CHAPTER XXX.THE CAIRN.
This phenomenon, which is peculiar to the polar regions, had lastedthree quarters of an hour; the bears and foxes had had plenty of time;these provisions arrived opportunely for these animals, who werenearly starved during the inclement weather; the canvas cover of thesledge was torn by their strong claws, the casks of pemmican wereopened and emptied; the biscuit-sacks pillaged, the tea spilled overthe snow, a barrel of alcohol torn open and its contents lost, theircamping materials scattered and damaged, bore witness to the ferocityof these wild beasts, and their greediness.
"This is a misfortune," said Bell, gazing at this scene of ruin.
"Which is probably irreparable," said Simpson.
"Let us first estimate the loss," interrupted the doctor, "and we'lltalk about it afterwards."
Hatteras, without saying a word, began to gather the scattered boxesand sacks; they collected the pemmican and biscuits which could beeaten; the loss of part of their alcohol was much to be regretted; forif that was gone there would be nothing warm to drink; no tea, nocoffee. In making an inventory of the supplies left, the doctor foundtwo hundred pounds of pemmican gone, and a hundred and fifty pounds ofbiscuit; if their journey continued they would have to subsist onhalf-rations.
They then began to discuss what should be done, whether they shouldreturn to the ship and start out again. But how could they make uptheir minds to lose the hundred and fifty miles they had already made?To return without fuel would have a depressing effect upon the spiritsof the crew. Could men be found again to resume their march across theice?
Evidently it was better to push on, even at the risk of severeprivations.
The doctor, Hatteras, and Bell were of this opinion; Simpson wanted togo back; the fatigue of the journey had worn upon his health; he wasvisibly weaker; but finding himself alone of this opinion, he resumedhis place at the head of the sledge, and the little caravan continuedits journey to the south.
During the three next days, from the 15th to the 17th of January, allthe monotonous incidents of the voyage were repeated; they advancedmore slowly, and with much fatigue; their legs grew tired; the dogsdragged the sledge with difficulty; their diminished supply of foodcould not comfort men or beasts. The weather was very variable,changing from intense, dry cold to damp, penetrating mists.
January 18th the aspect of the ice-fields changed suddenly; a greatnumber of peaks, like sharp-pointed pyramids, and very high, appearedat the horizon; the ground in certain places came through the snow; itseemed formed of gneiss, schist, and quartz, with some appearance oflimestone. The travellers at last touched earth again, and this landthey judged to be that called North Cornwall.
The doctor could not help striking the earth with joy; they had nowonly a hundred miles to go before reaching Cape Belcher, but theirfatigue increased strangely on this soil, covered with sharp rocks,and interspersed with dangerous points, crevasses, and precipices;they had to go down into the depths of these abysses, climb steepascents, and cross narrow gorges, in which the snow was drifted to thedepth of thirty or forty feet.
The travellers soon regretted the almost easy journey over theice-fields, which so well suited the sledge; now it had to be draggedby main force; the weary dogs were insufficient; the men, compelled totake their place alongside of them, wore themselves out with hauling;often they had to take off the whole load to get over some steephills; a place only ten feet wide often kept them busy for hours; soin this first day they made only five miles in North Cornwall, whichis certainly well named, for it exhibits all the roughness, the sharppoints, the steep gorges, the confused rockiness, of the southwestcoast of England.
The next day the sledge reached the top of the hills near the shore;the exhausted travellers, being unable to make a snow-hut, wereobliged to pass the night under the tent, wrapped up in buffalo-skins,and drying their wet stockings by placing them about their bodies. Theinevitable consequences of such conduct are easily comprehended; thatnight the thermometer fell below -44 degrees, and the mercury froze.
Simpson's health caused great anxiety; a persistent cough, violentrheumatism, and intolerable pain obliged him to lie on the sledgewhich he could no longer guide. Bell took his place; he too wassuffering, but not so much as to be incapacitated. The doctor alsofelt the consequences of this trip in this terrible weather; but heuttered no complaint; he walked on, resting on his staff; he made outthe way and helped every one. Hatteras, impassible, and as strong ason the first day, followed the sledge in silence.
January 20th the weather was so severe that the slightest effortproduced complete prostration. Still, the difficulties of the way wereso great, that Hatteras, the doctor, and Bell harnessed themselveswith the dogs; sudden shocks had broken the front of the sledge, andthey had to stop to repair it. Such delays were frequent every day.
The travellers followed a deep ravine, up to their waists in snow, andperspiring violently in spite of the intense cold. They did not say aword. Suddenly Bell, who was near the doctor, looked at him with somealarm; then, without uttering a word, he picked up a handful of snowand began rubbing his companion's face violently.
"Well, Bell!" said the doctor, resisting.
But Bell continued rubbing.
