always trying to do +things they know nothing about." + +"May's well begin to rough it now as any time; can't expect a cabin +and a straw mattress every night," was Tug's somewhat gruff remark as +he went to the sledge. + +"But," the girl persisted, rather piqued when she saw how her +suggestion had been received, "it might be very nice to spread it on +the floor of the tent. Seems to me you might take it." + +She was talking to Aleck now, who, she knew by his face, opposed the +plan; but he, seeing how much in earnest she was, went back, gathered +up a big armful of the cleanest straw, and heaped it in the stern of +the boat, while she brought a second bundle. + +This matter settled, Aleck and Tug put their heads through the new +harness, and were soon rushing along at a stirring pace, while Katy +skated behind, holding on to the stern of the boat to steady it; Jim +followed with his sled, and Rex galloped here and there as suited him. + +The ice for miles together had been swept clean by the wind, and was +like a vast, glaring sheet of plate-glass. Most of it was a deep, +brilliant green. Here and there would be stretches of milky ice, and +now and then great rounded patches would suddenly meet them, which +were black or deep brown, and at first frightened them by making them +believe a patch of open water suddenly yawned in their path. But, when +they examined closely, they could see that this black ice was two or +three feet thick, like all the rest on the open lake. + +They were never at any time more than a mile or so from the edge of +the great marshes which bordered the low margin of the lake, and at +noon they knew they had skated twelve miles, by reaching a certain +island standing just in front of the reedy shallows. + +Thither they gladly turned for luncheon; skates were unbuckled, a big +fire was built, the snow was cleared away, and the spare canvas spread +down to sit upon, while Katy prepared to warm up the extra supply of +coffee she had made in the morning for this purpose. + +Not much talking had been done on the march; breath was too badly +needed to be wasted in that way; but now "tongues were loosed," and a +rattling conversation kept time with the crackle of the dead sticks on +the fire. + +"Captain," said Tug, "have you noticed how that ridge in the ice bends +just ahead, and seems to stand across our course?" + +"Yes, I have, and I fear it will be troublesome to cross. Jimkin, +you're nimble; climb that cottonwood, and tell us what you can see." + +"All right," said Jim, and was quickly in the tree-top. + +"It looks like a rough, broken ridge, stretching clear to shore. I +guess we'll have to climb over it. I can't see any break." + +"Where do you think is the easiest place?" + +"About straight ahead, where you see that highest point. Right beside +it is a kind o' low spot, I think." + +"Well, then," said the Captain, "we'll aim for that. Hurry up your +lunch, Katy, and let's be off." + +Half an hour later they arrived at the bad place. + +"It must be a _hummock_," said Katy, "such as I have read about in Dr. +Kane's book--only not so large, I suppose. He says that the ice-sheet, +or floe, gets cracked and separated a little; then the two floes will +come together again with such force that they lap over one another, or +else grind together, and burst up edgewise along the seam." + +"That's just the way this is; but, hummock or no hummock, it must be +crossed," said Aleck. + +"Mebbe I could find a better place," suggested Jim, "if I should go +along a little way." + +"Well, try it, Youngster. And, Tug, suppose you take a scout in the +other direction." + +Tug went off, but soon returned, reporting a worse instead of better +appearance, and Aleck, who had climbed over, came back to say that the +ridge was about twenty-five yards wide. + +"How does it look?" asked Katy. + +"Why, it looks as though a lot of big cakes of ice had been piled up +on edge, and then frozen into that rough shape, or lack of shape. I +should say the ridge is ten feet high in the middle, and on the other +side it is a straight jump down for about six feet. But it's worse +everywhere else. We must take our skates off the first thing." + +This done, they stood up, ready to drag the boat as near to the +hummock as possible. But it was hard pulling, for the slope was pretty +steep and rough. + +"Where's that Jim, I wonder?" cried Aleck. "I'll teach The Youngster +not to run off the minute any work is to be done. _Jim!_" + +But no boy answered the call, nor several others. Tug stood up on the +boat, and Katy climbed to a high point of ice, but neither could see +anything. Then they all became alarmed, fearing he might have fallen +into one of those holes that here and there are found in the thickest +ice, and always stay open. It is an easy matter to skate into one, but +a very hard one to get out again. It was the thought of this that made +Katy run in the direction whither Jim had started, but her brother +called her back. + +"Wait, Katy. We'll put on our skates. Probably The Youngster's hiding, +and I'll box his ears when I catch him. This is no time for fooling." + +With quick, nervous fingers they fastened their straps, and then +rushed down along the foot of the hummock as though on a race, Tug +carrying one of the drag-ropes. The tracks could be followed easily +enough until they left the good ice and turned in towards the hummock, +where they came to an end, which looked as though Jim might have taken +off his skates. Here the boys hallooed, then climbed to the top of a +great, upturned table of blue ice, and called again. But the most +complete silence followed their words--such a silence as can never be +known on land among the creaking trees or rustling grass; an absolute, +painful stillness. Not even an echo came back. + +At this they were puzzled and frightened, and Katy wanted to cry, but +fought back her tears. They descended, and went slowly onward, now and +then getting upon elevated points, and calling. At last they stopped, +utterly at their wits' end where or how to search next, and Katy's +tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. + +"Cheer up, Sis," said Aleck, and took her hand in his as they skated +slowly onward; "cheer up! we'll try again on that big block ahead." + +This block overlooked a broader part of the hummock, and wasn't far +from land. They struggled over the jagged border, and hoisted Katy +upon it to see what she could see. + +"Nothing," was her report; "nothing but ice, and ice, and ice, and a +gray edge of marsh. Oh, Jim! Jim! where are you?" + +"_Here--help me out._" + +Each looked at the other in amazement, for the voice, though faint, +seemed right beside them. + +"_Here, down between the cakes--help me out._" + +The words came distinctly, and gave them a clew. Katy peeped over the +farther edge of the block, and there she saw the little fellow's face +peering up at her out of the greenish light of a sort of pit into +which he had fallen. Two great cakes of ice had been thrown up side by +side, leaving a space about two feet wide and ten feet deep between +them. The blowing snow that filled most of the crevices of the hummock +had here formed a bridge, which had let Jim through when he stepped +upon it, never suspecting the chasm it concealed. + +"Hurt?" asked Tug. + +"Not a bit, but pretty well scared. I thought you fellows were never +coming. I've been in here two hours." + +"Two hours! Oho, that's good! Twenty minutes would about fill the +bill. You ain't tired so quick of a warm, snug place like that, are +you?" + +"Just you try it, and see how you like its snugness. Drop me an end of +that rope, will you?" + +"Give him the rope's end, Tug; he deserves it in another way, but we +haven't time to-day. Now, then--yo-heave-o!" and up came the lost +member, not much the worse for his adventure. + +Then began the difficult work of crossing the hummock. In front of the +boat lay a steep slope of glassy ice, and beyond and above that a +series of steps and jagged points, forming about such a plateau as a +big heap of building-stone would make, only here the fragments were +larger. + +All four, going to the top of the first slope, pulled the boat upward +until the forward runners were just balanced on the crest. Then a hook +on one of the ropes came loose; four young people fell sprawling; and +the boat dropped backward with a rush to the very bottom of the ridge, +where it upset. + +"Now," said Aleck, when they had set the boat upright again, and found +nothing broken; "now let us take out all the loose stuff, and so +lighten her as much as we can." + +This was done. + +"We three fellows," was the Captain's next order, "will drag her up +again, and Katy must go behind with the boat-hook, and stick it into +the ice behind the boat, to hold it, like a chock-block under a wagon +wheel, whenever it shows any signs of slipping back. Now, everybody be +careful." + +The steady pulling, with Katy's pushing and guiding, got the front +runners safely over the edge of the sloping side, and gave them a +chance to rest. But when they tried to move it forward enough to bring +the stern up, the boat couldn't be budged, because the ice in front +was so full of ruts and ridges. + + + + +Chapter VIII. + +JIM'S REBELLION. + + +"I tell you what, boys," Tug cried, after a great effort, "there's no +use trying any more till we have smoothed a road, and I think, +Captain, you'd better set all hands at that." + +"I'm afraid that is so. Jim, please go back and get the axe, the +hatchet, and the shovel. Now, while Tug and I dig at this road, you +and Jim, Katy, can bring some of the freight up here, or perhaps take +it clear across, and so save time. The small sled will help you." + +It was tedious labor all around, and the wind began to blow in a way +they would have thought very cold had they not been so warm and busy +with work. As fast as a rod or two of road was cleared, the four took +hold and dragged the boat ahead. These slow advances used up so much +time that when the plateau had been crossed, the sun, peering through +dark clouds, was almost level with the horizon. It now remained to get +down the sudden pitch and rough slope on the farther side. But this +was a task of no small importance, and Aleck called a council on the +subject. + +[Illustration: CROSSING THE HUMMOCK.] + +"My lambs," he began (the funny word took the edge off the unfortunate +look of affairs, as it was intended to do)--"my lambs, it is growing +late, and it's doubtful if we can get this big boat down that pair of +stairs before dark. Don't you think I'd better order Jim and Katy to +pack up the small sled with tent and bedding and kitchen-stuff?" + +"'Twon't hold it all!" interrupted Jim. + +"Then, Youngster, you can come back after the bedding. Take the +cooking things first, and you and Katy go back to the island where we +lunched, and make a fire. Tug and I--eh, Tug?--will stay here and chop +away till dark, and then we'll go back to camp with you when you come +after the blankets, and help you carry the tent." + +"Are you going to leave the boat here all night?" asked Jim, in alarm. + +"Why, of course; what'll harm it? Now be off, and make a big fire." + +So the younger ones departed, and by and by Jim returned for a second +load. He found the two older boys cutting a sloping path through the +little ice bluff on the farther side of the hummock, and pretty tired +of it. They were not yet done--the shovel not being of much service in +working the hard blue ice--but it was now getting too dark to do more, +so they piled the snug bundles of blankets into Jim's sled box, and +gave him the rope, while Tug and Aleck put their shoulders under +opposite ends of the tent roll. Then together they all skated away +through the thickening windy twilight, and over the ashy-gray plain of +ice, towards where Katy's fire glowed like a red spark on the distant +shore. + +It was a weary but not at all disheartened party that lounged in the +open door of the tent that night, while a big fire blazed in front, +and supper was cooking. This was the first time the sail had been +spread as a tent, and it answered the purpose nicely, giving plenty of +room. The straw Katy had been so anxious about had to be left in the +boat, so that they got no good of it. Jim chaffed his sister a good +deal about this, and Tug rather encouraged him, thinking it was a fair +chance for fun at Katy's expense; but when he saw that Katy really was +feeling badly, not at Jim's teasing words, but for fear she had made +the boys useless trouble, Aleck came to the rescue. Seizing The +Youngster by the shoulder, he spun him round like a teetotum, and was +going to box his ears, when Katy cried out, "Oh, don't!" and saved +that young gentleman's skin for the present. + +"Then I'll punish you in another way. Take your knife, go over there +to the marsh"--it was perhaps a hundred yards away--"and cut as many +rushes as you can carry." + +The Youngster never moved. + +"I don't want the rushes," said Katy, trying to keep the peace, but +her brother paid no heed. + +"Did you hear what I said?" he asked again of Jim. + +"Yes, I did." + +"Well, that was a Captain's Order, and I advise you to obey." + +"Do it yourself!" shouted the angry Jim, sitting down by the fire. + +Aleck looked at him an instant, saw his sulky, set lips, and then +walked over to a willow bush near by. From the centre of this bush he +cut a thriving switch, and carefully trimmed off all the twigs and +crumpled leaves. It was as pliant and elastic as whalebone. It +whistled through the air, when it was waved, like a wire or a thin +lash. It would hug the skin it was laid upon, and wrap tightly around +a boy's legs, and sting at the tip like a hornet. It wouldn't raise a +welt upon the skin, as an iron rod or a rawhide might do, but it would +hurt just as bad while it was touching you. + +Jim knew all this, and it flashed through his brain, every bit of it, +as he saw Aleck trim the switch. + +"Better scoot, Youngster," Tug advised, with a grin that was meant +kindly, but made Jim madder than ever. + +"Please get the rushes," coaxed Katy. + +But when Aleck came back the boy still sat there, defiant of orders. + +"Now, James," he said, as he stood over him, "you have been ordered by +your Captain to go and get some rushes. You refuse. You are +insubordinate. I'll give you just one minute to make up your mind what +you will do." + +Jim glanced up, saw the determined face and stalwart form of his +brother; saw Tug keeping quiet and showing no intention of +interfering; saw the awful willow. He rose quickly from his seat, and +darted away into the scrub alders and willows as hard as he could run, +but not towards the rushes. + +Aleck didn't follow him. "Never mind," he said. "Go on with your +supper, Katy. That boy gets those rushes before he has any grub to eat +or blankets to lie in, unless you both vote against it, and I don't +think you will, for it was a reasonable order." + +"Well, Captain," said Tug, "I think we might ease up on it a little. +It was a little rough on The Youngster sending him alone in the dark +to get the stuff. If you had sent me with him, I suppose he'd have +gone fast enough. If you'll say so now, I allow he'll surrender and +save his hide. For that matter, I don't mind getting 'em alone if +you'll let the kid go. I was going to propose it myself just as you +gave the order." + +"That's very kind of you, Tug; but I couldn't allow you to get them +alone. You may help if you want to." + +"May I tell him so?" Katy asked, eagerly. + +"Yes, if you can find him." + +"I'll find him--look out for the bacon;" and the girl went off into +the gloom and the bushes, calling, "Jim! Jim!" + +It was a good while before she came back, and the boys, tired of +waiting, had forked out the bacon, and were eating their meal, which +was what the poets call "frugal," but immensely relished all the same. + +Suddenly Katy and the culprit stalked out of the ring of shadows that +encircled the fire, bearing huge bundles of yellow rushes. + +"That ain't fair!" cried Tug. "You ought to have let me gone, Katy." + +"Oh, I didn't mind, and I wanted Jim to hurry back." + +"I didn't want her to carry none," said Jim, more eager about +self-defense than grammar. "If I give up, I want to give up all over, +and not half-way." + +"Good for you, Youngster," Aleck shouted, leaping up. "Give us your +hand!" + +Thus peace was restored, and the boy sat down happily to his +well-earned supper, while the older ones spread the crisp reed-straw. +Finding there wasn't quite enough, they went off to the marshes and +brought two more armfuls, which made a warm and springy couch for the +whole party. + +These "rushes" were not rushes, properly speaking, but the wild rice +which grows so abundantly on the borders of the great lakes, and +throughout the little ponds and shallow sheets of water that are +dotted so thickly over Wisconsin and southern Minnesota. It is like a +small bamboo jungle, for the close-crowding stiff reeds often stand +ten feet or more above the water. They bear upon the upper part of +their stalks a few ribbon-like leaves, and each reed carries a plume +which in autumn contains the seeds, or the "rice." + +The botanical name of the plant is _Zizania aquatica_; and among it +flourish not only the common white and yellow water-lilies, but that +splendid one, the _Nelumbium luteum_, which Western people call the +lotus. + +This rice formed an important part of the food of the Indians who +lived where it grew. In and out of the marshes run narrow canals, kept +open by the currents, and through these the Indian women would paddle +their canoes, seeking the ripe heads, which they would cut off and +take ashore to be threshed out in the wigwam, or else they would shake +and rub out the rice into a basket as they went along. At home the +rice would be crushed into a coarse flour in their stone mortars, then +made into cakes baked on the surface of smooth stones heated in the +coals. + +The stalks, round, smooth, and straight, were of service to the +Indians also. Out of them they made mats and thatching for their +lodges, and they served as excellent arrow-shafts, a point of +fire-hardened wood, of bone, or of flint having been fixed in the end. + +[Illustration: JIM AND KATY BRINGING THE RUSHES TO CAMP.] + +In warm weather these broad, submerged marshes, undulating in +color-waves--green in spring, golden-yellow in midsummer, and warm +reddish-brown in October--as the breeze swept across the vast extent +of pliant reeds, formed the home of a great variety of animals, whose +numbers were almost unlimited. There, in the darkly stained water, +lurked hosts of small shells and insects--dragon-flies, beetles, and +aquatic bugs and flies, whose habits were always a matter for +curiosity. Then, where insects and mollusks were so numerous, of +course there were plenty of fishes, great and small, the little ones +feeding on the bugs and snails, the larger on them, and some +giants--like the big pike--on these again. Nor did this end the list. +After the big fish came the muskrat; after the muskrat--in the old +days, at least--sneaked the wolverine; after the wolverine crept the +stealthy panther; and for the panther an Indian lay in wait. + +The marshes were full of birds, too, in the bird-season--small, piping +wrens; suspicious sparrows; ducks and rails and gallinules of many +kinds and many voices; herons and cranes and hawks; coming and going +with the seasons, making the yellow reeds populous with busy lives, +and vocal with their merriment. Now, however, all was silent. + +Our travellers would have preferred skating across the marshes rather +than outside upon the windy lake, but it was reported that warm +springs came out of the ooze in many parts of the rice morass, keeping +the ice so weak (though not melting it quite away) as to make skating +unsafe. This danger was not so great, perhaps, in a winter so +unusually cold as this one was proving itself to be, as it had been +shown to be in milder seasons; but they did not want to run risks. + +"How noisy it will be all around this islet in three months from now!" +Aleck remarked, as they were preparing for bed. "Then you will hardly +be able to hear yourself speak for the frogs." + +"Before there were any lighthouses on the lake," said Tug, "sailing +was pretty much guesswork; but my father told me the sailors, when +they approached the shore, used to know where they were by listening +to the bull-frogs. The bulls would call out the names of their +ports, you know: San--_dusk_--y! To--_l-e-e-e_--do! Mon--_roe_! +De--_troi-i-i-i_--it!" + + + + +Chapter IX. + +SKATING BY COMPASS. + + +The next day was Sunday. Fortunately, the sacred day had found them in +such a position that they could spend it quietly. Katy persuaded Jim +and the two young men to listen while she read them some chapters from +the little Testament she had carefully packed among her "necessary +articles." + +This, together with the work that _must_ be done, took up a good part +of the morning, and the afternoon was spent in making a trip to the +boat, looking the situation over carefully, and laying plans for a +very early start the next day. Supper over, they soon crawled into +bed, and woke at day break, ready for work, and all the better for +their day of rest. + +After a hasty breakfast camp was broken, and work was resumed at the +hummock. All hands labored with such a will that long before noon they +had let the boat down to the smooth white plain upon the other side; +and though it got away from them at the last minute, and went spinning +off on its own account, no harm was done. + +The onward march was then resumed, and splendid headway made. At noon +a short halt was called and gladly accepted, all lounging upon the +straw and boxes in the boat, munching crackers and cheese, and +drinking Katy's cold chocolate. The sun had been out all the morning, +and the ice was not only a trifle soft, but frequently rough, which +had made the skating and dragging a little harder work than before. + +No land appeared ahead, but Aleck knew the name and position of a +lighthouse just visible upon an island at the mouth of a river away +off at their right. He therefore took out of his pocket a small map of +the western end of the lake, that he had copied from a big chart, and +began to study it. He found that it was about fifteen miles across the +end of the lake to a certain cape on the southern shore, which lay +beyond the great marshy bay into which emptied the river just +mentioned. He took the direction of this cape from where they were at +present, by compass, and made a note of it in his pocket-book. It was +almost exactly southeast. Aleck reckoned on reaching so near there by +sundown that the party could go ashore if very hard pushed by any +misfortune or bad turn of the weather, though it was too long a march +to make unless they were compelled. + +"But supposing we find open water, and have to change our course?" +asked Katy. + +"Well, we shall know, at all events, that we mustn't go east of +southeast, and must try to keep as close to that direction as +possible. I don't like this sunshine and westerly breeze. I'd much +rather the weather kept real cold." + +"Why?" said Jim. "It's much nicer when it's warm." + +"I'm afraid of snow and fogs, Youngster. Now let us be off." + +No snow or fog came to bother them, however, and at sunset they were +out of sight of any landmark, and travelling by the compass, like a +ship at sea. + +You may ask, How could they be sure they were following it truly, +since they had no object, like a long bowsprit, to guide the eye in +ranging their course into line with the needle point, as the steersman +on a ship does when he glances across his binnacle? + +This is the plan they took: The compass was a small one, but it was +hung in a box so as always to stand level. It was, in fact, an old +boat compass which Mr. Kincaid had had for many years. This was set +exactly in the middle of the seat at the stern of the boat, where Katy +still skated, with her hands resting upon the stern-board. Here she +could keep her eye easily upon the face of the compass, and make a +straight line from its pointer through the middle of the boat. When +the compass point "southeast" and the stem-post of the yawl were in +line, she knew they were going on a straight course. When these were +out of line, she knew her team had swerved, and she called out +"Right!" or "Left!" to bring them back to the true course, just as a +quartermaster would order "Port!" and "Starboard!" to his helmsman. + +The sun went down slowly at their right hands as they rushed along, +and as Jim saw his shadow stretching taller and taller, he found it +difficult to keep pace with the older lads. Noting this, the Captain +ordered a halt, and put Jim into the boat as a passenger, tying his +sled behind. + +"Don't you want to ride also?" asked Tug of Katy, very gallantly. + +Katy was tired, and one of her skate-straps chafed her instep a +little, but she didn't propose to give up. + +"Oh, no," she said, cheerily. "I have so much help by resting on the +stern of the boat that I can go a long time yet before I give in. +Besides, who would steer?" + +So they rushed away again, the clink-clink of their strokes keeping +perfect time on the smooth ice. All at once--it was about four o'clock +in the afternoon now--a dark line appeared ahead, and in a few moments +more they could plainly see open water across their path. + +When they became sure of this they went more slowly, and in about ten +minutes had approached as close as they dared