CHAPTER XIII.THE MINE.
Night came, and the lamp began to burn dimly in the close air of theroom. At eight o'clock they made their final preparations. The gunswere carefully loaded, and an opening was begun in the roof of thesnow-house. Bell worked cleverly at this for a few minutes, whenJohnson, who had left the bedroom, where he was on guard, for a fewminutes, returned rapidly to his companions. He seemed disturbed.
"What is the matter?" the captain asked.
"The matter? nothing!" answered the old sailor, hesitatingly, "yet--"
"What is it?" asked Altamont.
"Hush! Don't you hear a strange sound?"
"On which side?"
"There! There is something happening to the wall of that room."
Bell stopped his work; each one listened. A distant noise could beheard, apparently in the side wall; some one was evidently making apassage-way through the ice.
"It's a tearing sound!" said Johnson.
"Without a doubt," answered Altamont.
"The bears?" asked Bell.
"Yes, the bears," said Altamont.
"They have changed their plan," continued the sailor; "they've givenup trying to suffocate us."
"Or else they think they've done it," added the American, who wasgetting very angry.
"We shall be attacked," said Bell.
"Well," remarked Hatteras, "we shall fight against them."
"Confound it!" shouted Altamont; "I prefer that decidedly! I've hadenough working in the dark! Now we shall see one another and fight!"
"Yes," answered Johnson; "but with our guns it is impossible in sosmall a space."
"Well, with a hatchet or a knife!"
The noise increased; the scratching of claws could be heard; the bearshad attacked the wall at the angle where it joined the snow fastenedto the rock."
"Evidently," said Johnson, "the animal is within six feet of us."
"You are right, Johnson," answered the American, "but we have time toprepare ourselves to receive it!"
The American took the axe in one hand, his knife in the other; restingon his right foot, his body thrown back, he stood ready to attack.Hatteras and Bell did the same. Johnson prepared his gun in casefire-arms should be necessary. The noise grew louder and louder; theice kept cracking beneath the repeated blows. At last only a thincrust separated the adversaries; suddenly this crust tore asunder likepaper through which a clown leaps, and an enormous black body appearedin the gloom of the room. Altamont raised his hand to strike it.
"An enormous black body appeared in the gloom of theroom. Altamont raised his hand to strike it."]
"Stop! for heaven's sake, stop!" said a well-known voice.
"The doctor, the doctor!" shouted Johnson.
It was indeed the doctor, who, carried by the impetus, rolled into theroom.
"Good evening, my friends," he said, springing to his feet.
His companions remained stupefied; but joy succeeded theirstupefaction; each one wished to embrace the worthy man; Hatteras, whowas much moved, clasped him for a long time to his breast. The doctoranswered by a warm clasp of the hand.
"What! you, Dr. Clawbonny!" said the boatswain.
"Why, Johnson, I was much more anxious about your fate than you aboutmine."
"But how did you know that we were attacked by bears?" asked Altamont;"our greatest fear was to see you returning quietly to Fort Providencewithout thought of danger."
"O, I saw everything!" answered the doctor; "your shots warned me; Ihappened to be near the fragments of the _Porpoise_; I climbed up ahummock; I saw five bears chasing you; ah, I feared the worst for you!But the way you slid down the hill, and the hesitation of the animals,reassured me for a time; I knew you'd had time to lock yourselves in.Then I approached gradually, climbing and creeping between cakes ofice; I arrived near the fort, and I saw the huge beasts working likebeavers; they were tossing the snow about, heaping up the ice so as tobury you alive. Fortunately, they did not think of hurling the blocksdown from the top of the cone, for you would have been crushed withoutmercy."
"But," said Bell, "you were not safe, Doctor; couldn't they leavetheir place and attack you?"
"They didn't think of it; the Greenland dogs which Johnson let loosewould sniff around at a little distance, but they didn't think ofattacking them; no, they were sure of better game."
"Thanks for the compliment," said Altamont, smiling.
"O, you needn't be vain of it! When I saw the tactics of the bears, Iresolved to join you; to be prudent, I waited till night; so attwilight I slipped noiselessly towards the slope, on the side of themagazine; I had my own idea in choosing this point; I wanted to make agallery; so I set to work; I began with my snow-knife, and a capitaltool it is! For three hours I dug and dug, and here I am, hungry andtired, but here at last--"
"To share our fate?" asked Altamont.
"To save all of us; but give me a piece of biscuit and some meat; I'mhalf starved."
Soon the doctor was burying his white teeth in a large slice of saltbeef. Although he was eating, he appeared willing to answer thequestions they put to him.
"To save us?" Bell began.
"Certainly," answered the doctor, "and to rid us of the maliciouspests who will end by finding our stores and devouring them."
"We must stay here," said Hatteras.
"Certainly," answered the doctor, "and yet rid ourselves of theseanimals."