"Come, Bell," began the doctor again, his mouth, nose, and eyes fullof snow, "are you mad? What's the matter?"
"If you have a nose left," answered Bell, "you ought to be grateful tome."
"A nose!" answered the doctor, quickly, clapping his hand to his face.
"Yes, Doctor, you were frost-bitten; your nose was white when I lookedat you, and if I had not done as I did, you would have lost thatornament which is in the way on a journey, but agreeable to one'sexistence."
In fact, the doctor's nose was almost frozen; the circulation of theblood was restored in time, and, thanks to Bell, all danger was gone.
"Thanks, Bell!" said the doctor; "I'll be even with you yet."
"I hope so, Doctor," the carpenter answered; "and may Heaven protectus from worse misfortunes!"
"Alas, Bell," continued the doctor, "you mean Simpson! The poor fellowis suffering terribly."
"Do you fear for his life?" asked Hatteras, quickly.
"Yes, Captain," answered the doctor.
"And why?"
"He has a violent attack of scurvy; his legs have begun to swell, andhis gums too; the poor fellow lies half frozen on the sledge, andevery movement redoubles his suffering. I pity him, Hatteras, and Ican't do anything to relieve him."
"Poor Simpson!" murmured Bell.
"Perhaps we shall have to halt for a day or two," resumed the doctor.
"Halt!" shouted Hatteras, "when the lives of eighteen men are hangingon our return!"
"Still--" said the doctor.
"Clawbonny, Bell, listen to me," said Hatteras; "we have food for onlytwenty days! Judge for yourselves whether we can stop for a moment!"
Neither the doctor nor Bell made any reply, and the sledge resumed itsprogress, which had been delayed for a moment. That evening theystopped beneath a hillock of ice, in which Bell at once cut a cavern;the travellers entered it; the doctor passed the night attending toSimpson; the scurvy had already made fearful ravages, and hissufferings caused perpetual laments to issue from his swollen lips.
"Ah, Dr. Clawbonny!"
"Courage, my dear fellow!" said the doctor.
"I shall never get well! I feel it! I'd rather die!"
The doctor answered these despairing words by incessant cares;although worn out by the fatigue of the day, he spent the night incomposing a soothing potion for his patient; but the lime-juice wasineffectual, and continual friction could not keep down the progressof the scurvy.
The next day he had to be placed again upon the sledge, although hebesought them to leave him behind to die in peace; then they resumedtheir dreary and difficult march.
The frozen mists penetrated the three men to the bone; the snow andsleet dashed against them; they were working like draught-horses, andwith a scanty supply
of food.
Duke, like his master, kept coming and going, enduring every fatigue,always alert, finding out by himself the best path; they had perfectconfidence in his wonderful instinct.
During the morning of January 23d, amid almost total darkness, for themoon was new, Duke had run on ahead; for many hours he was not seen;Hatteras became uneasy, especially because there were many traces ofbears to be seen; he was uncertain what to do, when suddenly a loudbarking was heard.
Hatteras urged on the sledge, and soon he found the faithful animal atthe bottom of a ravine. Duke stood as motionless as if turned tostone, barking before a sort of cairn made of pieces of limestone,covered with a cement of ice.
"This time," said the doctor, detaching his harness, "it's a cairn,there's no doubt of that."
"What's that to us?" asked Hatteras.
"Hatteras, if it is a cairn, it may contain some document of value forus; perhaps some provisions, and it would be worth while to see."
"What European could have come as far as this?" asked Hatteras,shrugging his shoulders.
"But in lack of Europeans," answered the doctor, "cannot Esquimauxhave made it here to contain what they have fished or shot? It's theirhabit, I think."
"Well, go and look at it," continued Hatteras; "but I'm afraid it willbe hardly worth your while."
Clawbonny and Bell walked to the cairn with picks in their hands. Dukecontinued barking furiously. The limestones were firmly fastenedtogether by the ice; but a few blows scattered them on the ground.
"There's something there, evidently," said the doctor.
"I think so," answered Bell.
They rapidly destroyed the cairn. Soon they found a bundle and in it adamp paper. The doctor took it with a beating heart. Hatteras ranforward, seized the paper, and read:--
"Altam..., _Porpoise_, December 13, 1860, longitude 12.. degrees,latitude 8.. degrees 35 minutes."
"The _Porpoise_?" said the doctor.
"The _Porpoise_!" replied Hatteras. "I never heard of a ship of thisname in these seas."
"It is clear," resumed the doctor, "that travellers, perhapsshipwrecked sailors, have been here within two months."
"That is sure," said Bell.
"What are we going to do?" asked the doctor.
"Push on," answered Hatteras, coldly. "I don't know anything about anyship called the _Porpoise_, but I know that the brig _Forward_ iswaiting for our return."