to a wide space like a +river, beyond which white ice could be seen again. Here all knew they +must spend the night, for it would be foolish to attempt to cross +before morning. + +"Well," remarked Tug, as they came to a halt, "according to orders, +it's my duty to take the axe and cut fuel; so I can loaf, for there's +no wood to chop round here that I see;" and he pretended to search in +every direction. + +"Loaf? Not a bit of it," shouted Aleck, with a grin. "My order to you +is, Unload that tent, and set it up on the ice! Jim will help you. +I'll help Katy make a fire." + +"I wish you would," said the girl. "I'm 'fraid I shouldn't make it go +very well out here. I have never built a kitchen fire on ice." + +"This is the best way." + +Saying this, Aleck took two of the largest pieces of wood from Jim's +sled, and laid them down a little way apart. Then he laid across them +a platform of the next largest sticks, and on top of this arranged his +kindling, ready to touch a match to. + +"We won't set the fire going till we are quite ready for it, and--" + +"But I'm cold," Jim complained. + +"Well, Youngster, I've heard that the Indians never let their boys +come near the lodge fire to get warm, but bid them run till they work +the chill off. You'd better move livelier if you want to get warm, +for we can't afford any more fire than is necessary for a short bit of +cooking. Katy, what do you propose to have?" + +"I thought I would make tea, boil potatoes, and bake some johnny-cake +in my skillet. May I?" + +"Oh, yes, but you must economize fuel." + +With this warning, Aleck struck a match, and the little fire was soon +blazing merrily in the "wooden stove," as Katy called it. Only one or +two sticks had been burned clear through before the fire had done its +work, and was put out in order to save every splinter of wood +possible. They sat down in the shelter of the boat to eat their +dinner, and enjoyed it very much, in spite of the cold, their +loneliness, and the gathering darkness. + +Meanwhile the tent had been set up. Over its icy floor were laid the +thwarts taken out of the boat, the rudder, and two box covers, which +nearly covered the whole space. On top of this was placed as much +straw as could be spared, and upon the straw Aleck and Tug spread +their blankets. + +Dinner out of the way, the after-part of the boat was cleared out and +re-arranged, until a level space was left. Here, upon a heap of straw, +beds for the younger ones were arranged. Then the spare canvas was +spread across like an awning, and was held up on an oar laid +lengthwise. This made a snug cabin for Katy and the wearied Jim, who +were not long in creeping into it. Rex followed, and slept in the +straw at their feet, which was good for them all. + +[Illustration: "THE LITTLE FIRE WAS SOON BLAZING MERRILY."] + +With the coming of darkness came also a damp sort of cold, that caused +them to huddle close in their blankets; and though they presently fell +asleep, it was with a shivering sense of discomfort that spoiled the +refreshment. + +Midnight passed, and Aleck, only half awake, was trying to tuck his +blankets closer about him without disturbing his bedfellow, when the +tent was suddenly struck by some large object, and considerably +shaken. Alarmed and puzzled at the same time, Aleck paused to listen +an instant before rising, when the shrieks and barking of the sleepers +in the boat came to his ears. He sprang out of his blankets only in +time to see two shadowy objects rise from the camp, and drift away +across the face of the moon, which was just rising. + +"Wh-what w-was that?" came from two scared figures sitting +bolt-upright in the yawl, their tongues stuttering with terror and +cold combined. + +"I don't know." Aleck was as bewildered, if not quite as much +frightened, as they. + +"Humph!" cried Tug's voice, behind; "you're a pretty set to be scared +out of your wits and wake everybody up on account of two birds. +They're nothing but snow-owls. Go to bed, or we'll all freeze." + +"Wh-wh-what are they?" asked Jim, his teeth playing castanets in spite +of all his efforts to control them. + +"Tell you in the morning," was the reply. "Go to bed. Come in, Cap'n. +Owls are nothing. Come to bed." + +This seemed good advice, however gruffly given; but you can hardly +expect a person to mince his phrases at two o'clock of a winter's +morning, on an ice-floe. Aleck was ready to comply, but he was too +cold. + +"I must get warm first, and so must you, Jim." Katy had wisely +disappeared some time before, and said she was pretty comfortable. +"Come and run with me till we get our blood stirring." + +Neither of the boys had dared undress at all, so it only remained for +Jim to creep out from under the canvas, and limp stiffly to his +brother's side. Then hand in hand they raced up and down the ice half +a dozen times in the pale greenish moonlight. Once or twice they +disturbed an owl perched on the ice, or heard wild hooting--a sound so +hollow and unearthly that they could not tell whether it came from +near by or far off. + +This strange voice and the gray, silent half-light on the wide waste +gave them a very lonely and dismal feeling, and when they had put +themselves into a glow by exercise, they were very glad to creep back +into their beds. + + + + +Chapter X. + +AN UGLY FERRIAGE. + + +The sun had been up an hour when Aleck woke again, and pulled Tug's +ear, at which that young gentleman sat up and was going to fight +somebody right away. But Aleck pounced on him, and pinned him down +before he could stir or strike. + +"No time for fooling," he laughed in his chum's face; "but if there +were I'd like to take you out to the creek here and duck you for your +disrespect to your superior officer. Will you touch your cap if I let +you up?" + +"Ye-e-s," Tug replied, as he felt the strength of the Captain's grip; +"but I'm not sure about your duckin' me!" + +"Nor I," laughed Aleck, and he leaped away, to go and wake up the +others by kicking on the side of the boat. + +The morning was beautiful, and by the time breakfast was ready the +tent had been struck, and the big boys had come back from an +exploration to say that they could go almost to the brink of the open +water. + +"It must be a 'lead,'" exclaimed Katy. "That's the name arctic +travellers give to a wide crack in the ice, by taking advantage of +which, whenever it leads in the right direction, vessels are able to +make their way through the 'packs' and 'fields.'" + +"Probably their _leading_ vessels through is where they get the name," +Aleck remarked. + +"Shouldn't wonder," said Tug; "but however well that plan may work in +the arctic regions, we must _cross_ this one." + +Getting everything ready at the brink of the canal occupied fifteen +minutes. Then, all the cargo easy to be moved having been taken out, +the boat (sledge and all, as an experiment for this short trip) was +launched without mishap. The sledge bobs hanging on her bottom +weighted her down, and canted her so much, though the water was +perfectly smooth, that it was necessary to make the trip very +carefully. The young voyagers were thus taught that for any real +navigation the boat must always be removed from the sledge. By noon, +however, the last ferriage was successfully made, and they had +repacked and were ready to go on again as soon as they had eaten a +"bite." While despatching this, Katy suddenly exclaimed: + +"Oh, I have never once thought about our visitors last night. I'll +confess I was dreadfully frightened. How did you know they were owls?" + +"Saw 'em," Tug replied, shortly, with his mouth full of dried beef. +"Couldn't be anything else this time o' year." + +"Where do they come from?" + +"From 'way up north. Don't your arctic book say anything about 'em? +Maybe it calls 'em the 'great white' or 'snowy' or 'Eskimo' owls." + +"I think I remember something about them. The Eskimos have a +superstitious fear of them, haven't they?" + +"Yes, and lots of other people, for that matter. Why, only last winter +one of 'em lit on the roof of a house out in the country where I was +staying, and the old woman there began to rock back and forth, and +whine out that some dreadful bad luck was coming. But that's all +nonsense." + +"I guess its cry has given it a witch-like reputation," said Aleck. +"It sounded uncanny enough last night; didn't it, Jim? But what were +they doing away out here?" + +"Oh, I s'pose they were flying 'cross the lake, and had stopped to +rest on our tent-ridge, till we startled them. I bet they were worse +scared than you were. You see, their proper home is in the arctic +regions. That's where they build their nests, putting them in trees +and in holes in rocks. But when winter comes up there, and the snow +gets so deep and the cold so severe that all the small animals he +feeds on have retired to their holes or else left the country, Mr. Owl +has to get up and flit too, or he will starve to death. So he works +his way down here. They say these great white owls--why, they're +bigger than the biggest cat-owl you ever saw--never go far south of +this, and I know that we don't see many of 'em except when we have a +very severe winter. But I've talked enough. Let's get out of this." + +The sunshine by this time was interrupted by dark clouds that rose in +the west, and puffs of damp, chilly air began to be felt by the +skaters, who wrapped themselves a little closer in their overcoats as +they measured their steady strokes. Still no land came in sight, but +they thought this must be owing mainly to the thick air to the +southward. Once they thought they saw it, but the dark line on the +horizon proved to be a hummock, not so bad as the one lately passed, +but still troublesome, and closely followed by a second. The lifting +and tugging tired them all greatly, and after the second barrier had +been climbed they found themselves on ice which was incrusted with +frozen snow, and exceedingly unpleasant to skate upon. But a few rods +farther on there appeared a narrow stream of open water, beyond which +the ice looked hard and green. + +"Let us cross, and camp on the other side," said Tug. + +"Yes," Aleck answered, in a troubled voice. "Do you see that snow +storm coming, over there? It'll be down upon us in a jiffy, and +there's no telling what next. Yes, let's cross before it gets dark, if +we can. There's a hummock over there that will shelter us a bit from +the wind, I think." + +The anxious tone of his voice alarmed his companions, and all set at +work with a will. Yet the snow-flakes had come, and were thick about +them, before the second ferriage had been made, and the wet and +ice-clogged boat was lifted out of the water. + +Nobody _said_ as much, but it is safe to believe that each of our four +friends _thought_, to himself, that if every day's work in advance was +to be like this one, they had undertaken a prodigiously difficult and +dangerous experiment in this skating expedition; and perhaps each one +wondered whether the winter would be long enough to carry them to +their destination at this rate of progress, even should they be able +to surmount the fast-recurring obstacles in safety. + + + + +Chapter XI. + +CAMPING AGAINST AN ICE WALL. + + +"Now what?" asked Tug, holding his head very high to prevent the snow +going down the back of his neck. "Now what?" + +"Now," Aleck answered, in a tone of command, "get the boat up there +under the lee of that hummock. Everybody take hold." + +The ropes were seized with a will, but the heavy boat could not be +dragged in the snow until it had been lightened; then by great +exertion it was taken over the fifty yards that lay between the water +and the hummock. At that spot the ice had been thrust up like a smooth +wall about fifteen feet high, which overhung slightly, so as to form a +cosey shelter from the storm. The bow of the boat was swung close +against its foot, while the stern was slanted away until there +remained a space of about eight feet between it and the smooth face of +the hummock at that end. Tug and Jim went back after the sled and what +baggage had been left behind at the "lead," while Aleck and Katy began +to contrive a shelter. + +To manage this they cleared out the movable things in the boat, +arranging all the cargo (except the mess chest), as fast as it was +removed, in the shape of a wall extending across from the stern of the +boat to the hummock. In this way, with the help of thwarts, two oars, +and some blocks of ice, a rough wall was raised, about four feet high, +enclosing a three-cornered space eight feet in width, having the +hummock and starboard side of the boat for its sides, and the cargo +wall (through which a hole had been left as a doorway) for its end or +"base." + +Next, a roof must be contrived. The mast and two oars were set in a +leaning position from the outer gunwale of the boat, where they rested +firmly upon the thwart-cleats, up against the hummock, to which they +were securely wedged. + +It had now become dark, and Katy lighted the lantern. Tug and Jim, +covered with snow, brought their last sled-load and added it to the +wall, throwing all their little stock of firewood, which amounted to +about three bushels, into the hut. Then all hands set to work in the +wind, which blew in sharp gusts now and then over the crest of the +hummock, to stretch the sails upon the rafters formed by the mast and +oars and thus form an awning-roof. + +The handling of the heavy mainsail proved an extremely difficult +matter. Once it blew quite away from their grasp, and went off in the +darkness, but Jim and the dog gave chase, and soon caught it, Rex +grabbing it with his teeth, and so holding on to it till the others +came to the rescue. At the next attempt they succeeded in fastening +one end, after which the task grew easier. + +The mainsail fairly in place, the jib was next hoisted across the end, +and here its leg-of-mutton shape was a great advantage, for when the +broad lower part was hung against the hummock wall the narrowing peak +just fitted between the sloping roof and the top of the wall. + +When the two sails had been fastened, the party found themselves +covered rudely but pretty tightly, and the spare canvas remained to +serve as a carpet, which was greatly needed. Plenty of snow and cold +were "lying round loose" yet, but to be inside was far better than to +be out of doors. That this safety and warmth were possible to their +frail structure was owing, of course, to the fact that it stood under +the lee of the tall ice wall, which acted as a shield against the +force of the gale. + +"Really, the wind does us more good than harm now," Aleck remarked, +"for it drifts the snow under the boatsledge and against the wall, +and, if it keeps on, will soon stop up all the holes, and leave us +boxed into a tighter house than our old snow-chinked cabin back at the +river." + +"Mebbe it'll bury us," said Jim, in an awful whisper. + +"Guess not. Anyhow, we can have a fire first--there are holes +enough left yet to let the smoke out. Tug, just shovel the drifted +snow out of the house, or pack it between the bobs under the boat, +while I whittle some kindling. There won't any more blow in--the +drift's too high now." + +[Illustration: CAMPING AGAINST AN ICE WALL.] + +"Shall I boil tea or coffee?" asked Katy. + +"Coffee, I guess; and give us some fried bacon and crackers--but lots +of coffee." + +"Why couldn't we use our oil stove now?" + +"We don't really need to. We have some wood, and can build a fire well +enough inside here, and the oil is easier carried than the wood for a +greater need. Ready, Tug?" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +"All right. Here are our kindlings. Katy, open your lantern, and let +me set these shavings afire. Matches are too precious to be wasted or +even risked." + +A minute later a brisk little fire was burning, snow was turning to +water, and cold water to hot, while coffee was thinking that presently +it would be in the pot, and slices of bacon were saying good-bye to +their fellows, as one by one they dropped into the frying-pan. + +It was a strange scene, but the actors in it were too tired and hungry +to notice how they looked, as they watched with eager interest the +progress of supper-getting. They were not cold, and wraps were all +thrown aside, for the wind was cut off, and the fire, small as it was, +made a great deal of heat in the confined space. The atmosphere of an +Eskimo house of ice, though there may be no better fire than a little +pool of train-oil in a soapstone saucer, where a wick of moss is +smoking and flaring, will become so warm that the people remove not +only their furs, but a large part of their under-clothing, and this +when the temperature outside is fifty degrees or so below +freezing-point. + +"It is just about big enough for a play-house," Katy remarked, as she +jostled one and another in moving about. + +"I'm glad the snow blows over, and doesn't settle on the roof. If it +did, I'm afraid the canvas would sag down awfully, or the oars break." + +"How will we sleep to-night?" asked Jim. + +"Well," said Aleck, "I think we must all sleep in the boat somehow. +Katy and you can lie on the straw in the stern-sheets, as usual, and +Tug and I will bunk in somewhere for'ard. If we had plenty of wood to +keep the fire going, it would be comfortable out here, but we must +economize. If this snow keeps on, I don't know when--" + +"Supper!" called Katy, and Aleck didn't finish what he was saying; but +they all felt a little more serious about their situation. Though Jim +objected, Aleck ordered him to put out every bit of the fire, and +perched up in the boat they ate their supper by the light of the +lantern. + +"It's precious lucky we found this straw in the cabin," said Tug, as +he sat upon it, with a tin cup of coffee in one hand, and in the other +a sandwich made of two pieces of cold johnny-cake and a slice of +bacon. + +"That's cool! The _luck_ is that Kate had the good sense to make us +bring it. I know two young fellows who objected." + +"I know _three_," Katy spoke up. "Fair play. You sneered at me at +first, Mr. Captain, as much as anybody. You needn't play goody-goody +over the rest of them." + +"Go in, Katy!" they both cried. "Give it to him! He was going to leave +every bit behind--and the rushes too." + +"Well, well," pleaded Aleck, "I know now it was a good idea, and I'm +not always so--" + +"--big a fool as you look, eh?" exclaimed Tug, giving them all a laugh +at the face made by the tall fellow, who was thus cheated out of his +smooth apology. + +"Never you mind; I'll get even with you before long." + +Then the Captain took out his watch and wound it. Holding it in his +hand he said: "Now it's _my_ turn. I'll give you merry jesters just +four minutes to finish your supper and make your beds. Then I blow out +the lantern. Oil is precious." + + + + +Chapter XII. + +SNOWED UNDER. + + +There was a roguish twinkle in the Captain's eye, as though oil was +not so precious but that they might have burned a few more drops of +it; but an order was an order, and everybody was quite ready for +darkness when it came, except Tug. + +Then, how pitchy it was, and how the wind sung and whizzed over their +rough-edged shield of ice, now and then catching the border of the +ill-stayed tent and giving it a furious flap, as though about to throw +it over! But weariness and warmth--for often snowy nights are not so +cold as clear ones--closed ears as well as eyes, and when they awoke +it was gray light in the tent, and half-past seven o'clock in the +morning. + +Katy was the first one to peep over the gunwale of the boat, though +Aleck was already awake. + +"Is the place full of snow?" he asked. + +"No, but the canvas sags a good deal." + +"Well, you keep under your blankets till Tug and I--get out of this, +mate!--have cleared up the floor a little, and built a fire. I'm +afraid we won't get away from here to-day." + +After breakfast the two larger lads crawled over the wall, sinking up +to their waists in the snow as they stepped off. Struggling out, they +climbed up a little way upon the crest of the hummock, where it had +been swept clear of snow by the wind, which had now subsided; but +nothing could be seen through the veil of thick-flying flakes except +the dirty gray of their canvas roof and the thin wisps of smoke that +curled upward from beneath it. All else was pure white, sinking on +every side into a circle of foggy storm. Around the outer side of the +boat and the end of the house drifts had been heaped up even on to the +edge of the canvas, so that their house had become a cave between the +ice and the snow-bank. + +"It's snug enough," said Tug. + +"Yes, but I should hate to starve to death or freeze there, all the +same," Aleck replied. + +"But it ain't very cold--and--and--say! we've lots of food, haven't +we?" + +"Enough for about ten days, if we put ourselves on precious short +rations; but most of it--the flour and bacon and so on--must be +cooked, and this takes fire, and fire needs fuel, which is just what +we haven't got. If we should use every bit of wood there is except +the boat and sledge, there wouldn't be enough to cook our food for ten +days. Besides, though it isn't cold now, it's likely to turn mighty +cold after this snow-storm, and then we must have a fire, or freeze." + +"But we could get ashore back at the Point in a day's travel. Or, for +that matter, the south shore can't be far off, though we can't see it +through this fearful storm." + +"If we had clear ice it would be all right, but how can we travel in +this snow? It can't be less than two feet deep everywhere for miles +and miles. You and I might go a little way, but Katy and The Youngster +couldn't budge twenty steps. It's really a serious scrape we have +brought ourselves into; and we ought to have thought about this before +we started. Talk about Dr. Kane! He never was worse off in the arctic +regions than we're likely to be right here in a day or two, unless +something happens." + +Aleck certainly was very down-hearted, and his companion did not seem +much disposed to "brace him up," as he would have expressed it. He +could only reply, in an equally discouraged voice, + +"I don't see what _can_ happen out here--for good." + +"Nor I. Let's go in; it's no use standing here in the storm. But, +mind you, no word of all this to the others yet." + +All day long the snow sifted down in fine, dense flakes that piled up +higher and higher around their house, though there was enough wind to +keep it from collecting on the roof, which was very fortunate. They +sat in the boat, half nestling in the straw; told stories; made Tug +tell them everything he could think of about animals and shooting; +invented puzzles, Aleck setting some hard sums; mended clothes--this, +of course, was Katy's amusement; and guessed at conundrums. Here Jim +outshone all the rest. He was sharper with his answers than any of +them, and finally proposed the following: + +"Ebenezer Mary Jane, spell it with two letters?" + +They knit their brows over it, pronounced it impossible to solve, and +gave it up. + +"I-t, _it_," says Jim, and carried off the honors. + +Tired of this, they listened while Katy read from the precious book of +Norwegian stories, and then chapter after chapter out of the little +red Testament. + +"'Twouldn't be a bad scheme for some raven to bring _us_ food," said +Tug, thoughtfully. "I reckon Elisha's wilderness wasn't a worse one +than this ice-plain." + +"The Eskimos, Dr. Kane writes, eat the raven himself sometimes, in +their snow-deserts, which Elisha wouldn't have done on any account, I +suppose." + +"No. That would have been like Aesop's fable of killing the goose that +laid the golden eggs." + +"Yes, so it would," Katy responded; "but the Eskimos have lots of +other birds to eat--auks and guillemots, and eider-ducks, and +mollemokes." + +"But they're on the sea, where those birds live in enormous flocks, +like our wild pigeons up in the pine woods--millions of 'em!" Tug +exclaimed, with outstretched arms. "No such a thing on our lake after +the blackbirds leave the marshes." + +"Except owls," interposed Jim; "and we can't eat them." + +"I feel as though even an owl-stew wouldn't be bad about now," Aleck +replied. + +Nevertheless, when lunch-time came, both the big boys vowed they were +not a bit hungry, and refused to eat. Katy took only a cracker, but +Jim ate three crackers and the last bit of the cold ham, picking the +bone so clean that, big as it was, Rex, who was frightfully hungry, +could get little comfort out of it, though he gnawed at it nearly all +the afternoon. Then Tug smashed it for him, and gave him another try, +which he appreciated highly. + +"Poor Rex!" said Katy, with a sigh. "Travellers get so badly off they +have to kill and eat their dogs sometimes"--Rex stopped crunching, and +looked up with a glance of alarm at this--"and if we should--" + +"What a grand time Rex would have at his own bones!" interrupted +Tug--a joke the utter absurdity of which wrinkled the faces that had +become straight into hearty laughter. Towards evening a fire was +built, which used the last of the sticks and one of the box-covers +before the biscuits could be baked in the skillet, the ham fried, and +tea made. + +"I'm 'fraid it won't be long before I shall have to try the little +stove," said Katy. + +"I had no idea we were so near the end," Aleck muttered, under his +breath. + +The meal that evening was a very dull one, and if they did not go to +sleep at once after they had gone to bed, certainly there was little +fun-making among the weather-bound prisoners. Aleck said afterwards he +thought he slept about an hour that night, and Katy was sure she +didn't really get soundly asleep at all; but it is difficult to lie +awake _all_ night, though your rest may be so broken that you think in +the morning you have never once lost your knowledge of what was going +on. + + + + +Chapter XIII. + +SAVED FROM STARVATION. + + +When they arose next morning the air was much lighter, for it was no +longer snowing. Breaking their way out after breakfast, Aleck and Tug +climbed to the crest of the hummock above the house, where pretty soon +they were joined by Katy and Jim, anxious to get a look abroad. There +was not much satisfaction in this, though. On all sides stretched an +unbroken area of white--a spotless expanse of new snow such as you +never can see on land, for there was nothing to break the colorless +monotony, except where the hummock stretched away right and left, half +buried, and as white as the rest, save at a few points where crests of +upturned ice-blocks stood above the drifts. + +"There is a higher point a little way over there," said Aleck to Tug; +"let's go across, and see if it will show us anything new." + +"Mayn't we come?" asked Jim. + +"No, Youngster, stay with Katy. It would be a useless journey for you, +and we'll soon be back." + +And off they went, floundering up to their waists much of the time. + +"Jim," says Katy, "I see, just beyond the hut"--pointing in the +direction opposite to that in which the lads had gone--"a space under +the edge of the hummock where the ice seems pretty clear. Understand? +And look! don't you see that long, dark line there? I wonder what it +can be? Let us go and find out. We can get along easily enough after a +few steps." + +Jim strode ahead, and stamped down a path for Katy through the snow +that lay between their house and the clear space of ice that had been +swept by the eddy under the hummock, until, a moment later, they were +both running along upon a clean floor towards the object they had +seen. Now they could make it out clearly; and at the first discovery +Jim tossed his cap high in the air and gave a hurrah, in which the +girl joined, wishing she too had a cap to throw up. What do you +suppose it was that had so excited and gladdened them? Can't you +guess? + +_A log of wood frozen into the ice!_ + +"Now we can have all the fire we want." + +"And I can keep the coffee hot for the second cup." + +Then they looked at one another, and laughed and clapped their hands +again. Were two children ever before made so happy by the simple +finding of a log? + +Just then they heard Aleck's voice: + +"Hallo-o-o! Where are you?" + +Jim jumped up, and was about to shout back, but his sister threw her +hand over his mouth. + +"Stop, Jimkin! Let them look for us, and have the fun of being +surprised by our great discovery." + +So both kept quiet, and let the boys shout. By and by they saw their +heads bobbing over the drift, and presently Tug came running towards +them, with Aleck close behind. + +"Why didn't you answer? Didn't you hear us? Hello! Whoop--la! Wood, or +I'm a Dutchman!" and all echoed his wild shout, and tried to imitate +his dance, until the joy was bumped out of them by sudden falls on the +slippery ice. + +It was a tree trunk of oak, that had been floating about, frozen into +the ice, above the surface of which fully half of it was to be seen. +The stubs of the roots were towards them, while the upper end of the +tree, which had been a large one, was lost in a drift more than forty +feet distant. + +"There is enough good wood here," said Aleck, "to keep us warm for two +months, if we don't waste it; and we ought to be very thankful." + +"Then let's have a fire right away!" Jim exclaimed. + +"All right, Youngster," was the Captain's response. "Fetch the axe, +and we'll soon light up." + +When Jim had disappeared, Katy asked her brother what he had seen. + +"Nothing," was the reply. "And it would just be impossible to move +half a mile a day in this snow. It's one of the deepest falls I ever +saw. We've got to stay here, for all I see, till it melts, or crusts +over, or blows away, or something else happens." + +"Well, we have plenty of fuel now." + +"Yes, but we can't live on oak--though we might on acorns. But here +comes Jimkin. Let's say no more about it now, Katy." + +As the chips flew under Tug's blows, Katy gathered an armful, and +hastened back to kindle a fire, while Jim and Aleck busied themselves +in clearing a good path, and in hauling the hand-sled from under the +boat, where it had been jammed into the drift out of the way. By the +time it was ready Tug had chopped a sled-load of wood, and they hauled +it to the house. It had been very awkward climbing over their wall of +boxes, but they had been afraid to move any part of it, for fear of +throwing down the snow which had banked it up and made the place so +tight and warm. However, there was one box which must shortly be +opened in order to get at more provisions; so it was carefully moved, +and the wood piled in its place, leaving a low archway underneath, +through which they could crawl on their hands and knees. + +"That's just like an _igloo_," said Katy. + +"What's an 'igloo'?" + +"An Eskimo house made of frozen snow, in the shape of a dome, and +entered by a low door, just like this one. By the way, are you getting +hungry?" + +"Yes; bring us something to eat." + +They went back to their chopping. Pretty soon Katy came running out, +bringing some crackers, a little hard cheese, and the last small jar +of jelly--"just for a taste," she explained. Then she broke out with +her story: + +"Oh, boys, there's a whole lot of little birds--white and +brown--around the house. They seem to like to get near the smoke. I'm +going to throw out some crumbs." + +"Yes, do," said Tug, eagerly, "and I'll get my gun." + +"What? to shoot them! Oh, no." + +"But they will make good eating." + +"Ye-e-s, I suppose so," agreed the kind-hearted girl; "but I hate to +have them shot." + +"It's hard, I know," Aleck said, sympathizing more with his sister +than with the birds, I fear; "but we need everything we can get. It +may be a great piece of good-fortune that they have come, and--Hold +up, Tug; aren't you afraid if you shoot at them they will be scared +away for good?" + +"No fear of that," was the answer; "and we have no other way. Come +along, Katy, and keep Rex quiet." + +Luncheon was stuffed in their pockets, and all hastened towards the +house. + +There they still were--several flocks of birds resembling sparrows, +but larger than any common sparrow, and white; so white, in fact, that +they could only be seen at all against the snow by glimpses of a few +brown and black feathers on their backs. In each flock, however, there +were one or two of a different sort, easily distinguishable by their +darker plumage and rusty brown heads. Tug said they were Lapland +longspurs, and had pretty much the same habits as their numerous +associates. The whole flock of birds was very restless, constantly +rising and settling, but showed no disposition to go away, and took +little alarm at the four figures that stealthily approached. + +"What are they?" whispered Aleck to Tug. + +"White snow-flakes, or snow-buntings," he whispered back. "Mighty good +eating." + +Creeping quietly into the house, Tug took his shot-gun out of the boat +and hastily loaded it, but with great care to see that the priming was +well up in the nipple and a good cap on. Then he slung over his +shoulders his shot-pouch and powder-horn--a short, black, +well-polished horn of buffalo, of which he was very proud, for it had +been a curiosity in Monore--and begged them all to stay in the house +and let him alone, unless he called to them, and, above all, to keep +the dog inside. + +This said, he crawled forward out of the low doorway, holding his gun +well in front of him, and the other three sat down to wait for the +result. + +Scarcely a minute had passed before a sharp report was heard, and a +little thud upon the canvas roof. At this sound Rex leaped up, and was +greatly excited. His ears were raised, his eyes flashed, and he gave +several short, quick barks. But Aleck had twisted his fingers in the +dog's mane, and forced him to drop down and keep quiet. + +Very soon afterwards there rang out a second report, and again, after +time enough to reload, a third. Then the sportsman's voice was heard +calling, and all ran out to see how many he had bagged. + +[Illustration: "A SHARP REPORT WAS HEARD."] + + + + +Chapter XIV. + +THE ARCTIC VISITORS. + + +"Help me catch these wounded ones!" cried Tug, dancing round in chase +of several wing-tipped and lame birds that were floundering in the +snow. + +The others rushed after them too, and it was exciting sport, for the +chase often led them into deep drifts and down the scraggy sides of +the hummock; it thus became the scene of many comical tumbles and +failures, for several of the birds, having been shot as they crowded +together in a bunch, were only slightly wounded, and able to make a +vigorous attempt to escape. Rex took part also, but his work consisted +chiefly in barking himself hoarse, for all he accomplished was the +finding of one dead bird; and this, as he was not a retriever, he +devoured on the spot. + +When, panting, red-faced, and tired out, they gathered again at the +door, they counted up seventeen fat buntings and one long-spur as the +result of the three shots. Three of these were badly mangled, and were +given to Rex; the others they began at once to make into a stew for +supper, which they always ate about sundown. This meal also took the +place of a dinner, as they ate only "a bite" at noon. + +While they were plucking the birds--and their bodies seemed wofully +small when the thick coat of feathers had been removed--they asked Tug +many questions about the buntings. He could not answer all of them, +but the substance of what he told them was this: + +The snow-buntings--white snow-birds, or snow-flakes--belong to the far +northern regions, where they go in summer to make their nests, often +within the arctic circle. As soon as their young are able to fly they +must begin their southward migration, for the excessive cold and the +deep snow cut off all the grass-seeds, mosses, and insects upon which +they feed in summer. So they begin to spread southward, not into +British America alone, but also into Lapland and Russia, and the lower +parts of Siberia. The bird seems to be a lover of cold, and used to +scant fare and the roughest climate. It is not always, therefore, that +they are to be seen in the United States south of the Great Lakes. + +Around these lakes, however, they are likely to come in large flocks +after a cold snap or a deep fall of snow. The wild rice tracts and +frozen marshes afford them an abundance of seeds and dried berries, +upon which they grow fat. Though seeming less in danger than most +other birds, since our hawks are gone southward, these buntings are +exceedingly restless and timid, which makes them scurry away at the +least alarm. Yet their timidity is not enough to insure their safety, +for though they are constantly rising up and settling again, their +flights are so short and uncertain that, as we have seen, a good +marksman has no difficulty in shooting them. They are so small, +however, that in this country of large game-birds they are never shot +for food unless a necessity like the present one compels it. With the +first bit of warm weather the snow-buntings and their companions, the +long-spurs, whirl away to the bleak northward, crowding close upon the +heels of Winter as he retreats to his polar stronghold. + +In the cool mountainous parts of the Far West there are several +species of birds closely akin to the snow-flake, whose summer homes +are among the peaks. They belong to the same genus (_Plectrophanes_), +but none of them are so white as the Eastern bunting; in fact, like +the ptarmigan, he is pure white only in midwinter, changing in summer +to a dress much mottled with warm brown and black, traces of which +remain in his winter hood and collar. + +"What do you suppose brought the snow-flakes away out hither on the +ice?" Tug was asked. + +"Oh, we're not so far from land--though we might as well be a hundred +miles away for all the good it will do us!--and I suppose they were +flying across to the marshes and islands on the north shore. Probably +our smoke attracted them." + +Having got done with their birds, the boys returned to their chopping. +Two or three large pieces were hacked out as back-logs to build their +fire upon, instead of making it right on the ice; and since this last +load was not needed in the wall, which had been banked up anew, it was +spread around on the floor of the house to lift their canvas carpet +above the chilly and often wet floor, for the weather was not cold +enough now to keep it frozen always hard and dry under the tent. + +Evening came, and with it a feeling of homelike comfort queer to think +about, yet not quite impossible under the circumstances, forlorn and +dangerous as they were. The boys perched themselves on the gunwale of +the boat, and watched Katy making snow-bird stew and steeping the +fragrant tea. + +Then, how good it tasted! What a royal change from steady bacon and +crackers, or tough dried beef, and water! + +"I wonder if they'll come again?" said Aleck, examining his friend's +gun. "Costs a heap o' powder, though, and the noise scares them. Say, +Tug, don't you know how to build traps?" + +"I could make a figure four," piped Jim, "if I had the box." + +"Guess we could manage that. Ugh! what a frightful smoke!" + +"I should say so," added Katy, rubbing her smarting eyes. "I think, if +you would punch a hole under the wall, there would be a better +draught. That hole in the corner of the roof don't make a very fine +chimney." + +Tug took his ramrod and worked the snow away from a crevice at the +foot of the wall, near the floor. The cooler air outside sucked in to +take the place of the heated air within, which ascended to the hole at +the edge of the roof, and a draught was set in motion, taking enough +of the smoke out to make the place endurable while they ate their +supper. + +How good that bird soup was! And what fun they had, eating it out of +their tin cups with wooden spoons! There was only one bowl for the +tea, which had to be passed around for each to drink from in turn. +They forgot their difficulties for a little while, and were as merry +as anybody could be. All at once Katy stopped short in a laugh, with +an exclamation of astonishment: + +"I do believe we've never one of us thought what day it is! This is +Christmas eve!" + +The evening was given to chatting, as they sat in the darkness half +illumined by the red embers of their fire, for they wanted to save +their lantern oil, and would not allow themselves to burn it +uselessly; nor was it late when they went to sleep. + + + + +Chapter XV. + +CHRISTMAS BIRD-CATCHING. + + +"Merry Christmas!" + +It was the Captain's voice, who felt it a part of his duty to be the +first "on deck" in the morning, but had a rival in his sister, who was +quite as active as he. + +"_Merry_ Christmas! this what you call merry?" inquired Jim, +fretfully, as with his finger he traced figures in the frost on the +under side of the canvas. + +"Well, let's try to make it as merry as we can," Katy cried, +cheerfully, from the starboard corner of the stern-sheets. + +"I know what I'm going to do," said Tug--"make bird-traps. I lay awake +a long time in the night planning them." + +"While you fellows talkee-talkee I'll build a fire;" and Aleck's tall +form was soon bent over the heap of wood, where a blaze was quickly +crackling. Tug and Jim followed, and all went out of doors, as was +their custom, leaving Katy the whole igloo to herself for a little +while. + +Immediately after breakfast Tug began on his traps. + +He had brought along with him as a part of his baggage what he +sometimes called his gunsmith shop. It consisted of a square tin box +that would hold about two quarts of chestnuts--if he had had any +chestnuts to put in it, which he hadn't. Besides a bag of No. 6 shot, +this box contained one of the strangest and most worthless collections +of odds and ends of boyish hardware that could be imagined. A +catalogue of it would be useless. Among other articles were a +knife-blade that long ago had parted from its handle, a brad-awl in +the same condition, and a broken bullet-mould bound together by a long +winding of fine wire. + +These three things the lad picked out and laid aside. Then he turned +over the rest of the contents of the box until he had secured several +tacks and brads of varied sizes, and a round piece of tin with holes +in it. Next he discovered something which made him shout with a joy +almost equal to his delight at finding the tree trunk. This best of +all the finds, this forgotten treasure in the tin box, was a small +coil of horse-hairs. They were the relics of a preparation he had made +for a short camping trip into the woods three months before, while the +October haze and bright cool air were playing among the rustling +autumn leaves. How the scene came back to him! Now these hairs would +serve him for a better use than mere amusement. He was carefully +unwinding them when Jim rushed in to say that the snow-birds were +around again. + +"Good!" cried Tug. "Take some crumbs out of the cracker box, and +quietly throw them down where the snow-birds can get them. Put 'em on +the top of the hummock first, then we'll gradually toll 'em down +below. I'll be out in a minute." + +Jim got his crackers and vanished. Aleck was chopping wood, and Katy +was with him. It was a cold day, but sunny, and there were no signs of +the snow melting. Tug, alone in the house, looked fondly at his tools, +and having nobody else to speak to, talked to himself. + +"We're like the boy and the ground-hog. 'We ain't got no meat for the +supper, and the preacher's comin'.' So I guess I'd better leave the +twitch-ups and make some common box traps that Kate and the kid can +watch. Come here--you!" + +This last was addressed to a wooden box about twelve inches square, in +which Katy had been wont to pack the small articles of table use. Tug +turned them all out, and pulled off the leather hinges that held the +cover. Then, taking an oak splinter from the firewood, he cut it to +the size of a lead-pencil, and notched it in the middle. In this notch +he tied the end of the ball of twine which formed a part of the boat's +stores, and cut off a length of about fifteen feet. Next, he drew the +locker out of the bearings upon which it rested, emptied it of its +contents, and made a stick and length of twine to fit it in the same +way. Lastly, he tore two pieces a foot or so square from their one +strong sheet of white paper. He had been at work scarcely ten minutes, +but had ready two simple traps. Then he went outside and called to +Katy, who came quickly. + +"Katy," he said, "I have something for you to do. Please get a blanket +and come out on top of the hummock, where you'll find me." + +While the girl went inside for the blanket Tug climbed up to the icy +hill-top, where a small flock of snow-birds were pecking away at the +crumbs Jim had thrown out. The lad crept stealthily towards them, and +though the birds moved away, they were not greatly frightened, and did +not go far. As quietly and rapidly as possible he spread down his +pieces of paper on the highest part of the hummock, at a little +distance apart, and not far from the edge of the ice table. Then, +setting his boxes bottom upward, he perched each one slantwise upon +one of his sticks, and stretched the strings away to the hummock's +edge. On the paper underneath the boxes, and somewhat on the snow +about them, he spread his bait of crumbs. Then showing Katy, who had +now come out, where she could hide herself behind the edge of the +upheaved ice cakes, he told her to wrap herself up well in the +blanket, and to keep perfectly still till the birds came back. They +would pick at the crumbs until by and by one or two of them would be +sure to step under the boxes. + +"Then," said he, "you jerk your string, the box falls, and Mr. +Snow-flake is a prisoner." + +So Katy took her position, and Tug, asking Jim to help him, went off +to make some other traps. + +"Youngster," he directed, "I want you to cut me eight square pieces of +ice, each one about as big as a brick, and after that two slabs about +eighteen inches square and two or three inches thick. You can take the +axe and cut 'em out in big chunks from the hummock, and then saw 'em +into shape--here's the saw--and mind you keep away from where Katy +is." + +"What do you want them for?" + +"For traps--never you mind why: you'll see presently," was the lofty +reply. + +Jim thought it a little unfair, but he good-naturedly took the axe and +saw and went to work. + +In half an hour he came to say he was done, and was quickly followed +by his sister, whose face was beaming. + +"I've caught three!" she cried. + +"Three? Good!" + +"Yes, they came, a big flock--about forty, I should think--and +chattered and twittered about over the house." + +"I heard 'em," Tug exclaimed. + +[Illustration: KATY TRAPPING THE SNOW-BUNTINGS.] + +"Yes? Well, they seemed to enjoy warming their wings in the smoke, for +they flew through it lots of times. Then pretty soon one spied a +crumb, and I suppose he called his fellows, for in a minute they came +all hopping about on the snow, and getting nearer and nearer the +boxes. I got so nervous I could hardly hold the strings still, but I +kept as quiet as a mouse--" + +"Or as a cat after a mouse!" interrupted Aleck, who had come in with +an armful of wood. + +"--and pretty soon one little bird went right under the locker. There +was another close behind him, but I was too anxious to wait, and I +pulled the string, catching one and knocking the other over. It made +so little noise that the rest of the flock were not alarmed, and I +suppose they didn't miss the lost one, for pretty soon they began to +go around the locker, and one flew right on top of it. I was afraid he +would tumble it down, but he didn't, and in a minute another had gone +under. But there was a third hopping right towards the paper, and so I +just waited till he had run under, when--piff!--I had them both!" + +"Good for you, Katy!" cried the delighted boys. "You'll make a +sportsman yet!" + + + + +Chapter XVI. + +HOW TUG MADE "TWITCH-UPS." + + +"It's cold work, though," Katy replied, "sitting so still out on that +ice. I am just stiff." + +"I'll fix that all right," Tug said, showing some small forked and +notched sticks he had cut out of oaken chips. "Come out with me, and +I'll show you how to set a trap that will drop itself, or, rather, +where the bird shuts his own prison door." + +Gathering up Jim's blocks and slabs of ice, the whole party climbed to +the top of the hummock, which, as I have said, was almost the only +spot in the wide plain free from deep snow, and Tug went to work. + +Making a little hole in the ice, he wedged into it a short, +flat-topped peg, and packed a handful of snow about its base. + +Then with the brick-like blocks of ice he arranged a hollow square +around the peg. On top of the peg he laid the flattened side of the +stem of a forked stick, like a letter -< laid flat, and on top of +that, as though it were a continuation of the peg, he set a post +about ten inches high. Asking Aleck to hold these twigs in position +for him, he took one of the slabs, lodged an end of it on the rim of +the little wall made by his "bricks," and gently rested the other end +upon the top of the post, which was held in its upright position under +the pressure, at the same time keeping the -< in place. This arranged, +he spread crumbs about the trap and thickly inside. Then he announced +it ready. + +[Illustration: SETTING THE NEW TRAPS.] + +"Oh, I see how it works," Katy cried. "The bird, in leaping down, is +almost sure to perch on the forked twig, or, at least, to strike it. +That throws it out of place, and tumbles the whole cover down, +shutting him in." + +"Correct!" said Tug, admiringly, as he went to work on a second trap +of the same kind. + +This set, all left the hummock (except Jim, who agreed to take his +turn, wrapped in a blanket, at watching the strings) and joined labor +in making two or three more of the new ice traps, for now that the +birds were plenty, they wanted to capture as many as possible. + +"If only I had some sort of a spring," Tug announced, "I could make +twitch-ups. I've all the rest of the fixin's, 'cause I found some +horse-hairs in my 'shop' this morning; but I don't see how I am to get +a springy twig or a strip of whalebone. I had some old umbrella-ribs, +but I didn't bring 'em along. Wish I had." + +Aleck thought over all his stores, but could remember nothing that +would answer the purpose. "How about your ramrod?" he asked. + +"Too stiff," Tug replied. + +So they gave up talking, and attended to their work. Suddenly Aleck +went to the log, split off a strip of oak, and whittled it into a thin +rod. "How is that?" he said, as he handed it to his comrade. + +Tug beat his hands and blew on his aching fingers a while before +answering. Then he bent the rod gently, but before it was curved half +as far as he needed, it broke. + +"No good. Nothing but hickory will stand the strain." + +"I'll tell you what you might do, perhaps," Katy suggested, having +come out just in time to witness this little trial. "The handle of the +boat-hook is hickory. If you could make an oak handle for that, you +could split the hickory up into springles, couldn't you?" + +"That's so!--that's a bright idea. Try it, Tug," and the Captain ran +off for the boat-hook. The shaft of this was straight-grained, +well-seasoned, and tough, but an oaken staff would serve its purpose +quite as well. + +"I should think that would answer first-rate," said Tug, "but you had +better whittle out your oak stick first. It would be rough to be +caught suddenly without any handle to our boat-hook." + +"That's so," Aleck assented, and took his axe to split a suitable +piece from the log. + +The making and shaping of a new handle, even in the rough, cost him +much labor with his few tools. It was nearly an hour, therefore, +before he was ready to pull the irons off the old handle and fasten +the new one into its place; and fully another hour had passed by the +time this difficult job had been done. + +Then, with great care, and by the help of little wedges, a clean, +straight splinter about as thick as your finger was split from the +tough hickory staff. It was tried by the trapmaker, very gently at +first, and bent well, so that it was pronounced serviceable, though +not as good as a green twig or sapling, such as one would cut in the +woods for the same purpose. It would answer to try with, however, and +after a bit of luncheon they watched Tug make his twitch-ups--or, at +least, all did except the one on duty at the strings. As Tug himself +had to take a turn, he didn't get his traps done in time to put them +up that day. + +Next morning, however, all were out bright and early to help him do +so. The snow-flakes had been there before, however, and one +unfortunate had stepped on a treacherous fork, and was caught. + +Having arranged two more ice-boxes and letter Y traps, for which the +pieces had been cut yesterday, they all gathered around Tug to watch +him set his first twitch-up. + +With one of the tent spikes he dug a slanting hole in the ice, into +which he inserted one end of his hickory splint, which was about four +feet long, fastening it firmly by ramming ice and snow down into the +hole beside it, which would quickly freeze solid. A short distance +from the foot of the splint he then laid down a short board, which was +braced at the foot (or end farthest from the splint) against the side +of a trough cut in the ice. The remaining three sides of the board +were then fenced in by small blocks of ice. + +Next, taking from his pocket a cord made by twisting two horse-hairs +together, he slipped one end through a loop in the other, thus making +a noose, and tied it to the top of the hickory splint. This done, he +bent down the splint until he hooked its tip under the nearest end, or +head, of the board, which was raised a couple of inches from the +ground. Spreading the noose carefully out upon the board, he sprinkled +within a particularly nice lot of crumbs, then laid a little train +away from the foot of the board as a leader, and the snare was ready. +The weight of the bird treading upon the board to get the bait would +press it down enough to let the lightly caught whip end of the splint +spring up: this would pull the noose with a sudden movement, and the +bird would find itself dangling in the air by the legs or a wing, or +possibly by the neck. + +Removing their captive, and resetting the square trap, the whole party +went out of sight to await further results. Yesterday they had +captured thirteen birds in all, and had eaten only nine. With three +more traps, they ought to do better to-day, and so accumulate a little +stock ahead. + +"At any rate," Katy observed, "we've plenty of refrigerator room to +keep them in." + +They had, indeed--a refrigerator about a hundred miles square! + + + + +Chapter XVII. + +THE BREAKING UP OF THE ICE. + + +Breakfast was late the next morning, for Katy proposed to vary their +fare by frying some snow-birds with bacon, and Jim was called upon to +help pluck and prepare them--work which did not please that young +gentleman very much. + +"I suppose now we shall have nothing but snow-birds, snow-birds," he +growled. + +"Do try and be a little more cheerful, Jim," said Katy. "You are +always grumbling about something." + +"What else do you want?" asked Tug. "You have got beef, though it's +dried, and bacon and poultry." + +"Flesh, fowl, and good red herring," quoted Aleck, from an old +proverb. + +"All but the herring," grunted The Youngster, crossly. "Now if only we +had some fish--" + +"Fish!" Tug shouted, leaping to his feet. "Never thought of it, as I'm +a Dutchman! Why shouldn't we? We have only got to cut a hole in the +ice, and 'drop 'em a line,' as the man told his wife to do when he +went off to Californy." + +"Strange we never thought of that," said Katy. + +"Strange? I'm the biggest dolt in three counties. Why, I'll catch you +some be-'utiful muskallonge for dinner. Come on, Captain. Let's cut a +hole while the boy is cleaning those twopenny tomtits." + +"Hold on!" cried the disgusted Jim; "I'm coming too." + +"No, no, my dear child" (Tug's voice was that of a pitying mother). +"Remember Captain's order. You're to be a nice boy, and help in the +kitchen. Maybe we'll let you cut the heads off our fishes, if you do +well with the birds. Ca-a-reful!" and the tormentor dodged a club +hurled by the angry lad, who wished (and said so) that he was only a +little bigger. + +Jim and Katy both felt it was hard indeed that he should be deprived +of this particular fun, in which he took so much interest, and it +seemed as though the big fellows might have waited. The cook would +willingly have let her scullion depart, but an order was an order, and +he had to stay, plucking savagely at the pretty feathers of the +innocent buntings, and declining to come back to good-humor, until the +lads returned with the report that they had cut two holes in the thin +ice that formed over the "lead," which, the reader will remember, was +crossed just a few rods back, and now were ready to set their lines. + +Here was a chance of revenge. Jim's own line was the most important +one in their small stock. He was tempted to refuse to let them use it; +but he was not a bad fellow, and a better heart prevailed. + +"You'll find my line and pickerel spoon in that little box of things +in our chest," he said. + +Tug walked up to him and offered his hand. + +"Jeems, I'll accept your apology for throwing sticks of wood at your +uncle, and call it square. Agreed?" + +"Yes!" said Jim, with a laugh, and peace was restored. + +Doubtless you expect an entertaining chapter out of the fishing, but +it can't be given if we are to stick to the facts of this cruise. No: +the big muskallonge they hoped to catch was somewhere under the ice, +but whether it was because he didn't see their bait, or was not +tempted, or knew better than to bite, certain is it that none of these +giants of winter fishing were caught. With the toothsome pickerel they +had better luck, and several were taken on this first and on following +days, so that Jim did not lose all the fun by his unlucky engagement +in the kitchen. The greatest adventures of the trip were not so much +in fishing and hunting as in being fished and hunted _after_; and +these were to begin without much delay. + +The day the log was found and the first snow-birds were captured it +had turned cold again, and it remained so for a whole week; but our +heroes were kept busy in watching the traps, which caught them more +snow-birds than they could eat; in attending to the fishing; and in +getting wood. The snow did not melt at all, for the weather was very +cold indeed, and sometimes the wind blew frightfully, but always in +such a way that the hummock sheltered the tenthouse pretty well, so +that, with the help of a big fire, they could keep warm enough. For +amusement, they marked out a checker-board, and played checkers and +other games. They tried their hands--or, rather, their heads--at +spinning yarns also; they examined each other in geography or grammar, +and held spelling competitions, choosing words out of Dr. Dasent's +book, which they came to learn almost by heart. At all these studious +entertainments Katy was likely to be ahead. But when the subject was +turned to arithmetic, Aleck became teacher, for that was his favorite +study. + +Thus the week had passed, and its close completed the fifteenth day +since they had left home, which seemed very far away now. They had no +anxiety so long as the weather held cold; or, if any one felt worried, +he did not talk about it. + +At the end of this week, however, the wind changed in the night to the +southward, so that on the eighth morning of their stay in the igloo +they found the air almost as balmy as spring, with a gentle breeze +from the south. The sun was shining, also, and no birds came near the +house all day. This was compensated for, however, by their taking the +largest pickerel yet. Towards noon it clouded up, and began to rain, +melting the snow with such rapidity that the whole region was covered +with slush. The shapeless tent-roof let streams of water pour in at +the sides, and, altogether, affairs were very disagreeable. + +No one felt disposed to grumble, however, since, when the snow had +been washed away, or cold weather came again to freeze solid the slush +and surface-water, they could go ahead on their journey--something all +were extremely anxious to do. + +The wind continued to blow from the south all night, and when Aleck +went out next morning he hurried back with an alarmed face to report +that distant open water could be seen in that direction. + +"The snow has almost gone. I must take a scout after breakfast, and +see what the prospect is." + +As soon as the coffee and fried pickerel had been disposed of, +therefore, Aleck set out, taking Jim with him. + +When two hours had passed, and the scouts did not return, Tug and Katy +became alarmed, and went to the crest of the ridge. It had grown so +foggy, however, that nothing could be seen. + +"Hadn't we better make a big smoke," Katy suggested, "as a signal? The +fog might lift for a minute, and give them a chance to catch sight of +it. They must be lost." + +"It's a good idea, as are most of your notions, Katy. I'll get some of +that wet root-wood, and make a fire on top of the hummock." + +It was done, and another hour passed. Chilly with the fog and the raw +wind, they had gone down into the hut to get warm, and were just +attending to the "kitchen" fire, when their ears were startled by a +loud, sharp noise, like the report of a distant cannon, only much +sharper; then another, still louder; then a third, somewhat nearer; +and, after a minute's interval, a fourth tremendous crash, close by +the house, which trembled under their feet and over their heads as +though an earthquake had shaken it. + +"The ice is cracking!" Tug cried, seizing Katy's hand, and dragging +her to the boat, into which both jumped in terror. + +An instant later Tug recovered himself. "This is no use," he said. +"Our ice is firm just here, and I don't hear her bursting any more. +Let's go outside." + +"Don't you think we'd better put some of the food-boxes and things +into the boat, so that they won't be lost if the ice here should break +to pieces suddenly?" + +"Yes, we might do that. Let's hurry." + +Five minutes was enough for this work, and then both went out and +climbed upon the hummock. They found the whole appearance of things +changed towards the south and east. Where, yesterday, had lain one +broad white field of solid ice, as far as the eye could reach, now +were spread before them (for the fog had lifted a little, so that they +could see better) the long, slow waves of a lake of blue water, filled +with cakes and wide sheets of floating ice. + +"Oh! oh!" Katy cried, wringing her little hands at the thought, "Aleck +and Jim are drowned." + +"No, I guess not," said Tug, encouragingly. "They are probably safe on +some of those big pieces of ice." + +"But how will they ever get back?" + +"I don't know," her companion answered, slowly. "If only this terrible +fog would go away, so that we could see something, perhaps we might +help them. I don't know what we can do now but to keep up our smoke." + +"I wonder if _we_ are afloat?" Katy asked, trying to steady her voice, +for she saw how useless it was to weep when so much might be required +of her any minute. "Ah, Rex, good dog, what shall we do now? Can't you +find your master?" + + + + +Chapter XVIII. + +RESCUING THE WANDERERS. + + +Rex wagged his tail mournfully, and looked at the strange scene, +whining as if he understood it all, but was at his wits' end how to +act. + +"Afloat?" Tug repeated, after a minute. "There are cracks on each side +of us, and a narrow one part way behind, between us and that high +hummock over there to the southward, which, in my opinion, hides the +low, flat land, for I think it is only four or five miles to the +shore. But it might as well have been four or five hundred while that +snow lasted. Let's watch, and see if the crack gets wider." + +"Do you feel quite sure, Tug, that Aleck and Jim are on one of those +big cakes of ice?" The tone of Katy's voice was very anxious. + +"Yes, I do, Katy. They certainly have not jumped off and drowned +themselves on purpose." + +This made Katy smile, in spite of her anxiety. + +"They surely are not very far off; but, the most alarming part of the +business is, how they are to get to us if that big crack increases to +the size of a river. Can you make up your mind whether it is really +growing wider?" + +In the course of half an hour it became very plain that the crack was +getting wider rapidly, and their icy foundation, which they had +thought so fixed, had now become a big raft, slowly drifting down the +lake under the pushing of the steady west wind--moving a little faster +than its companion rafts in the wide waste, because its high hummock +served as a sort of sail. All the cakes our watchers could see were +much smaller than this one. Occasionally these pieces would crash +together, and crumble, or one would slide under the other. Sometimes +their own "floe," as Dr. Kane would have called so large a piece, +collided with others, but always came off victorious. They came to the +conclusion that its having the thick hummock, like a great, solid +back-bone, rendered it far stronger than the rest, as well as a better +sailer. + +Beside them another floe, also bearing a hummock (a section of their +own), was pressing its way on, to the ruin of smaller ones. It was +separated from their floe by an open canal, perhaps five hundred yards +wide, and floated along about even with them, sometimes swinging +nearer, sometimes receding. This great cake, an acre or more in +extent, lay in the direction whither the absent ones had gone, and it +was hoped that they were upon it. This would be the next best thing +to having them safely back, but the chance was a small one, at best. + +Talking over these loopholes of escape, Katy and Tug tried to forget +their discomforts and dangers, and to show each other cheerful and +reliant faces. Nevertheless it was dreary work. + +The weary day wore on--the day they thought would perhaps be their +last--until night, with its starless gloom, was surrounding the +desolate picture of grinding ice and of black, rolling waves, dimly +seen. Chilled to the bone, for neither could bear to stay within the +hut, they had grown silent and almost despairing, when Rex suddenly +started to his feet, and, pricking up his ears, looked intently +towards the great floe beside them, which had now approached much +nearer. Then, after listening a moment, he uttered a loud bark, and +bounded off. The two castaways followed to the edge of the ice, and +there, having silenced Rex, could presently hear a faint halloo--her +brother's voice! + +"Halloo! halloo-o!" they shrieked back. + +"Let us get the boat, and go after them!" cried Katy, nearly wild with +joy and excitement. + +"Can't do it," said Tug, in a discouraged tone. "All four of us +couldn't budge that boat and sledge before morning. It is frozen in, +and has got to be chopped out and dried up. Must do something besides +get the boat." + +"That floe is nearer than it has been before, Tug. Maybe it'll come +quite close." + +"Yes, mebbe it will. I 'low that's our only hope. We can do nothing, +Katy, but watch, and--and pray, Katy. Let us go back to the fire. It +is cold here, and we can do no good. Once in a while I'll come down +and scream across to cheer 'em up." + +Reluctantly, therefore, they returned to the igloo, warmed their feet, +and picked up something to eat, but did not go to bed. Tug and Rex +would frequently run out and shout across to Aleck, reporting at each +return that the water-space (as well as could be guessed in the +darkness) seemed to be surely narrowing. Towards morning Katy was +persuaded to lie down, consenting to do so only when promised that she +should be roused as soon as daylight appeared. Tug himself fell +asleep, but both awoke with the first light of dawn, and hastened +together to the edge of the floe, where the water lay calm and smooth, +gray as iron and cold as death, between the divided friends. + +"Oh, I can see them!" cried the girl, and sent a cheery call across +the "lead," which had now narrowed to a few rods. "Poor little Jim! +See how he has to lean against Aleck." + +"We're safe," came back the shout, "but almost worn-out. Can you move +the boat?" + +"No." + +"Then unroll the ball of twine, and tie one end of it to the +clothes-line, and to the other end of the clothes-line knot all the +drag-ropes put together. Then fasten the loose end of the twine to +Rex's collar, and make the dog bring it to me. Understand?" + +"Yes." + +But Tug didn't quite understand. He was off too soon, in his haste to +get the twine and clothes-line and ropes. Aleck hadn't finished his +directions. + +"Tell Tug," he shouted again to Katy, "to bring the sled, and fasten +that to the drag-ropes. When I have hauled the ropes across, and got +hold of the sled, I'll send Rex back, and you can pull in the twine, +and catch the ropes, and tow us across. Hurry up, if you want us +alive! This ice may drift apart again." + +In five minutes Tug came running back, with all his preparations made. +Now everything depended upon Rex. The twine was slipped through his +collar, and securely knotted, Katy kneeling the while with her arms +about his shaggy head, whispering to him what he was to do. Then, in a +stern voice, Tug commanded: + +"Go, Rex--go to Aleck!" at the same time pushing him into the water, +while the Captain coaxed from the other side, and even Jim roused +himself at this joyful prospect of deliverance. + +At first the dog, brave as he was, turned back, whining pitifully at +the freezing water. But they fought him away, and finally poor Rex +struck out and swam across to where Aleck was anxiously waiting to +lift him out. Taking hold of the twine the dog had brought, the +Captain reeled it in as rapidly as his stiffened fingers would let +him, until the clothes-line began to come, and after it the heavier +drag-ropes. + +But both clothes-line and drag-ropes together proved too short to +reach quite across, and the floes seemed to have stopped their +approach to each other, so that waiting would be useless, if not +dangerous. + +"There is about ten feet lacking," Aleck shouted. "You must find some +more rope." + +"Can't do it, unless I cut it off the mainsail." + +"Cut it off, then, and make haste." + +Tug went off on a run, and another five minutes passed by before he +got back. Already the canal had begun to widen, so that fifteen feet +instead of ten would be required. + +Tossing the rope into the sled-box, Tug screamed, "All right!" and the +captain began drawing the sled to his side as quickly as possible, so +that the two parties were again disconnected, and wholly reliant upon +the nervous and frightened dog, which Jim was holding firmly, and +coaxing into quiet. Swiftly splicing the rope with the new piece, +the dog was let go. This time he leaped eagerly into the water for his +return trip, apparently feeling perfectly the responsibility laid upon +him, though perhaps he was only frightened, and eager to get back to +what seemed home. + +[Illustration: "REX STRUCK OUT AND SWAM ACROSS."] + +Positions were now reversed. Aleck and Jim had the sled--Tug and Katy +the twine. Drawing this in, all waited with feverish anxiety to see if +there would be length of rope enough. There was; but so rapidly had +the floes drifted apart that Tug held the very end of the taut line in +his outstretched hand, and had not a bit to spare. One minute more, +and the lines would not have reached across. + +Then they saw Aleck snatch off his overcoat, his undercoat, and his +boots, and put them into the box of the sled, which was floating +unsteadily at the margin of the ice. They saw him half lift the +exhausted Jim, helping him to get into the box, and then heard him +call out in quick words: + +"Don't try to pull at all hard until you can catch the big rope. I am +going to swim and push a little ways, but I expect I shall be too +chilled to do more than a little. When I stop pushing, and you get +hold of the drag-ropes, haul us both ashore as fast as you can. Here +goes!" + +With these words he slid into the water, swimming with his right hand, +while with his left he pushed along the box and sled, which was half +sunken, and in which Jimmy crouched, shaking with cold, but afraid to +stir. + +"Keep it up a little longer!" Tug sung out, as he knelt on the edge of +the ice, and carefully gathered in the clothes-line until he could +almost clutch the end of the stronger rope. "I've almost got it! About +two strokes more! All right! Now hold on with both arms, and we'll +soon have you." Whereupon Katy seized the rope with him, and both +together pulled as hard and as fast as they knew how. + +The strange little ferry-boat and its passengers seemed to approach +very slowly, but finally it came so near that Tug stopped hauling on +the line, and knelt down in order to lean out and grasp the box after +Katy should have pulled it a few inches closer. Jim, seeing this +motion, forgot how delicate was the balance, and rose up, when in an +instant the unsteady craft tipped, and the boy went backward into and +under the blue lake. At any rate, so it seemed to the spectators; but +the little fellow, making a despairing clutch as he went over, had +gripped a runner of the sled, and a second later his face appeared +close by the ice, where the fond sister, pale as he, seized his arm +and helped him scramble out. + + + + +Chapter XIX. + +ADRIFT ON AN ICE RAFT. + + +Meanwhile Aleck, startled by the upset of the sled and Jim's +disappearance, had let go of his support. Now, seeing Jim safe, he was +trying to regain it, when suddenly Tug saw him throw up his hand and +sink out of sight. + +Tug knew what that meant, and that there was not an instant to spare. +Tearing off his coat--he had thrown aside his overcoat in the heat of +the work before-he watched till he saw Aleck rising through the clear +water, then dashed in, followed by the noble dog, and grasped his +hair. Aleck hung in his hold a dead weight, as though life had gone; +but Tug knew that the fatal end had not come yet, and that this was +only the fainting of utter exhaustion and the cramping paralysis of +cold. Cold! Tug had felt the dreadful chill striking through and +through him the instant he had touched the water. Already it was +clogging his motions and overcoming his strength with a fearful +numbness that would fast render him powerless. And Aleck had been in +that stiffening, paralyzing flood several minutes! + +All this went through Tug's mind, as on a dark night a flash of +lightning enters and leaves the pupil of the eye; it took "no time at +all," and the instant he had hooked his fingers in Aleck's hair he +shouted to Katy to shove out the sled where he might reach it. She did +so, and by it drew both the lads to the ice, the brave rescuer +grasping the friendly box and towing his senseless Captain. + +Then a new difficulty presented itself. Aleck was perfectly helpless, +and like a log in the water; or worse than that, for he would sink if +Tug loosed his hold. How should they get him out? + +Katy saw this problem, and said to Tug, as soon as the ice had been +reached, while she knelt at the brink of the splashing water: + +"Let me hold his head up--I can do it--until you can climb out; then +both of us together, I guess, can drag him up on to the ice. Oh dear! +will he ever come to?" + +Her tears blinded her eyes, but she dashed them away, and took firm +hold upon Aleck's collar, while Tug scrambled out. Then, while Katy +held his head above the curling, gurgling little waves that the wind +was chasing, Tug slipped one end of the rope under Aleck's arms, and +made a loop about his body, by which they were able to drag his +lifeless form out upon the ice, as though he were a fish or a seal. + +"Now let's have the sled!" screamed Tug, minding neither his own +freezing garments nor Katy's anguish; and having pulled this from the +water, he and Katy lifted Aleck upon it, and set off as fast as they +could for the tent, whither the miserable Youngster had already +started in a staggering trot, with many groans and rough tumbles. The +others overtook him, and all went on together; but Jimkin got no +comfort, for Aleck might be drowned--they did not know; while Jim, +though certainly miserable, was alive and active, enough so, at least, +to look after himself. + +[Illustration: "THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAG HIS LIFELESS FORM OUT UPON THE +ICE."] + +"How fortunate that there happened to be a kettle of hot water on the +fire!" + +"Yes. Now here we are. We'll have to drag him through the low doorway +heels first. Help me lift him off the sled, Katy." + +Laid on straw and overcoats by the warm fire, Tug quickly stripped off +the Captain's wet clothes, while Katy brought warm blankets, and +wrapped him in them. + +"Didn't you say you had a little bottle of brandy, Katy?" + +"Yes; Miss Marshall told us we ought never to go on a long journey +without it, and I brought it along for fear something like this might +happen. Here it is." + +Taking the bottle, Tug forced a few drops between Aleck's lips and saw +them trickle down his throat. A minute later there was a stronger +throb of the fluttering heart, a quiver of the eyelids, and a faint, +sighing groan, which the anxious watchers could just hear. At this +sign of returning life they rose and grasped each other's hands. The +tears Katy had so bravely kept back when she had had work to do and no +time to cry came now in an unrestrained shower; but they were tears of +joy, for the Captain was waking up all right. + +Now poor little Jim got some attention, and Katy left them to +themselves while the three boys helped each other to get rid of their +icy clothes and crawl into the blankets and warm straw of their +bedrooms, as they called the hull of the boat. This done, Katy came +back and made hot tea for her three tucked-up patients, which so +revived them that Tug and Jim begged to be allowed to get up as soon +as their clothes had been dried; but Aleck said he wanted to sleep two +weeks, and so would stay in bed a little longer. + +As for Rex, whose heroism in bringing back Aleck's floating coat, when +he was unable to aid his drowning master himself, had been forgotten +until now, he was content to lie in a snug corner and wait for the +half-frozen fish his mistress had promised him should presently be the +reward of his faithfulness. + +That eventful day came to an end without anything further to disturb +their peace. Aleck rose towards evening, and went out fishing with Jim +and Tug, catching two or three pickerel. The night passed in unusual +quiet, for the wind, though steady, was not a whistling gale, nor did +the grinding roar of moving ice come to their ears, as it had +sometimes during the previous daytime. + +In the morning the same clouds were overhead, the same vague haze hid +the horizon, the same waste of ice and water surrounded their lonely +camp, the same quiet breeze breathed steadily across the lake, and, +but for occasional noises of their own making, the whole world seemed +profoundly still. This was depressing, and the spirits of each one of +our young adventurers sank to a level with the flat ice and the dull +gray sky; yet it was evident that nothing could be done except to wait +as patiently as possible for some change. + +"If yez can't be aisy, be as aisy as ye can," remarked Tug, quoting an +excellent Irish rule of life under adverse circumstances; but the +pleasantry met with only a faint smile from his disheartened +companions. All thought that any _active_ perils would be better than +this motionless, objectless gloom, so threatening because so still and +uncertain. + +"I wonder if we haven't stopped drifting," said Katy, as they were +pretending to eat a bit of luncheon, for which nobody had much +appetite; and, more for the sake of doing something than because it +seemed to make much difference whether they had come to a standstill +or not, they took a few chips to the edge of the floe, and threw them +into the water. These tossed up and down on the gentle waves, but did +not change their position at all, so our navigators concluded their +floe to be at last stationary. + +"How far do you think we have drifted?" Jim asked his brother. + +"Well," Aleck replied, "I've been studying over that. We don't know +just when we started nor exactly when we stopped--if we have +stopped--nor whether we have gone steadily on. I have seen something +of drifting ice, and I should say we had gone probably between twenty +and twenty-five miles, all right out into the middle of the lake." + +"Then you have some idea of where we are?" + +"Oh, yes; that's quite easily calculated by 'dead-reckoning,' as +sailors say." + +The west wind now began to subside, and before long the air became +still and the mists thicker, with dense, low clouds massing close +overhead. On land it must have been a warm, thawing day. Out here it +was always chilly, but the four persons were not uncomfortable, even +when their overcoats were unbuttoned, partly, however, because they +had become accustomed to constant exposure. + +Before the sun went down the air grew much cooler, and the fog thinned +out, while the wind freshened and worked around until it blew briskly +and very cold from the north. This soon swept away the mists, but not +the clouds; yet light enough remained just before dusk to give Aleck a +brief look to the northward. He could see a great field of rough ice, +apparently made up of broken pieces crushed and jammed together, +stretching in that direction to the horizon. This horizon was broken +in one place, however, by a darker patch, that looked as though it +might be land; but before he could examine it more carefully it had +become lost in the darkness. + +Returning to the house, the Captain ordered every preparation to be +made for a possible removal. While Katy cooked their evening meal, the +boys worked with axe and shovel until they had freed the runners under +the boat, so that she could be dragged away quickly. Then the wall was +taken down, and the boxes stowed carefully. Several of them had been +emptied during the long halt, and it made the lads feel very grave to +notice how low their stock of provisions and lamp-oil had run. Jimmy +refused to see the use of all this hard work when everything seemed as +safe as ever it was, and Aleck confessed that he had no better reason +for his precautions than that the weather had changed, and it was best +to be on the safe side--in which he showed himself a good commander. + +"We won't take the tent down, Jim, nor throw in the mess kit, nor roll +away our good beds, till we find we have to; but, if the ice should +drop from under our feet at this moment, we could scramble into the +boat, and have our necessary property with us." + +Katy, meanwhile, had set half a ham boiling--they had only one more +left after this--and was only waiting for it to be done before going +to bed, for it was late in the evening, and much colder than usual, +since the hummock no longer sheltered them from this new wind, which +blew in under the boat where the snow had been shovelled away, and +threatened to tear the frail hut to pieces. Finally the ham was done, +and the girl crept shivering to Jim's side amid the straw and quilts, +thoroughly frightened and weary. + +She had not been there five minutes when there came a quick series of +crashing reports, such as she had heard before. The ice was breaking +up again. Tug was quickest to jump out, calling to all to stay in the +boat till he came back. They could feel the ice shake and tip under +them--or, at any rate, imagined they could--while the wind was blowing +snow-flakes in their scared faces. It seemed an age, though really it +was hardly a minute, before Tug came back and said they were afloat +upon a small piece--a piece only a few yards square. + +"Then," said Aleck, decisively, "we must take to the boat and get off +this cake, for the wind is blowing us right back into the open lake, +and we couldn't live out there. I think I saw land just north of us, +and we must try to reach it, or, at any rate, to get upon the big +ice-field in front. It's our only hope." + +He and Tug were buttoning their overcoats and tying tippets about +their heads and necks, but talking at the same time. + +"Now for our orders, Captain." + +"Well, then, listen. Katy and Jim must not step out of the boat unless +I say so. They must light the lantern, ship the rudder, roll up the +bedding and stow it under the thwarts, and fix everything as snug as +they can. Jim's place will be forward; Katy will stay by the tiller; +and remember, whatever happens, that the compass direction is due +north. Now, Tug," he continued, "you and I will throw this kitchen +stuff aboard, and let The Youngster pack it away the best he can. +Then, down with the oars and mast and canvas. We must hurry." + +So saying, he snatched the kettle, ham and all, from the fire, and +tossed it into the boat, where it lit on Jim's foot, and was greeted +with an angry howl. The other goods and the spare canvas followed. +Then they began to tear down the roof, and in five minutes this had +been piled in a stiff, frozen heap on the bow of the boat, for they +thought there would be no time to bend and fold it into shape. It was +all the united efforts of the four could do to hoist it over the low +gunwale. + +All these preparations took perhaps fifteen minutes--a quarter of an +hour of terror, for now the great cake was plainly rocking under +their feet. Then calling Jim out of the boat to help them, the three +put their heads through the collars of the drag-ropes, and tried their +best to move the boat, but it wouldn't budge an inch. + +"We must throw off that icy canvas. I should think it weighs a hundred +pounds," Tug remarked. + +"Yes, off with it!" ordered Captain Aleck. + +This done, they tried again, and slowly and laboriously worked the +boat twenty or thirty paces towards the edge of the ice, when it +became clogged with the fast-falling snow, and could be pushed no +farther. + + + + +Chapter XX. + +A NIGHT IN AN OPEN BOAT. + + +What should be done? Aleck was sure that their only chance for life +lay in getting the boat afloat; but unless it could be brought nearer +the edge this could not be done, and perhaps it was impossible, +anyway. Yet to stay where they were meant destruction. Katy and Jim +climbed into the boat, and crouched down out of the snow, while the +larger lads stood outside trying to find some way out of their +desperate situation. They must think fast; minutes were precious; but, +cudgel their brains as they might, only darkness, a howling +snow-squall, and crashing blocks of ice greeted their eyes or +thoughts. One minute passed, two minutes passed, yet they could see no +way to help themselves. The third minute was slipping by, when a huge +ice-cake crowded its resistless way underneath the rear edge of their +own raft, towards which the stern of the boat was pointing, and slowly +lifted it above the level of the water. + +At once the sledge began to feel this inclination, and started to move +forward. + +"Jump in!" shouted Aleck, and leaped aboard, with Tug beside him. "Try +to steady her!" they heard him cry, and each seized an oar, or a +boat-hook, or whatever was nearest. But it was of little use. Slowly +but gently the hinder part of the ice-cake rose, and the front part +tipped down. As the slant deepened, the speed of the sliding boat +increased, until it went with a rush, and struck the water with a +plunging splash that would surely have swamped them had it not been +for the tight half-deck forward; this shed the water, and caused the +little craft to rise upon an even keel as soon as she had fairly left +the surface of the ice. It was evident in an instant, however, that +she would sink in a very short time unless freed of the great sledge +that was dragging upon her bottom. Already the water was pouring over +her sides, and Aleck knew that they were in imminent danger of sinking +or capsizing, or both. Tug had leaped in forward, and to him Aleck +shouted, "Cut those bands!" + +"Haven't any knife." + +"Here's the hatchet. Hurry up!" + +One stroke of Tug's arm parted one of the bands, and he raised his +hatchet for the second one, for there were two straps forward. As it +descended, Aleck drew his pocket-knife across the strained band +astern, which parted with a loud ripping noise. The idea was that both +straps should be severed at the same instant; but in the darkness Tug +partly missed his aim, and the poor boat, held to the sledge by a +single strap, began to yaw and jerk and ship water in a most alarming +manner--a strain she could not have borne one moment had not the +half-cut band of canvas broken, setting the boat free. Aleck had +intended to hold to the strap and take the sledge aboard; but this +struggle, which came so near wrecking them all, wrenched it out of his +hand, and the first wave washed the bobs beyond recovery--a loss whose +full force did not strike them at once, for they had too much else to +think of. + +[Illustration: "TRY TO STEADY HER!"] + +The weight and awkwardness of the sledge having been taken away, the +boat rode much more lightly in the face of the ice-clogged sea, and +showed how stanch and trim she really was, though much cold water +splashed over her rails. + +"Now," said Aleck, cheerfully, though it was fortunate the darkness +could conceal how anxious was the expression of his face, "now we +shall get along. Jim, get out your oars (the stroke); and look out for +floating ice forward, Tug. Katy, my little steersman, are you very, +very cold?" + +"N-n-n-o!" the girl answered, bravely, but her teeth chattered +dreadfully. + +"Better say you are, for you can't hide it, poor child. Wait a minute +till I get this strap off my roll of bedding, and I will wrap a +blanket around you." + +Doubling a large blanket, he put it carefully over her head and +shoulders like an immense hood. Then he buckled around her the strap +which had held the roll together, leaving only a fold out of which she +might grasp the tiller, and another crevice through which to peep and +breathe. + +"We've got to have that lantern lit, because you must see the +compass." + +Taking some matches from his pocket, he knelt down, placed the lantern +under the skirt of Katy's blanket robe, crouched over it as close as +he could, and struck a match. It went out. A second fizzed a while, +which only warmed the wicking, but at the third the oil in the wick +took fire, and the lantern was soon shining gayly into the bright face +of the compass at Katy's feet. + +"Now, Youngster, for the oars. Lie low, and let me crawl over you to +my seat." + +Aleck got there and was ready, but Jim was still fumbling about on +each side, and feeling under the thwart. + +"What's the matter? Why don't you go to work?" + +"Can't find but one oar." + +"Only one oar? Sure?" + +Then the two searched, but to no purpose. It had been dropped +overboard, evidently, during the excitement about losing the sledge. + +"Well, Jim, it's your fault, but it can't be helped now. You take this +quilt, and cuddle down as close to Katy as you can get, and try to +keep each other warm. I'll row alone. Ready, forward?" + +"Ay, ay, sir." + +Then they began to move ahead through the water, which came in long +rollers, not in breaking waves, because there was so much ice around +them that the wind could not get hold of it. It was very cold. +Occasionally Tug would fend away a cake of ice, or they would stop and +steer clear of a big piece; but pretty soon he called out in a shaky +voice that he was too stiff to stand there any longer, where the spray +was blowing over him, and that he should be good for nothing in a few +minutes unless he could row awhile to get warm. So Aleck took his +place, fixing the spare canvas into a kind of shield to keep off the +spattering drops. It was very forlorn and miserable, and to say that +all wished themselves back on shore would be but the faintest +expression of their distress. + +Little was said. Pushing their way slowly through the cakes of ice, +which had grown denser now; changing every little while from oars to +boat-hook and back again, while Katy, protected from freezing by her +double blanket and Jim's close hugging, kept the yawl's head due +north; fighting fatigue, hunger, cold, and a great desire to sleep, +these brave boys worked hour after hour for their lives and the lives +in their care. + +When they were beginning to think it almost morning they came squarely +against a field of ice which stretched right and left into the +darkness farther than it was possible to see. Whether this was the +edge of a stationary field or only a large raft they couldn't tell; +but they were too exhausted to go farther, and they decided to tie up +and wait for daylight. Tug struck his hook into the ice until it held +firmly, then lashed it to the bow. Aleck also stepped out and drove +one of the short railway spikes into the ice near the stern, around +which a rope was hitched. Then both the boys opened a second roll of +bedding, and snuggled down as well as they could to get what rest they +were able to while waiting for sunrise. Crowded together in the straw +(though it was damp with snow), and covered with quilts and blankets, +they could keep tolerably warm, and even caught little naps. The snow +had stopped now, and the stars began to appear, first in the north, +then overhead, then gradually everywhere. The wind still blew, but the +boat rose and fell more and more slowly upon the rollers, until at +last it stood perfectly still. This happened so suddenly, and was +followed by so complete steadiness, that it aroused Tug's curiosity. +Poking his head from under the covering, he said, "I think we are +frozen in." Nobody answered him, for they were asleep, or too stupid +to care; but the gray daylight which came at last showed that he was +right. On their right hand was a great sheet of new, thin ice; on +their left a mass of thick old ice, white with snow. Straight ahead, +so well had Katy steered, towered the rocks and trees of a high, +wooded shore, coming momently into greater and greater distinctness as +the red streamers of the morning shot higher and higher into the +eastern sky. + +Tug was the first to catch this sight, and roused his fellows with a +shout: + +"Land!--land! Hurrah!" + + + + +Chapter XXI. + +THE ESCAPE TO THE SHORE. + + +To rouse themselves, hastily gather a few eatables, and make their way +ashore had been the work of a very short time, though done with great +soreness and much hobbling, after their cramped-up night in the boat. + +They halted on the south side of a sheltering rock, where the sun was +beginning to shine against the gray stone. Katy hated to confess it, +but really she was very, very tired, and was quite willing to let +Aleck wrap her up in a thick blanket, and to lie quietly in a sunny +nook of the rock while the boys set a fire crackling as near to her as +was safe, and began to heat water for coffee. The mill had been +forgotten, but Tug had a piece of buckskin in his overcoat pocket, and +folding the grains in this they crushed them between two stones, which +did just as well as grinding them. + +This done, the coffee-pot was filled and set upon the embers, and a +moment later four cups were steaming with the hot, reviving liquid, +and four tired hands were reaching towards the little heap of slices +cut from the boiled ham which had been tossed into the boat the night +before, when leaving the ice-raft. It had required all of Rex's +strength of mind to keep his paws off these tempting pieces for some +time past. + +"Poor dog!" cried Jim; "we must give you something, if we are pretty +short. Pity there was no fish left for you." + +"He can have my slice of ham," Katy said, with a faint smile. "I can't +eat it, somehow." + +"Better try to eat a little, sis," Aleck said, "because--" + +"Don't you touch a mouthful!" exclaimed Tug, snatching the shaving +from her hand and tossing it to the dog, which swallowed it at a gulp. +"Just you wait a minute! I ought to go and kick myself for not +thinking of it before!" And with this puzzling remark he rushed off +over the ice. + +They saw him rummage about the cargo, and then start back, bringing +his gun and a small package. + +"Thought it would be just as well to make sure of the gun," he +remarked, as he rejoined them; "and here's something, Katy, you can +eat, I guess!" It was a box containing two dozen preserved figs that +he opened, and handed to her. "I bought 'em just before we left +Monore," he said, "and clean forgot 'em till now--sure as I'm a +Dutchman!" + +"Oh, give me one!" cried Jim. + +"Jim Kincaid," said Tug, sternly, springing between the boy and Katy's +hand, outstretched in generosity, "if you touch one of those figs I'll +thump you well! I didn't bring them all this way for a lubber like you +to eat!" And in spite of all the girl's protests, Tug would not touch +a fig himself nor allow her to give one to anybody else. + +Aleck grinned, and munched his tough morsel; Jim scowled, and gnawed +at his shavings as though he enjoyed viciously tearing them into +shreds; Tug thought his beef was juicy and sweet, as he saw with what +gusto poor Katy ate her fruit; and as for Rex, he dug his teeth into +the tough remnant of the dried shank which had been given to him, as +though he never expected to see another meal. + +Refreshed and strengthened by their breakfast, meagre as it was, the +boys prepared to begin the work of bringing the cargo ashore, though +the weather was so cold that a thermometer would have marked nearly +down to zero. + +Aleck forbade Katy to help, so she curled up beside the wall of rock, +which acted as a sort of oven to hold the warmth, where presently she +fell asleep, and the boys, when they returned with their first +sled-load of goods, were careful not to awaken her. So much had their +stock been reduced that they found a second trip would enable them to +bring everything of consequence ashore by carrying pretty large +armfuls. They therefore distributed their loads as best they could, +and started back from the abandoned boat, slipping and stumbling over +the rough ice and through the cutting wind. + + + + +Chapter XXII. + +REX FIGHTS UNKNOWN ENEMIES. + + +With aching heads bowed under their burdens, and tired limbs, they had +returned to within, perhaps, a hundred yards of the beach, when the +barking of dogs, mingled with a girlish scream, caused them all to +look up in astonishment. Then, without waiting for any one to give the +word, each dropped what he was carrying, and began to run as fast as +he was able over the broken ice towards the shore. + +When the lads had started on the second trip out to the boat, Rex, +bidden to watch his mistress, and proud of the duty, had lain down +almost on the edge of her blankets. There was no snow upon the sand +here, and the warmth of the fire closed the eyes of the fagged-out +dog, just as it had those of his mistress. The boys had been gone, +perhaps, half an hour, and he had had time to get very soundly asleep, +when, suddenly, he was roused by a growl and a rush, and before he +could rise to his feet two animals were right upon him, each nearly as +big as himself, though short-haired and wofully gaunt. With a yelp of +surprise and rage the dog sprang up and tried to defend himself, but +the attack of his assailants was so fierce that he was rolled over in +an instant, and felt their teeth pressing at his throat. + +Into Katy's dreams of a May-day picnic under the blossoming +apple-trees broke this rude hubbub, and before she could understand +its meaning she felt the weight of the struggling animals pressing +upon her bed. With the piercing scream of fright that had reached the +ears of her brothers out on the ice, she struggled out of her +blankets, only to be tripped and fall right upon the tumbling, +growling, fighting heap. Afterwards she used to tell the story with +merry laughter, but then, scarcely knowing what it all meant, she was +too frightened to do anything but scream again, and pick herself up as +best she could. + +Safely on her feet at last, and convinced that this startling +adventure was a reality and not some frightful change in her dream, +she saw that Rex was being overpowered by two great dogs, lean almost +as skeletons, that seemed bent upon killing him without an instant's +delay. To see her faithful friend surprised and overcome in this +terrible way stirred up all her sympathies and all her wrath. Like a +flash she remembered how African travellers had fought lions with +firebrands, and, seizing one of the charred sticks from the fire, she +began to strike the brute nearest to her. + +But what followed was most alarming, for the animal, at the very first +blow, left Rex and turned towards her, his jaws wide open, and his +haggard eyes glowing with rage. Instinctively she presented the +smoking end of her long brand, as a soldier would his bayonet, and was +fortunate enough to meet the dog squarely in the face, which staggered +him for an instant, and before he could gather himself for a new +attack Aleck and Tug and Jim were all beside her, and the two great +brutes were in full flight. + +Then the brave girl dropped her firebrand, and sank down on the +nearest seat, where, perhaps, she might have been excused for fainting +had the day been warm, instead of freezing cold. The boys gathered +anxiously about her, with such questions as, "Where did they come +from?" "Why did they attack you?" "Are you hurt?" and so on. + +The story was soon told, and this was fortunate, for everybody had +forgotten poor Rex, who lay panting, and licking one of his feet, from +which the blood was oozing. + +"Well, old fellow," exclaimed Tug, as he went and bent over the dog, +"did they try to chew you up? Here, give us your paw. Quiet! Let me +feel--so--good dog! No bones broken, I guess, and we'll bandage you up +O. K. How about this ear? One hole through it, and--Well, 'twas lucky +you had a strong collar? Just look at the tooth-marks on that piece of +leather! If it hadn't been for that an' his thick hair, they'd been in +his throat, and then good-bye, Rex!" + + + + +Chapter XXIII. + +EXPLORING THE ISLAND. + + +When all the property of our shipwrecked crew had been brought ashore +it made a very small heap, and the biggest part of that seemed to be +the bedding. Everybody noticed this, and it added a new gloom to the +feeling of discouragement caused by their weariness, by Katy's fright, +and, most of all, by the hunger of which their slight breakfast had +only taken away the edge. + +"Before we do anything else at all," said Captain Aleck, "we must have +something more to eat. Do you feel strong enough to help us, Katy?" + +"Oh, yes, indeed. I've got quite rid of my foolish weakness." + +"That's good. Let us know if we can help you." + +Nobody felt in the mood for talking, and Jim really took a nap between +the rock and the fire. Though the air was still cold, the sunshine was +bright, and under the lee of the little cliff it was very comfortable; +but poor Katy had hard work to keep her fingers from almost freezing. +What she made was chocolate, fried bacon, and "griddle" cakes, the +last cooked in the skillet, and consuming every bit of buckwheat flour +and a good share of the sugar. When the meal had been eaten to the +last scrap, and everybody had grown wide awake and cheerful, Aleck +rapped on a box, and made a speech: + +"Attention, ladies and gentlemen! Though none of us have said much +about it, you all know well enough that we're in a regular scrape, and +the sooner we discover how we're to get out of it the better. Now, I +am going to propose a plan, and if any of you don't like it you can +say so." + +"We'll do whatever you say," exclaimed Tug. + +"But I don't want to _say_ till we've talked it over. I rather think +we're on a small island a good many miles from land. I judge so from +what I know of the chart of the lake, and what I can guess of where we +drifted on that ice-floe. If so, I do not think anybody lives here, or +ever comes here in winter." + +"Regular desert island!" Jim was heard to mutter, in a tone that +showed his mind busy with the romantic memory of Robinson Crusoe. + +"The first thing to do is to find out whether this is so or not. Now I +propose that Jim and Katy should stay here--" + +"Oh, no, no," Katy interrupted, in an eager appeal. "Those dreadful +dogs might come back, and Jimmy is so little! I want you to stay with +me, or else let me go with you." + +"That's rather rough on the boy," Aleck laughed. "However, I suppose +it won't matter. Well, then, Tug, I think you and Jim had better go +back in the country, and see what you can find, while I stay and watch +over the goods and the sister. What do you say?" + +"Good plan," Tug replied. "I'm ready. Are you, Youngster?" + +"Yes, siree! But you'll let us take the gun, won't you, Aleck?" + +"Oh, yes, you can have the gun. If the dogs, or wolves, or whatever +they are, come at us while you're gone, Katy can fight them with +firebrands, and I--" + +"Oh, _you_ can climb a tree!" said his sister, merrily. + +"Yes, I can climb a tree." + +While Tug and Jim were gone, Aleck and Katy busied themselves in +repacking their goods in snug bundles, and in talking over their +strange adventures. They were too anxious to feel very gay, but +thought it foolish to give way to fretting until they had lost all +hope. Two hours or more elapsed, and the sun had climbed to "high +noon" in the sky, before the explorers came back, bringing solemn +faces. + +"Island!" both called out as soon as they came near; "and a small one +at that." + +"Any people on it?" asked Katy. + +"Not a soul that I could see," Tug said. "I allow they come here in +summer, though, for the trees have been cut down, and there's a rough +little shanty on the other side." + +"Could we live in it?" + +"Didn't go inside; don't know. It's half full of snow. Better than no +shelter at all, I suppose. It ain't far off. Suppose you all go over +there and look at it--Jim can show you where it is--while I guard the +grub against those pesky dogs. I don't wonder the brutes are savage, +for I don't see how they could get anything to eat here." + +When the three had left the rocks at the beach, under Jim's guidance, +they found themselves in a brushy wood consisting largely of hemlocks +and pines, often closely matted together. A few minutes' walking +carried them through this and up to a ridge of jagged limestone rocks, +one point of which, a little distance off, stood up like a big +monument. This ridge ran about east and west, and they had come up its +southern side. Its northern face was very snowy, had few trees, and +sloped down an eighth of a mile to the water. + +At one place on this northern beach several great rocks rose from the +water's edge, and among them stood a small grove of hemlocks and other +trees. In that thicket, Jimmy told them, the old shanty was placed. +They thought it must be very small, or else well stowed away, for +they could see nothing of it. To get down to it was no easy task, for +the crevices and holes in the rocky hillside had drifted full of snow, +and they were continually sinking in where they had expected to stand +firm, or finding a solid rock ahead when they tried to flounder out. +It was a chilled and ill-tempered trio that finally reached the beach, +and sought the shelter of the thicket. + +Now it became easier to understand why the hut had been invisible from +above, for it was only a shanty propped up between two great rocks +that helped to form its walls and support its roof. From the broken +oars and many fragments of nets, the old corks and other rubbish lying +about, they saw at once that it had been built by fishermen, who +probably came there to spend the night now and then, or, perhaps, +stayed a week or so at a time in the summer. + +The door stood half open, and a snowdrift lay heaped upon the +threshold. Edging their way in, they found that the roof and walls +were tight, the little window unbroken, and several rough articles of +furniture lying about. An old, rusty stove, one corner propped up on +stones, and the pipe tumbled down, stood against the chimney of mud +and sticks that was built up against one of the rocky walls. + +"This is splendid!" Katy cried. "Just look at that dear old stove!" + +"Yes, sis; I think we must move over here. But are you sure, +Jim--how did you find out?--that this is an island, and not the +mainland?" + +[Illustration: THE CABIN ON THE ISLAND.] + +"From the top of that high point of rocks you can see the whole of it. +I don't believe it is more than a mile up to the farther end, and not +half that down to the other. The island is shaped something like a +dumb-bell, only one end is a good deal bigger than the other. We are +on the little end here." + +"Well, Youngster, you're quite a geographer; but we can't stop to talk +about it now. Let's go back as quickly as we can, and bring part of +our goods over this afternoon; don't you think that's best?" + +"Oh, yes." And twenty minutes later, rosy and panting, Katy astonished +the sleepy Tug by rushing into camp, followed closely, not by wild +beasts, as he thought would be the case, but by both the brothers she +had outsped. + +"It's so good!" she exclaimed, catching her breath, "to feel something +besides slippery ice under your feet! Now, what shall we take first?" + +By hard work and little resting the coming of twilight found them +established in their new home. The last journey had been made after +the bedding, by Tug and Aleck, while Jim and Katy cleared the snow all +away from the cabin door and off the bending roof, straightened up the +rickety old stove, and set a fire going. By the time the larger boys +came back, raising a whoop far up the hillside as they saw the smoke +curling up between the hemlocks, the old hut was warm, and the tin +cover of the little iron pot was dancing, in its effort to hold back +the escaping steam. + +"Ugh!" said Tug, as he pushed the door open and threw down his bundle +of blankets; "I'm as hungry as a wolf!" + +"If you think you can wait fifteen minutes, Mr. Montgomery, you'll +have a bee-yutiful supper. Can you do it?" + +"I 'low I can. I ain't a epi--epi--What d'ye call it?" + +"Epicure?" + +"That's the chap. I read the other day that the Tartars say he digs +his grave with his teeth. I don't want a grave as bad as that yet." + +"I suppose that means that a man who lives on too rich food will die +by it." + +"Yes, I reckon so. But I 'low there's no danger in our case; eh, +Aleck? Do you think dried beef and snow-birds too rich for your +delicate stomach, my boy?" + + * * * * * + +That night all bunked down on the floor, for they were too weary to +care much for anything but a chance to sleep, and the sun was high +before any of them found out, in their shady house, that it was +morning. When breakfast was ready, and they had all sat down at the +rough shelf-table which the fishermen had fastened at one side of the +cabin, Aleck called "Attention!" and said that it was time they were +looking the situation squarely in the face. + +"It's all very funny," he said, "to think ourselves Crusoes, and feel +that we are all right because we have a roof over us and a stove to +keep warm by. But Crusoe didn't need a roof nor a stove, for he was in +a warm climate; and he had goats and birds, and shell-fish along the +rocks, and cocoanuts, and lots of other things. Crusoe was a king in +his palace beside us." + +The circle of faces grew rather grave. + +"Here we are, in midwinter, on an island in a fresh-water lake--and +not even water, but solid ice--where there are no oysters nor clams, +no fruit-trees, and no animals--" + +"Except those dogs," Jim interrupted. + +"Even _they_ seem to have disappeared," Aleck went on; "and they are +starved almost to skin and bone. If a pack of dogs can't get anything +to eat, what are we four going to do? I tell you, it's a serious +case." + +"Well," Tug rejoined, stoutly, "I, for one, don't give in yet. Look +what we did out on the ice! We can fish, and trap snow-birds--I saw a +flock last evening; and maybe we can find some mussels near the beach, +and so stick it out till the ice breaks up and the birds begin to come +in the spring." + +"Tug, you're a brick, and I was wrong to feel so lowspirited," said +Aleck, heartily. "I think you're a better fellow to be captain here +than I am. I resign." + +"Not by a long chalk!" exclaimed Tug. "Here, I'll put it to vote. +Whoever wants Aleck to go out, and me to take my innings as captain, +hold up his hand." + + + + +Chapter XXIV. + +THE WILD DOGS AGAIN. + + +Aleck's hand alone was shown; and though he held both of his arms as +high as he could, the other side had the majority, and would not +accept his resignation. + +"Suppose we see just exactly what we have in the way of provisions," +Katy suggested. "It won't take long to make out the list," she added, +with a grim little smile. + +They began at once, and the small housewife wrote down the list as +fast as the stores were examined, guessing at the weights. There were +found about eleven pounds of dried beef; bacon, one "side;" flour, +about six pounds; corn-meal, ten pounds; beans, three pounds; coffee, +two pounds; tea, a quarter of a pound; chocolate, half a cake; sugar, +three pounds; small quantities of salt, pepper, soda, and so on; some +crumbs of crackers and cookies in the bottom of a bag; a small piece +of dried yeast; and a few swallows of the brandy that had been so +useful at the time of Aleck's accident on the drifting ice. + +They had nearly all the bedding, cooking utensils, and tools with +which they had started three weeks before; but the oil for their +lantern and their matches were nearly used up or lost; their powder +was low, for part of it had been spoiled by water; their clothes were +badly worn; and their only canvas, since the loss of their tent, was +the small "spare piece." + +"It's plain," said Aleck, as this overhauling was finished, "that we +must put ourselves upon a regular allowance. The provisions won't last +us a week unless we save them carefully." + +"And it's plain that we must raise some more, so I reckon I'd better +get to work at bird-traps." + +"Yes, the sooner the better. As for me, I want to learn all I can +about the island. There may be something of use to us at the other +end, so I shall take a long walk, and see what I can find." + +"Mayn't I go with you?" Jim asked, eagerly. + +"Yes, Youngster, if you think you can stand it." + +"No trouble about that," replied the little fellow, courageously. He +had grown very manly during the past month. + +The brothers started off, taking the gun with them, and saying that +they would be back about three o'clock. + +As soon as they had gone Tug set about his traps in one corner of the +house, behind the stove, while Katy went to work to make the hut a +little more homelike. + +The cabin was about twelve feet square, and one side was the smooth +face of a great rock, against which was heaped the rude chimney of mud +and stones. In front of this the stove was placed, and behind it, on +the side of the room farthest from the door, the fishermen had built a +bunk. + +"You must call that your bedroom," Tug said, and he helped Katy to set +up in front of it poles sustaining a curtain made of a shawl. + +"Now," said the lad, when this had been arranged, "you must have a +mattress." + +So, taking the axe, he went out, and soon came back with a great +armful of hemlock boughs, and then a second one, with which he heaped +the bunk, laying them all very smoothly, and making a delightful bed. + +"I'm thinkin' we'll have to fix some more bunks for ourselves," said +the boy, as he tried this springy couch. "That's a heap better 'n the +soft side of a plank." + +Then with a hemlock broom Katy swept the floor, and spread down the +canvas as a carpet. Finding in her little trunk some clothing wrapped +in an old _Harper's Weekly_, she cut out the pictures and tacked them +up, and finally she washed the grimy window to let more light in, so +that the rough little house soon came to look quite warm and cosey. + +Meanwhile Tug, getting out his few tools, had made the triggers of +half a dozen such box-traps as they had caught snow-birds with when +living on the ice, and one other queer little arrangement, of sticks +delicately balanced, an upright one in the middle bearing at its top a +bit of red rag: + +"What in the world is _that_?" Katy inquired with much curiosity. + +"Oh, it's a bit of a contrivance to stand over a hole in the ice where +I propose to place a 'set' line for fish--that is, you know, a line +that I bait and leave set for a while, trusting to luck to catch +something. The minute a fish gets the hook through his lips and begins +to flop around, he will set this flag a-fluttering and so let me know +it. I might make him ring a little bell if I had one." + +"I should say," Katy remarked laughingly, "that to make a captured and +dying fish ring his own funeral knell was adding insult to injury." + +At length Tug pulled on his overcoat and announced that he was going +to look for a good fishing-place. + +He was gone nearly an hour, during which Katy busied herself in +mending her sadly torn dress, and in thinking. But the latter was by +no means a pleasant occupation, and she was glad to see Tug come back, +rubbing his ears, for the day was a cold one. + +"I think I have found a real likely place for fishing," he told her. +"There is a little cove the other side of this thicket, with a marsh +around it, and a pretty narrow entrance. I reckon the water's deep +enough in there for fish to be skulking, and I dropped my line right +in the middle. I set the traps near here, but didn't see any birds." + +"Do you think--" Katy stopped suddenly, laying one hand on Tug's arm, +and holding up the other warningly, while her face grew pale. Rex, who +had been lying by the stove quietly licking his injured paw, rose up +and growled deeply. + +"There! Did you not hear it?" + +"I did. It's them pesky dogs," cried Tug, and hurried to the window, +while Rex began to bark furiously. "There are the boys on the hill +backing down, and two--no, three--dogs following them. Where's that +axe? I'll fix 'em!" + +And before Katy could quite understand what was the matter, the boy +had burst out, and was tearing up the hill to the support of his +friends. Rex wanted to go too, but Katy held him fast, as she stood +watching the boys flourishing their weapons, and frightening the dogs +back, while they slowly retreated. As they came nearer to the house +the animals ceased pursuing, and relieved their disappointment by +savage barks and prolonged howls. + +"Well," exclaimed Tug, in the country speech he always used when +excited, "I allow them curs are the most or'nary critters I ever +see!" + +"They followed us all the way from the other side of the neck," said +Jim, dropping limp into a broken-legged chair, which tumbled him over +backward. + +"Where did you go, and what did you see?" was Katy's anxious question, +choking down her laughter at the plaintive Youngster's accident. + +Aleck then told them that from the highest point of the hill he could +study the whole island, which was everywhere surrounded by ice, and +that eastward he could see what he thought was another island several +miles away; but that to the southward it was too misty for a long +sight. Going on down the hill, they crossed a neck or isthmus of sand +and rocks between two marshy bays, and entered some woods, which +seemed to cover pretty much all the rest of the island. Pushing +through this, and gathering a good many dried grapes, which were worth +a hungry man's attention if he had plenty of time, they reached the +shore somewhere near the farther end of the island without finding any +signs that anybody had ever been there before. On the shore, however, +by a cove, they found a tumbled-down shanty, and a little clearing +where once had been a camp. They were going on still farther, when +suddenly they were attacked by the three dogs, and thought it best to +retreat. The dogs followed, and they had to fight them off all the +way. + +"One of them was a giant of a mastiff," said Aleck, "and we were +more afraid of him than of the smaller ones, which seemed to be two +well-grown pups. I think these dogs must have been left here last +summer by somebody. There seems to be four of them altogether--two old +ones and two young ones--though we have never seen more than three at +once. How they have managed to live beats me. I don't see anything for +them to eat. I wish you had some bullets, Tug. We never can hurt 'em +much with small shot." + +[Illustration: ATTACKED BY THE DOGS.] + +"They'll steal everything from the traps, too," Jim piped in. "By the +way, Tug, have you set any yet?" + +Then Tug told what he had been doing, and said he must go before it +became dark and see if anything had been taken. So, wrapping himself +up, he took the gun and went off, while Aleck and Jim gathered a +supply of wood for the night, and Katy began to get supper. By the +time this was ready, and the red glare of a threatening sunset had +tinged the snow and suffused the clouds with crimson, Tug came back, +bringing nothing at all. It was not a very merry party, therefore, +that sat around the table that evening listening to the doleful cries +of the outcast dogs, which still kept watch on the hillside. + + + + +Chapter XXV. + +THE PERILS OF A MIDNIGHT SEARCH. + + +The next morning snow was falling, and the wind was blowing furiously. + +"This ought to bring us some small birds, and maybe an owl or two," +said Tug, as he watched the dense clouds of snow hurled along from the +northern waste of ice. + +"Do you think you would dare to go out to the traps, or could find +them in this gale?" Aleck asked. + +"I reckon so; and while I'm gone you take the gun and see if you can't +find snow-birds among the hemlocks." + +"What'll you do if those dogs get after you? They're perfectly savage +with hunger. It don't take much wildness or long famine to turn a dog +back to a wolf, and we've got to look out for these curs as if they +were wild beasts." + +"You're right," Tug assented. "But I hardly think they'll be out on +the ice in this storm; you are more likely to meet them in the woods. +At any rate, we must have something to eat, and it's my business to +tend those traps, wolves or no wolves. If I go under, why, there's one +less mouth to feed." + +So Tug and Aleck went away into the storm, one out upon the wide white +desert, the other wading up the drifted slopes to the woods. + +Katy and Jim stayed at home, sitting comfortably in the house. She was +reading aloud from an old newspaper they had found lying in a corner, +when there came plainly to her ears the twittering of small birds. + +"Listen, Jimkin. Did you hear that?" + +"Snow-birds!" the boy exclaimed. "Right on the roof, too, and nary a +trap!" + +"Let us go out," said Katy, eagerly. "Perhaps we could catch one or +two somehow." + +So they crept out, and saw that the thick hemlock growing beside the +big rock was covered with small birds. Some were hiding away from the +"cauld blast" in the nooks between the dense branches; some were +hanging upon the little cones, swinging and clinging like acrobats; +some were taking short flights through the smoke to warm their toes, +or sitting on the bare rock near the top of the chimney. They were of +two kinds, but all equally happy and unconcerned. + +"If I only had the gun I could knock over about twenty at once," Jim +whispered. "I believe I could even kill a lot with my pea-shooter." + +"Could you? Well, Jimkin, I've got some strong rubber cord in my +trunk, and you might make one of those horrid forked-stick things." + +"That's a splendid idea, Katy. Get your rubber, and I'll cut a stick. +Hurry up!" + +Ten minutes afterwards the weapon was ready. But now it occurred to +Jim that he had no "peas" for his "shooter." So he and Katy both +hurried down to where they knew there was a bit of beach not covered +by ice. They scraped away the new snow, and raked up double handfuls +of small pebbles. + +Jim's hands grew so cold during this operation that he had to go in +and warm them before he could handle his "rubber gun." But the birds +still stayed in the trees, as is their custom when a heavy snow-storm +is raging, and the excited young hunter waited only long enough to get +the stiffest of his fingers into decent shape. + +Creeping around to the rear side of the rock, he climbed slowly up +until he could peer over the edge, and found himself not more than a +dozen feet away from the little feathered group sitting by the +chimney-top. Taking the best of aim, and pulling the rubber as far +back as it would go, he let fly, and one of the largest of the birds +tumbled over the edge. The boy had hard work to refrain from shouting +with pride at this early success, though he wasn't sure he had killed +the bird. + + + + +Chapter XXVI. + +FINDING SNOW-BIRDS AND LOSING THE CAPTAIN. + + +Jim knew he must keep quiet, so he stood like a statue, trying to +forget his stinging ears, until the flock had recovered from its +surprise, when he knocked over a second bird. + +It was slow and very cold work, but the boy stuck to it bravely until +his fingers became so stiff that he could not manage his little +weapon, and then he crept down to the stove, to dance about and wring +his hands with pain as the heat of the room set them aching. + +As soon as possible he went out again--missed twice and hit once. Just +as he was taking aim a fourth time his foot slipped, and he tumbled +backwards, followed by a small avalanche, which half buried him at the +foot of the rock. When he picked himself up, every feather had +disappeared. + +Running round to the front, he found two dead birds and three wounded +ones, whose necks were speedily wrung. Never was a boy prouder than +this young sportsman, as he laid his trophies in a row and admired +them. + +"What a delicious broth they will make!" cried Katy, who longed to +taste something really good. + +"I'm hungry enough to eat 'em raw, like an Indian. Oh, Tug, look what +I've shot!" Jim added, as his friend opened the door and stood shaking +off the snow. + +"Good for you! I've got nothin' 'cept a mighty good appetite. Why, +they're cross-bills and red-polls!" + +"What are _they_?" + +"Birds that come down in winter from away up north. This little +streaked sparrow-like fellow, with the rosy breast and the red cap, is +the red-poll; they say he never breeds south of Greenland. Now look at +these larger ones--see how strong the bills are, and how their points +cross! That's so they can twist the hard scales off the cones and get +at the seeds." + +"Yes," said Jim; "they were hanging upside down and every way on the +cones, and I could hardly see them to take aim." + +"That's 'cause their plumage is such a vague sort of red and green, so +near the color of the leaves and scales on those evergreen trees. The +hawks and owls can't see 'em, either, half as well as if they were +bright, and that's where the little fellows have the advantage of +their big enemies. Did you notice any other kinds?" + +"There was one different one, a little larger than any of these, that +I caught a glimpse of--it was green, just like the hemlock leaves, and +kept inside out of the storm--" + +"Like a sensible bird, eh? Correct! I guess he was a pine grosbeak." + +"That means 'pine _big_beak' doesn't it? It ought to, for this fellow +had a beak twice as thick as any bird I ever saw, except a cardinal +from South Carolina that a man had in a cage last summer. Do you think +they'll come back?" + +"I reckon so. None of these winter birds are shy--lucky for us! and I +think the shelter of these trees and the warmth of our smoke will +fetch 'em, especially if we scatter some crumbs out on the roof." + +"But we have none to scatter," Katy protested. + +All three then went to work picking the birds, whose bodies looked +surprisingly small after their puffy coats had been taken off. "See +what a warm undershirt of down this one wears at the roots of his +feathers!" Tug pointed out, holding up a red-poll. + +"Wish I were a bird," said Jimmy; "I'd get out o' this in no time." + +"Perhaps if you were, this would be the very place you would most want +to come to and stay in," Katy remarked, "just as these poor little +things did. The 'if' makes a lot of difference, Master Jim." + +By this time it began to grow dusk, and though the snow was falling as +fast as ever, the air had grown much warmer, as though the storm would +end in rain. Aleck had not come yet, and the three, in their snug +house, looking out upon the deep drifts and the clouded air, and +listening to the melancholy sound of the wind in the trees, became +more and more anxious for his appearance. + +When it had grown quite dark, and the broth Katy had made was ready, +together with cakes of corn-meal, and tea, or, rather, hot water +flavored with tea and sugar--the best meal they had seen for many a +day--Tug said that if the Captain did not come before they got through +eating he would go and look for him. So they tried to keep up each +other's spirits; but when the meal was done, and still no brother +appeared, all their merriment faded. + +"Jim and Rex ought both to go with you, Tug; and you must take along +the lantern, and these extra corn cakes I have baked, and some +bacon--" + +"The bacon's raw," Jim protested. + +"Well, stupid, you could fry it over some coals on the end of a stick, +couldn't you?" exclaimed Tug, impatiently. He was getting very tired +of Jim's constant objections. + +"And you must take this little bit of brandy, because you know, he +might--might be--" + +"Now, Katy, dear Katy," said Tug, his own eyes moist, as he threw his +arm around the shoulders of the girl, who had broken down at last, and +was crying bitterly. "Don't cry, Katy. If _you_ give in, what are +we goin' to do? You are the life of the party, and there ain't nothin' +we wouldn't any of us--and specially me--do for you. Really now, +Katy--Here, you young cub, what are _you_ bellerin' about? If I catch +you crying round here again, discouragin' your sister in this style, +I'll thrash you well!" + +[Illustration: "DON'T CRY, KATY!"] + +Tug was thoroughly excited and distressed by this last and heaviest +trouble, and most anxious of all to make the rest believe he wasn't +anxious. As usual, when excited, he dropped into the slang he had been +striving to forget. But this added force to his speeches, for when it +occurred everybody understood that he was very much in earnest. + +"I knew a young fellow," Tug himself used to say, when laughed at for +this peculiarity, "whose father was a Dutchman, but who could never be +persuaded to learn that language. 'Why not?' we used to ask him. +'Well, fellows,' he would say, 'my daddy talks English till he catches +me up to some mischief; then he begins to talk Dutch, and goes for his +whip; so I've got a terrible distaste for Dutch.' It's with me as it +was with that man. When I am mad, or mean business, I'm pretty likely +to talk in the 'Dutch' I learned when I was a boy." + +The two boys and the dog--for Rex had nursed his foot until it was of +use to him again, protected by bandages--bundled themselves up, took +the lantern, the hatchet, and luncheon, and started out. Katy said +she should not be a bit afraid, and would keep up a good fire. As they +disappeared, letting in a flurry of snow before they could shut the +door, she dropped into a seat (if truth must be told) to finish her +crying. Let her do it, poor girl!--few of her associates, or yours, my +pretty maiden, ever had better cause. We will flounder along with Tug +and Jim, who are bowing their faces to the storm, and toiling up the +dark and treacherous hillside. + +When the top of the ridge had been gained they paused to get breath +and to shout Aleck's name. No reply came, and they pushed on down to +the isthmus, where the snow, which was becoming more and more sleety, +swept about their faces with double force. In a few moments, however, +they reached the shelter of the woods, which covered pretty much the +whole of that part of the island; and then came the question whether +it would be better to work along the beach or plunge into the woods. + +There seemed very small chance of success, in the midst of this +darkness and storm, either way, but they felt sure that some accident +had happened to the Captain, and they were eager to help him. After +talking it over, they decided upon the right-hand or southern shore of +the island, because that was to leeward, and better sheltered, and +marched on as rapidly as they could. They had no strength to talk, +but hand-in-hand pushed ahead, stopping now and then to shout, but +never getting an answer. + +"There's one good thing about this storm," Tug remarked, after a +while, as they halted to rest in a sort of cleft in the rock. "Those +confounded dogs will be likely to stay indoors and not bother us." + +"I wonder where they keep themselves at night?" + +"If our island is like the rest, this limestone rock is full of caves. +There's no telling, for instance, how deep this here opening we're +sitting in goes back; and in some of the Puddin' Bay [Put-in-Bay] +islands big caves have been explored that people go away into to see +the stalactites. There are plenty of rocky holes, therefore, where +they could find good shelter and beds of leaves that the wind had +blown in. But we must get out of this, Youngster." + + + + +Chapter XXVII. + +ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH THE WILD DOGS. + + +They trudged slowly on again until they thought they must be close to +the farther end of the island, when they found progress interrupted by +a low headland of rocks partly covered by the brush of a fallen +tree-top. In trying to get past it they became entangled in the +branches, and Tug said he "'lowed they'd have to light the lantern." + +With great care, therefore--for matches were precious--this was done, +and its rays at once showed them that they were not the first persons +who had been there that night. Branches were freshly broken, and the +snow was trampled. They set up a combined shout (and bark) as soon as +this was perceived, but nothing came back except the dull echo of +their voices and the rustle of the sleet and snow among the leafless +and dripping branches. + +"Well," said Tug, when he realized this, "our cue is to follow the +tracks anyhow." + +Crushing through the branches, they saw that the tracks, which had +approached from the other side of the rocks and brush, led them to +the trunk of the tree, and that then Aleck (if, indeed, it were he who +had made them) had walked along the trunk towards its roots. Of course +they followed, Tug going ahead with the lantern; but when they arrived +at the great base of upturned roots they could not see where Aleck had +leaped off, or that he had leaped off at all. On one side the snow lay +smooth and untouched; on the other, close under and around the mass of +dead roots, was a little thicket of low bushes and a shoulder of black +rock. Beyond these the snow had not been disturbed. + +This was very mysterious, and chilled their hearts with a nameless +fear. They came close together on the high log, and talked almost in +whispers. Jim held Tug's arm with both hands, and trembled so that his +teeth chattered, and the tears rolled down his cheeks; while Tug +himself, old and brave and strong as he was, was so scared (as he +often said afterwards) that every creak and moan of the laboring, +ice-coated trees seemed a frightful voice, and all the flitting lights +and shadows cast by their lantern among the dark trunks and swaying +hemlock branches took on shapes that it chilled his blood to look at. +Even Rex seemed to catch the panic, and cowered at their feet with +bristling hair. + +There had been only a moment of this helpless, causeless terror--and +no doubt they would quickly have thrown it off--when they were roused +by a real danger, which they knew in an instant. All ghosts and +goblins, forms and voices, vanished at once, for they heard the +wolfish howl of the dreaded dogs. + +"Only mastiffs or hounds," you may exclaim, "such as we pass on the +street every day, and babies play with, rolling over and on them +unharmed!" + +Very true; but these dogs had become savage again by their wild life; +and no traveller in his sledge on the steppes of Siberia, or postman +belated in the Black Forest at New Year, was ever in more danger from +wolves than were these two lads from the dogs, if the animals chose to +attack them. Perhaps they had not yet been quite long enough in the +wilderness to have overcome their once well-learned fear of men, and +so would hesitate to attack, in open fight, the beings that heretofore +had been their masters; but this was all the hope the boys could have. + +"The dogs!" cried Jim, in a hoarse whisper. + +"Yes," said Tug, through his teeth. "Here! give me the lantern, quick: +we must have a fire." + +The tangle of dead roots was quite dry, and kindled easily when the +lantern-candle was held against it, so that it was scarcely a minute +before a bright blaze was crackling. + +That moment had been enough, however, for the near approach of the +dogs, as they knew by the increasing loudness of their cries, to +which Rex bravely responded; and it was not long before they heard +them crashing through the underbrush, and saw their eyes--fiery pairs +of dots which reflected the firelight in flashes of green or +red--though the forms of the savage animals were hidden in the gloom. + +Tug had hastily lopped off a young sapling and trimmed it into a long, +rough club, which he now held in the fire, in hope that the green wood +would get hardened, or perhaps even ablaze. Jimmy clutched the hatchet +tightly in his right hand, and his open jackknife in his left, while +Rex bristled and barked. All the goblin fright had vanished, and the +boys no longer trembled because sleet and wind made uncanny noises, or +the firelight seemed to summon eldritch forms from the aisles of +darkness between the hemlocks. + +There seemed to be three of the fierce brutes, and they stopped as +they came in sight of the fire and the group ready to receive them; +but after a short pause the largest dog, with a tremendous bark, +rushed forward, the others following savagely at his heels. Rex was +crouching and ready, so that before either of the boys could seize his +collar he had sprung to meet his foes, and had gone down under their +combined weight. + +It was one of the strangest dog-fights known to history, and had the +strangest end. In his broad collar, his long hair, and his greater +health the Newfoundland had the advantage; but he was one and his foes +were three, and they had no chivalrous ideas of fairness or mercy in a +fight, but were savages, bent not only upon the death of their victim, +but upon tearing him in pieces and devouring him afterwards. + +No sooner did Tug see Rex leap, and perceive the charge upon him, than +he shouted "Give it to 'em!" and sprang into the snow, punching the +nearest brute, bayonet fashion, with the hot tip of his sapling spear, +while Jim got in at least one good blow with his hatchet. It sank +almost to the haft in the neck of one of the youngest dogs, and he +dropped dead with scarcely a shudder. + +Meeting this unexpected resistance, so determined, fiery (Tug's +sapling bore a little streamer of flame, like the banner on the head +of a Cossack's lance), and so fatal to one of their number, the two +remaining dogs were abashed, and let go of Rex, intending to fight +with their human assailants. But they had no time to make the change. +Seeing that he must follow up his advantage, Tug charged again, and +fairly put the startled brutes to flight by the combined force of his +yells and his blazing bayonet, backed by Jim and his terrible hatchet. + +When the boys saw that the dogs had really run away, they turned to +look after their own brave ally, but he was nowhere to be seen, though +the blazing stump lit up the whole scene of the battle. + +"Why, where's Rex?" they asked one another, and called and whistled. +Could he have fled into the forest? Impossible. Hark! was not that a +faint whine?--and another? + +"Do you think he can be dying, and has hid himself in the brush?" +asked Jim. "They say wounded animals do do that." + +"Looks like it," Tug admitted. "Here, _Rex_!" + +A more distinct yelp, as though the dog was in pain, came to their +ears, and they began to search in all the shadowy places. + +"Poke up the fire a bit, Jimmy--let's have a little more light." + +Jim hastened to follow out this suggestion, and in doing so entered +the little thicket which I have mentioned between the shoulder of rock +and the log. Suddenly he pitched almost headlong into a dark hollow. +He drew back hastily, but as he did so, parting the bushes, he heard +Rex's yelping come plainly up, as though from beneath the sod. + +"Hello! Rex has fallen down a hole," he exclaimed. "Come here, Tug!" + +Sure enough, there was the mouth of a pit, how deep they could not +tell, though they could see the Newfoundland's eyes shining at what +did not seem so very great a distance. + +"Why, Rex, old fellow, are you hurt?" they called out; and the dog +answered by a short bark, which ended in a pitiful whine of pain. + +"Get the lantern, Jim; we must try to see what kind of a place this +is; and look out where you step. This is a cave country, as I told you +awhile ago. You may fall through 'most anywhere in this darkness." + +The lantern was brought, and tied on the end of a pole, with a +handkerchief. Rex began to utter a series of peculiarly short, sharp +barks when he saw the light descending, and they knew he was dancing +about by the way his eyes moved. + +When about twelve feet of the pole had been lowered the lantern +rested, and they knew the bottom had been reached. By its faint glow +Rex could be seen standing on his legs, apparently not much hurt. + +"There's something else down there that Rex seems to bother himself +about a good deal," reported Jim, who was lying down and peering over +the edge. "Move the lantern this way a little. It looks--Oh, Tug, it's +a man!--it's Aleck, and he's dead!" + + + + +Chapter XXVIII. + +THE ACCIDENT EXPLAINED. + + +How to get down into the pit was now the great question. Guided by the +light of the fire, steadily eating its way into the butt of the log in +spite of the storm, they cut down a small tree and lopped off its +branches in such a way as to make a rude ladder. Though they were in +so great a hurry, this was slow work with their dull hatchet. Lowering +it carefully into the pit until its end rested firmly, Jim held the +top, while Tug went down, took the lantern, and approached the +motionless form, whose face Rex was licking. The instant the light +fell upon the face he saw that it was the Captain's. + +"It _is_ Aleck!" he called out. "Come down." + +"Is he dead?" asked Jim, as he scrambled down the break-neck ladder. + +"No," said Tug, who was kneeling by the lad's side. "His face is warm, +and I can feel his heart beat. He's only stunned. Where's that brandy +Katy sent?" + +"It's in my overcoat pocket up on the ground--I'll get it." And Jim +scrambled up the hemlock trunk, fearless of a tumble. + +"Now pour a few drops between his lips," said Tug, when the boy had +got back, at the same time lifting Aleck's head upon his knee. "Oh, if +only we had some water! Get out!" + +This last was addressed to Rex, who was in the way; but it also +answered the boy's prayer, for, in starting back, the dog stepped into +a pool of water that lay upon the bottom of the cave. So crystal clear +and quiet was this little pool in the lone and silent chamber of rock, +that even when they knew it was there, and were dipping the water up +with their hats, they could not tell by lantern-light where its edge +was, or how near were their hands to the surface before they felt its +icy chill against their knuckles. + +The dashing of this cold, pure water upon his face, and a few drops of +the spirits, served to awaken Aleck very speedily, though at first his +ideas were much confused. + +"Where am I?" was his first utterance, as it has been that of +thousands of others in like case; and several minutes passed before he +was able to sit up and talk to them. + +"I suppose--you fellows--" he began to say, presently, in a stammering +sort of way, "would like--to know--what I'm doing--down here." + +"Well, Captain," said Tug, who would have liked to dance a jig, but +was afraid to, and could only hug the dog to express his joy--"well, +Captain, we don't want to be impertinent, Jim and me, nor what you +might call _inquisitive_, in regard to what ain't none o' our +business; and we hope we're not intrudin' on you here; but if you are +willing to explain one or two matters, we'd be glad to listen." + +[Illustration: "'IS HE DEAD?' ASKED JIM."] + +"Why, I--got so tired--tramping round in the storm--that when I got to +that brush-heap--and rocks--out there, I thought--I thought--I'd go up +in the woods--and camp. So I came up along that big log, and stepped +off--and that's the last I remember. But I know I've a frightful +headache, and I wish I was home." + +Home! Where? In Monore? That roof was sheltering other heads. In +Cleveland? That seemed farther away than ever. The fisherman's +cottage? Ah, Katy would make _that_ a home to the wounded lad, if only +they could get him there! + +"Do you think you could walk?" Tug asked, anxiously. + +"Yes, if I was out of this, and could get warm." + +"Well, there is a fire up there, and this ladder is not long. Drink +the rest of this brandy: I know you hate it, but it's only a trifle, +and it will give you strength for your climb; and then you can rest a +bit, while we get the dog out. Here, Rex!" + +To do this, Tug went half-way up the ladder, and Jim handed up their +shaggy companion, after which Tug lifted him to where he could +scramble out. + +Then Aleck, by slow stages and with much help, reached the top, and +was wrapped in overcoats, while he sat by the fire until his +chilliness was gone, and he had eaten some of the food Katy had sent. +This done, he felt able to begin his journey homeward. Meanwhile, Tug +went into the pit to bring out Aleck's gun and the lantern. Standing +on the brink of the black water, he tossed a pebble, but failed to +strike the opposite wall. Then he hurled another with all his +strength, and, after a time, heard it splash in the water. How far +away lay the other end of the cave, or to what depths underneath this +cavern-lake the cave-floor descended, he never knew. He realized how +narrow had been the escape of all, and the strange coincidence by +which they had been led to this spot, and had discovered the hidden +mouth of the pit; and he thanked God, who had preserved their lives. + +The dull gray of the dawn was lighting up the driving rain, the slushy +snow, and the drenched and dripping trees, when the weary boys, +supporting their almost worn-out leader, crept down the rough hill, +and approached the little cottage. Katy had seen them coming, and +stood waiting in the door, looking herself as though she had not slept +much that sad night. + +"Oh, Aleck!" was all she could say, as she threw her arms around her +brother's neck, "must you always be the one to get hurt for us?" + +"I hope not, sis," he said, with a smile, and sank, exhausted, into a +bunk. + +Then with quiet swiftness the girl heated water, washed the wounds in +Aleck's head, and hastened to boil the corn-meal mush and the coffee, +which formed the best breakfast she was able to give. Meanwhile she +told how she had passed the night, making her story so bright, and +bustling about so cheerily, that she did more to restore the tired +boys than, in her absence, all their pulling off of soaked boots and +stretching upon soft mattresses of springy boughs would have done. + +"After waiting a long, long time--it must have been until after +midnight," Katy began the story of her night, "I had dropped asleep in +my chair before the fire, when I was waked up by something scratching +at the door. I knew in a minute it was those dreadful dogs, and I was +awfully scared." + +"After we beat them off they must have come directly here," Tug +remarked. "Were there more than two?" + +"No, but two were quite enough," Katy replied; and then continued her +narrative: + +"I should have liked to have got under the bed, only there wasn't any +bed, and so I--what do you suppose?--I got the butcher-knife and a big +stick, and climbed up into the top berth. They growled and grumbled +around the door, and scratched and butted at it, and every little +while one or both of them would stand upon their hind-legs and look in +at the window with their horrible green eyes. Ugh! I don't want to go +through another such a night!" + +"Nor I!" exclaimed all three of her listeners, in chorus, each +thinking of his own separate experience. + +"Passed unanimously!" cried Katy. "Now come to breakfast." + + + + +Chapter XXIX. + +DECIDING UPON A NEW MOVE. + + +The warm rain continued all that day and the next night, while the +boys rested, except that Tug went to his set-lines and brought back a +fine pike of about six pounds' weight, which gave them a good dinner. +By the next morning the snow had nearly all melted away, and the sun +shone warm, while great glistening pools of water lay spread out upon +the ice. It was evident that the long-delayed January thaw had come at +last. + +The disappearance of the snow brought several things to light that +they had not seen before. Bits of iron and general rubbish appeared +about the door. A heap of snow which they had thought concealed a +bowlder, exposed by its melting an old flat-bottomed skiff, turned +upside down, and under it lay a torn sail, with its mast. Behind the +house Tug found several articles he thought "might come handy;" among +the rest a short piece of lead pipe, which he seized upon at once. +Then, while Aleck and Jimmy walked out to look at the traps, Tug built +a hot fire, and went to work at making bullets of the lead. He melted +his old pipe in a piece of tin, which he had hammered into a spoon, +and dropped the molten metal into cold water. The bullets, or shot, +were not all of the same size, and were more pear-shaped than round; +but by whittling and hammering they did very well, and in two hours he +had a handful. + +"Now," said he, with a vengeful tone in his voice, "just let me get a +shot at those or'nary curs!" + +Later, Aleck came back, reporting no birds, but bringing a small +pickerel. + +"But I saw another flock of cross-bills, and I'm going to take my +'pitchfork' and go after them," Jimmy added, eagerly; and at once went +out, while Katy put on her hat and started for a short walk. + +"Aleck," said Tug, when they were alone, "I have wanted a good chance +to talk with you about the fix we're in. I feel sure that, snug as we +are, it's no good to stay here." + +"How are we going to get away? Our boat is useless for ice travel, now +that the sledge is gone, even if we save her in decent condition, +which we must see about this afternoon." + +"I have been looking at that little scow down on the shore. She is big +enough to carry us in water, and I believe we could put a couple of +low runners on her bottom, so as to move over an ice-field. Come with +me and have a look at her." + +So the two lads went down to the old boat, and looked her carefully +over, discussing all the repairs she would need, and how they could be +made. + +"But why don't you think we could stay here longer?" Aleck asked, +after a time. + +"Because," his companion replied, "we have almost no ammunition and +almost no fishing-tackle. In a week from now we should have to live +wholly on what we could catch in fishing and by traps, and we get so +little now that I think it foolish to risk it if we can get a chance +to escape. I reckon it'll freeze up hard again in a few days, but for +the last time this winter. Probably the ice'll break up so badly next +time it thaws that we couldn't sledge on it; and after that, you know, +come the long, stormy months of spring, when, if we tried sailing, our +boat wouldn't keep afloat with four people in it during a journey +across the lake. If we can't get away over the ice before the next +break-up, I believe we're goners." + +"It can't be very far to the mainland; but the weather has always been +so thick I never could see far southward," Aleck remarked. + +"It's clear to-day," said Tug. "Let's go and take a look." + +Inspired with hope, the two comrades, forgetful of everything else, +hastened up the hillside, and soon reached the pinnacle of rocks that +formed their lookout. + +The air was clear, the sky cloudless, and the first glance southward +showed them, faint upon the low horizon, yet distinct enough to be +unmistakable, the long, dark line of the mainland. Between them and it +all lay white, mixed with blue--a plain of ice covered with thin +patches of rain-water. They could not see more than eight or ten +miles; but in no direction except on the northern horizon (towards the +centre of the lake) was there any sign of open water. They hoped, and +this helped them to believe, that between them and the shore lay an +unbroken plain of ice. + +"If that is so," said Aleck, "and it will only come on cold before it +snows, we could skate right across." + +"Take us a couple of days, you'll find," Tug replied. + +"Pshaw! it can't be more than twenty miles." + +"Yes, but we're not so strong as we were when we started. We've none +of us really had a square meal for a fortnight, and some of us have +been knocked on the head, you know, and that don't help a man any." + +"At any rate, it will be best to get ready right away." + +"That's my ticket," Tug replied. "By the way, can we see the _Red +Erik_? Oh, yes, there she is--all right, I reckon." + +"Yes, she appears to be." + + + + +Chapter XXX. + +KATY TAMES THE WILD DOGS. + + +When half-way down the hill on their return they saw Katy, who had +been at the beach, wave her handkerchief, and turn to come and meet +them. At the same instant they caught sight of wolfish figures +stealing along among the rocks and bushes at the base. + +"The wild dogs!" both exclaimed, in the same breath, and both felt +their blood stop flowing for an instant, for in a minute or two more +Katy would meet the brutes, and she must do so before they could get +there to help her. They shouted to her, as they hurried at +neck-breaking speed down the rough ledges; but she did not hear or did +not understand them, and then they lost sight of both her and the dogs +behind some bushes. A moment later they saw her again, but with what +surprise! + +The girl stood in the middle of a smooth, grassy plat, facing the +three dogs, which were gathered in a group, the father of the family +in front, and only a few feet from her. All were silent, and the big +one was stretching his neck forward, as if debating whether he dared +lead his mate and the pup any closer. Katy caught a glimpse of the +boys, and quickly raised her right hand, as though signing to them not +to advance; but she never took her eye off the animals, nor ceased to +speak to them in coaxing tones, while she held out her left hand +beckoning them to come nearer. Thus far this had had no effect. The +big leader could not make up his mind to trust her, though as yet he +showed no disposition to attack. + +"What shall we do?" Aleck whispered to Tug, in an agony of suspense. +"She can't keep that up long. Let us rush in." + +"All right," Tug whispered back; "but we must get a stone or a club! +'Twon't do to go at 'em naked-handed." + +Clubs were not handy, but each took heavy stones in both hands, and +began a stealthy advance. At that same instant they saw the foremost +dog begin to wag his tail slowly, while, one by one, as it were, the +hairs upon the back of his neck were lowered. The lads halted, and +watched the scene with astonishment and anxiety. Katy still spoke +coaxingly, and at last took a gentle step forward. The dog, though +suspicious, still wagged his tail. She quietly walked backward three +or four steps, and sat down upon a bowlder--an act which the lesser +dogs behind at once imitated. "Good dog! fine fellow! come here; come, +Tiger," she said, over and over, changing the name every time in +hopes of hitting some one that might have been this mastiff's before +he was an outcast. Finally, as she sat there with her eyes steadily on +his, and beginning to feel very tired, the animal's big square face +suggested a picture she had seen of a German prince, just then +beginning to become famous. + +"Why, Bismarck!" she called out, in confident tones, "don't you know +me? and don't you want a bone? Good old Bismarck!" + +She knew instantly that she had hit it. The dog dropped his ears and +hung his head, walked slowly up, and laid his great muzzle, big as a +tiger's almost, in her lap, while slowly and suspiciously his +followers came nearer and nearer to her by slow advances. + +"Well, I vum!" muttered Tug, in utter amazement, while Aleck was too +astounded to say even that much. "I'm 'fraid we shall spoil that very +pretty tea-party unless we sneak home another way; and I 'low two or +three bullets in the gun would do no harm." + +But their first movement was heard. The mastiff lifted his head, +erected his mane, and with a hoarse growl sprang towards the lads. +Katy was terribly frightened, but kept her presence of mind. + +"Bismarck!" she commanded sternly, "keep quiet! come back here, sir!" +and the great dog, growling and showing his teeth, stopped his +course, and slowly returned to his mistress. + +"Boys," the girl called out, when she saw this, "go right along, and +pay no attention to the dogs. When I see you safely near the house +I'll come. Don't be alarmed for me." + +"Come on, Tug," said Aleck; "the sister knows best." + +Just before they reached the door they turned and saw her walking +slowly towards them, the huge, lean father-mastiff close by her side, +quiet and submissive, and the mother of the wild crew following tamely +in his footsteps; while the whelp, that had never known, as the older +dogs had, what it was to have a human master, straggled along behind, +apparently in great doubt whether his respected parents had not lost +their senses. + +Tug hastily entered the house, and quickly appeared at the window with +his gun at his shoulder, ready to shoot if the mastiff showed any +signs of treachery; but he did nothing of the sort. Forty yards or so +from the house, however, he declined to go any farther, and Katy, +without once looking round, walked steadily on to the door, where her +brother caught her in his arms, almost at the point of fainting, for +the strain upon her nerves had nearly exhausted her strength. + + + + +Chapter XXXI. + +ABANDONING THE ISLAND. + + +After luncheon the three boys went over to inspect their old boat, and +came back towards evening, bringing the oars, some straps of iron that +had guarded her keel, the drag-ropes, and one or two other things. +They had succeeded in pulling the boat ashore, but she had been too +badly damaged to be of any further use to them. + +Three days were now occupied busily in shooting, fishing, and putting +runners on the scow. These runners were simply strips of board (which +they had taken from the house) about four inches wide and fourteen +feet long--the length of the boat's bottom. With the iron from the +sled runners and from their own boat they shod these boat runners +rudely, and strengthened the frame. + +During this time the dogs had been almost always within sight, and +their near approach during the night would frequently awaken the +sleepers in the cabin, Rex quickest, of course. Katy was sure that if +the animals could have been fed they would speedily have become +docile; and when Tug proposed to shoot them for food, everybody +resisted, at least, until they should be in a worse strait than now. +Nevertheless it was probably fortunate for the mastiff family that it +kept out of gun-range. + +The next and last day of their stay on the island was very cold, and a +heavy wind brought hosts of birds, so that they captured twenty +snow-flakes, and shot over thirty cross-bills, red-polls, and other +small fry, which were placed on the roof as fast as obtained, where +they froze solid, and thus kept fresh. This made Katy the most happy +of all, for she alone knew that everything was gone except about two +messes of coffee and one potful of corn-meal mush. + +"Now, if only we could catch a big fish, we should be fixed grandly," +said Jim, as he went out to look at and bring home the lines. When he +came back, however, he wore the long face and empty hands of +disappointment, but left one line in hope of taking something during +the night. + +At sunset the gale went down, the stars glistened like gems, and the +frost showed no signs of ceasing. By the light of a great fire of +drift-wood on the beach the little scow was partly loaded, and then +all hands went for the last time to their mattresses of hemlock +boughs. What was ahead they had little notion, but they were now used +to peril, and eager to begin their journey, not only because each one +felt that he could scarcely be worse off, but from the excitement of +commencing new adventures. + +[Illustration: REPAIRING THE OLD SCOW.] + +The morning of departure dawned clear and cold, continuing the +promises of good weather. + +Jim's early visit to his set-line next morning yielded him one small +pickerel, while the traps gave a solitary snow-bird. These, with some +other feathered mites, Katy cooked, while Aleck and Tug finished the +packing. It was not a bad breakfast, you may think, for shipwrecked +persons, but try it once for yourself--fish fried in bacon grease, +some fragments of stewed snow-bird, and weak coffee. No bread, no +butter, no potatoes, no green relish, no hot cakes, no anything except +pickerel and weak coffee. But they thought it the best meal they had +had on the island; and after a hasty washing and stowing of dishes +they buckled on their skates, took their familiar places at the +drag-ropes, and with a cheer started southward, steering by the +compass. + +Their old enemies came dashing down the hillside as the expedition +took up its march, and stood upon the beach, seeming greatly +astonished at the departure of the people at the cottage. Rex barked +an angry farewell, which caused them to race out upon the ice as +though to punish him for his impertinence; but they stopped short of +bullet-range, greatly to Tug's disgust, and presently turned and +trotted back to resume their wild career. When last seen they were +prowling about the deserted house, trying to push their way into the +door, or to break through the glass of the little window. I have no +doubt they succeeded; and I hope that they managed to exist until the +fishermen came the next summer and took them off, for, after all, +these dogs knew no different way of acting, and therefore could not be +blamed for their savagery, even though it was needful that our heroes +should guard against it. + +The ice was in good condition, and the skaters made fair progress, so +that by noon the dusky line of the mainland was plainly visible ahead. + +At last Jim called out that he couldn't skate another stroke, and +threw himself down, utterly "done for." Aleck ordered a halt at once, +and began to build a small fire--for fuel had not been forgotten. +Nobody understood how fatigued they had become by the unwonted +exercise in their weak condition, until they found that an hour's halt +seemed of little account, and decided to make it two. After that they +went on slowly and lamely until near sundown, by which time the island +had almost disappeared, and the mainland was growing distinct. Then +they camped, stewing snow-birds for supper, and making a big corn-meal +cake, which they baked in the skillet. Immediately afterwards beds +were made up on the cargo, underneath the canvas, and each one slept +as well as he could. + +The next day several hummocks stood in the way, and just about noon +they came to a channel of open water about a mile wide. It was not +rough, and they slid their boat over the edge of the ice into the +water without any difficulty. + +"If we had only known enough to have made us a good boat of this shape +before starting, we should have got along much better," Aleck told +them, and they all agreed with him, talking it over while they picked +a few lean, and very cool bird-bones for luncheon before beginning the +ferriage. + +The load sank the weak scow so deeply that the water ran into cracks +in her side, despite their calking; and as they were afraid to embark +the whole expedition, two trips were made. This was slow and freezing +work; and when finally all had got across, and had skated on about a +mile, everybody was so cold and tired and sore that a camp was made +under the shelter of a tall hummock. Aleck comforted the pride of the +younger ones, who worried over their exhaustion, by telling them it +was because they were so nearly starved; but this was poor +consolation, they thought, so long as there seemed no chance for any +increase in their supplies, or means of regaining their strength. + +"Now," he remarked, "see what we have for supper to-night--two +snow-birds and a small piece of corn-bread apiece. That would not make +a full meal for one of us. If any accident prevents our getting ashore +to-morrow I don't know what we shall do, for we have only enough food +for breakfast, and a 'powerful weak' one at that!" + +"That's hardest on me," said Tug, "for breakfast is my strong point. +If I can have only one meal a day, I want to take it in the morning." + +"That'll be your fix to-morrow, I guess," was the gloomy rejoinder. + + * * * * * + +The next day's run was a slow one, for the ice was bad in many +places, and several hummocks had to be explored to find passable +crossing-places. They could sight islands off at their left, but the +nearest was several miles away; and though they knew they belonged to +the Put-in-Bay group, they did not think it would pay to swerve from +their course so long as the ice permitted them to advance towards the +mainland. So they kept on, and the shore came nearer and nearer, until +they could see that they were entering a great "bight," and that one +mass of land, three or four miles towards the left, which they had +taken for an island, was really a headland; so they shaped their +course for it. + +Near the beach stood a little house surrounded by small fields and +hemmed in by the leafless woods. Towards this cottage they made their +way, and its owner evidently saw them coming, for a grizzled old man, +helping himself with a cane, hobbled down to meet them as they +approached the beach. + + + + +Chapter XXXII. + +AN ASTONISHED FARMER. + + +"Wall, I swanny!" was the farmer's exclamation, as he stared at the +strange-looking outfit invading his shores. "Who be ye? and where did +ye come from?" + +They began to tell him, and at every sentence his "Wall, I swanny!" +was thrown in, to show the astonishment with which he listened. At +last he seemed to recollect himself. + +"Ye mus' be drea'ful tired--nigh about beat out--and cold, too. Come +into the haouse and git suthin' to eat. There ain't nobody to hum, but +I guess I can find ye suthin'." + +_Something!_ Why, my dear reader, they found, in the buttery and +milk-room and cellar of that little house on the shore, a dinner the +like of which, for goodness, they believed never was equalled. They +ate and ate, laughing and almost crying by turns over their good +fortune, the happiness of feeling safe and warm again taking off their +hearts a load, whose weight they had not appreciated until it was +removed. Meanwhile the old gentleman gossiped on in a pleasant +strain. + +"My wife," he told them, "has gone down to the Port to see da'ter an' +her husband, for a day or two. My son, he runs on the Lake Shore +Railroad in the winter, and so I'm alone. They wanted me to go down to +the Port, too, but I don't think any great things of the feller +Samanthy married, and I told mother I 'lowed I'd be more comf'able +stayin' home 'long with the cow and the chickens." + +"What is this Port you speak of, sir?" Aleck asked him. + +"What? Why, Port Linton, to be sure--don't ye know where that is? Oh, +I forgot, ye're lost, ain't ye. He! he! Wall, Port Linton is a town on +the railroad, and also on the shore, to the west'ard o' here, or, +leastways, to the suthard, 'cause we're out on a pint here, and the +Port is up at the head of the bay, behind the big ma'sh. Ye could see +it if 'twan't for them big sycamores. 'S about five mile 'cross the +water." + +"Can you let us stay with you to-night, and to-morrow we'll go on to +the Port?" + +"Oh, yes, ye can stay, an' welcome. If mother was home I'd hitch up +and take ye in, but I ain't got no horse to-day, so I s'pose that's +the best thing ye can do. But you'll have to double up some, 'cause I +ain't got four beds." + +Their rich supper and deep sleep and full breakfast made a new crew +of them, and next morning they were eager to get on. It seemed as +though ages had passed since they had been in civilization, and Tug +began to wonder whether he would recognize a railway car when he saw +it. When they were ready to go, Aleck heartily thanked the kind old +farmer for his hospitality, and asked how much he should pay him for +their entertainment. + +[Illustration: "'WA'AL, I DECLARE!'"] + +"Oh, I don't want nothin'--nothin' at all," he said. "You're what they +might call mariners in distress, and I just helped you as well as I +could. I ain't done nothin', an' I don't want no money." + +"Oh, but we have eaten so much, and made you so much trouble. I shall +not feel right unless you let us pay you." + +"Wall, if you're so earnest about it, I 'low a dollar would be about +right. I reckon ye didn't hurt me mor'n about that's worth." + +Surely this was small enough, but the farmer was entirely satisfied, +and said he was sorry to say good-bye. + +They had swung along over the ice in good style after leaving the +farmer's cottage, and the buildings and ice-bound shipping of the +village, which in summer was a busy port, but in winter was sleepy +enough, were now in plain view. + +There was to be the end of their troubles so far as the present +scrape was concerned, but they were not a great deal nearer Cleveland +than when they started; and their minds, relieved of present +anxieties, began to be crowded with thoughts of the future, and how +they were going to accomplish their purpose any better now than before +they had started. + +They were to be aided, in this respect, in a way they had not +suspected, however, and the help was now approaching in the shape of a +skater who came on towards them with swift, strong strides. + + + + +Chapter XXXIII. + +THE "TIMES" CORRESPONDENT. + + +As this skater approached, they could see that he was a tall young +man, wearing cap and gloves of sealskin, and a fur-trimmed overcoat. +He had skates of the newest patent, and, altogether, seemed to be what +Tug pronounced him under his breath, "a swell." + +He slackened his pace as he came up, and then, seeing the boat they +were dragging, and the queer appearance of the whole outfit, stopped +short, raising his hat to Katy. + +"What kind of an expedition is this, pray tell?" he said pleasantly, +but with his face full of curiosity. + +"I'm 'fraid we ain't any too scrumptious," Tug replied, off-hand, "but +you could hardly expect it, I s'pose, seein' we've been a month or +more on the ice." + +"A month on the ice! How? Where?" + +So they told him, each one talking a little, but making a short story +of it. He did not interrupt by any "I swannys!" as the old farmer had, +but kept his eyes--Katy thought they were the sharpest eyes she had +ever seen--upon each speaker's face, as if committing every word to +memory. + +"That's a mighty good story," he said. "What are you going to do now?" + +"We shall go on to my uncle's in Cleveland right away, that is, if we +have money enough to take us there." + +"I suppose you wouldn't object to earning a little more money, then?" +the stranger remarked, interrogatively. + +"Nothing would suit Tug and me better," Aleck rejoined. "Do you know +how we can do it? My name is Aleck Kincaid, and this promising youth +here is Thucydides, otherwise 'Tug,' Montgomery. This is my sister +Katy, and the youngster is my brother Jim." + +"I am Harry Porter," the young man announced, shaking hands with them +all, "and I am glad to get acquainted with you. Now, sit down a +minute, and I'll make you a proposition. I live in New York city, and +am on the staff of _The Times_, but am out here for a few days on a +visit to my father. Your adventures would make a capital story--what +we call a 'sensation'--in that newspaper. Do you think you could write +it out in good shape?" + +"I'm afraid not, sir," Aleck said. "I've never felt that I had any +faculty in that direction--but I could make you an automatic brass +valve if you wanted it!" + +"Could you? That's more than I could do. Well, now, you see, you have +the facts, but you must make use of my training to put them into +readable shape, so that the story will be worth money to some +newspaper. I can see how two or three very good articles, indeed, can +be made, and what I propose is this: you come to a boarding-house, +kept by a friend of mine, in Port Linton, and stay there as long as is +necessary to tell me everything. Then I can write it all into a +connected story, and we'll divide the profits." + +"But supposing _The Times_ shouldn't want to print it?" + +"I'll take care of that," Mr. Porter replied. + +"But we would have to wait a good while to get the money back, +wouldn't we?" Aleck asked. "And we want it now worse than we ever +shall again, probably." + +"Ye--es, that's a difficulty," Mr. Porter admitted, slowly. Then he +thought over it a minute or two in silence. "I'll tell you what I'll +do," he said at last, "and I think I shall be safe. I estimate that +you can give me facts enough for ten or twelve columns--say ten; and +that for this 'special and exclusive' they will pay me twenty dollars, +or more, a column. So if you are willing to take one hundred dollars +for your information, I'll run the risk of getting that back and +another hundred on top of it for the labor of writing." + +"I am sure that we shall be very glad to do it if you think you are +not cheating yourself." + +"That's _my_ lookout," said the newspaper man. "And, now, Miss +Kincaid, if you will take a seat in the boat, I think we should all +regard it as a pleasure to draw you the rest of the way, for I mean +to bear a hand at dragging." + +Katy demurred, but all the boys insisted, so she unstrapped her +skates, nestled warmly into the boat, where Mr. Porter folded his +fur-trimmed coat about her, saying he should be too warm with skating +to wear it, and they set off gayly. + +The plan thus made upon the ice was fully carried out, beginning that +very evening, which was Friday; and on Tuesday morning Mr. Porter gave +Tug twenty-five dollars and Aleck seventy-five--the latter "for the +family," as he said. Besides this, they sold their scow for fifteen +dollars, feeling that they had a right to do so, since, if the +fishermen who had left it on the island (the name and position of +which they learned) should ever return for it, they would find left in +its place the _Red Erik_. + +The goods that they cared to keep were packed and sent on to Cleveland +by freight. At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, therefore, the four +adventurers--yes, _five_, for Rex was not forgotten--feeling +themselves already famous in New York, and hence around the whole +world, took the train for Cleveland, and reached their uncle's house +in time for his one-o'clock dinner. All were heartily welcomed, and +told their adventures again and again--in fact, until they became so +thoroughly tired of being "trotted out" that Tug one day declared that +he almost wished he had never left the island. + + + + +Chapter XXXIV. + +A HAPPY CONCLUSION. + + +All the members of our party, to whose courage and independence of +mind my story has borne witness, immediately and anxiously exerted +themselves to relieve their hospitable relative of the burden of their +support, and it was not long before they succeeded. + +Aleck and Tug found profitable work to do. Katy was eager to resume +her studies, and therefore gladly accepted an invitation to stay with +her aunt and help her in her sewing before and after school-hours. Jim +roomed with his brother, and went to school also, acting morning and +evening as an office-boy for a lawyer to whom Mr. Porter had given him +a letter of introduction. + +To prepare themselves for these different stations used up their stock +of money, but by close economy they came through without any +debt--yes, even with some money left--just nineteen cents among them +all! To this Tug's pocket contributed nothing, but he was happy. +"There's one great comfort in being 'dead broke,'" he told them. "You +know precisely where you are, and that matters can get no worse. You +are ready to begin all new again." + +This sense of beginning anew was a tonic that strengthened the hearts +of all of them; for each one knew that, although he had no money, his +feet were planted firmly on the first round of the ladder which, if +steadily climbed, might lead to prosperity. + +With this satisfactory state of things the story might end, but twenty +years and more have passed since that hard winter which made their +journey to the island and escape from it possible; twenty years, in +which no such hard winter has been seen again. Aleck is manager and +part owner of a manufactory of gas-fixtures and brass fittings in +Pittsburgh, and Jim is his cashier. Tug lives in Cleveland, where he +is busy, as an inventor, and expects some day to be made rich by his +improvements in railway-brakes and in oil-pumping machinery; but +nobody addresses him as "Tug" except his wife (whom _he_ calls Katy) +and his little boy, who never tires of hearing how papa and mamma and +Uncle Aleck went adrift on an ice-floe in Lake Erie. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's note: + +Archaic syntax and inconsistent spelling were retained. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ICE QUEEN*** + + +******* This file should be named 39210.txt or 39210.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/9/2/1/39210 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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