"There is then a means?" asked Bell.
"A sure means," answered the doctor.
"I said so," cried Johnson, rubbing his hands; "with Dr. Clawbonny, weneed not despair; he always has some invention handy."
"Not always handy; but after thinking for a while--"
"Doctor," interrupted Altamont, "can't the bears get through thepassage-way you cut?"
"No, I took the precaution of closing it behind me; and now we can gofrom here to the powder-magazine without their suspecting it."
"Good! Will you tell us what means you intend to employ to rid us ofthese unpleasant visitors?"
"Something very simple, and which is already half done."
"How so?"
"You'll see. But I forgot I didn't come alone."
"What do you mean?" asked Johnson.
"I have a companion to introduce to you."
And with these words he pulled in from the gallery the newly killedbody of a fox.
"A fox!" cried Bell.
"My morning's game," answered the doctor, modestly, "and you'll see nofox was ever wanted more than this one."
"But what is your plan, after all?" asked Altamont.
"I intend to blow the bears up with a hundred pounds of powder."
They all gazed at the doctor with amazement.
"But the powder?" they asked.
"It is in the magazine."
"And the magazine?"
"This passage-way leads to it. I had my own reason for digging thispassage sixty feet long; I might have attacked the parapet nearer tothe house, but I had my own idea."
"Well, where are you going to put the mine?" asked the American.
"On the slope, as far as possible from the house, the magazine, andthe stores."
"But how shall you get all the bears together?"
"I'll take charge of that," answered the doctor; "but we've talkedenough, now to work; we have a hundred feet to dig out to-night; it'stiresome work, but we five can do it in relays. Bell shall begin, andmeanwhile we can take some rest."
"Really," said Johnson, "the more I think of it, the more I admire Dr.Clawbonny's plan."
"It's sure," answered the doctor.
"O, from the moment you opened your mouth they are dead bears, and Ialready feel their fur about my shoulders!"
"To work, then!"
The doctor entered the dark gallery, followed by Bell; where thedoctor had gone through, his companions were sure to find nodifficulty; two reached the magazine and entered among the barrels,which were all arranged in good order. The doctor gave Bell thenecess
ary instructions; the carpenter began work on the wall towardsthe slope, and his companion returned to the house.
Bell worked for an hour, and dug a passage about ten feet long,through which one might crawl. Then Altamont took his place, and didabout as much; the snow which was taken from the gallery was carriedinto the kitchen, where the doctor melted it at the fire, that itmight take up less room. The captain followed the American; then cameJohnson. In ten hours, that is to say, at about eight o'clock in themorning, the gallery was finished. At daybreak the doctor peeped atthe bears through a loop-hole in the wall of the powder-magazine.
The patient animals had not left their place; there they were, comingand going, growling, but in general patrolling patiently; they keptgoing around the house, which was gradually disappearing beneath thesnow. But at length they seemed to lose patience, for the doctor sawthem begin to tear away the ice and snow they had heaped up.
"Good!" he said to the captain, who was standing near him.
"What are they doing?" he asked.
"They seem to be trying to destroy what they have done and to get tous! But they'll be destroyed first! At any rate, there is no time tolose."
The doctor made his way to the place where the mine was to be laid;then he enlarged the chamber all the height and breadth of the slope;a layer of ice, only a foot thick at the outside, remained; it had tobe supported lest it should fall in. A stake resting on the granitesoil served as a post; the fox's body was fastened to the top, and along knotted cord ran the whole length of the gallery to the magazine.The doctor's companions followed his orders without clearlyunderstanding his intention.
"This is the bait," he said, pointing to the fox.
At the foot of the post he placed a cask holding about a hundredpounds of powder.
"And here is the charge," he added.
"But," asked Hatteras, "sha'n't we blow ourselves up at the sametime?"
"No, we are far enough off from the explosion; besides, our house issolid; and if it is hurt a little we can easily repair it."
"Well," continued Altamont; "but how are you going to set it off?"
"This way. By pulling this cord we pull over the post which holds upthe ice above the powder; the fox's body will suddenly be seen on theslope, and you must confess that the starving animals will rush uponthis unexpected prey."
"Certainly."
"Well, at that moment I shall explode the mine, and blow up guest anddinner."
"Well, well!" exclaimed Johnson, who was listening eagerly.
Hatteras had perfect confidence in his friend, and asked no question.He waited. But Altamont wanted it made perfectly clear.
"Doctor," he began, "how can you calculate the length of the fuse soexactly that the explosion will take place at the right moment?"
"It's very simple," answered the doctor; "I don't make anycalculation."
"But you have a fuse a hundred feet long?"
"No."
"Shall you set a train of powder simply?"
"No! that might fail."
"Will some one have to volunteer and light the powder?"
"If you want any one," said Johnson, eagerly, "I'm your man."
"It's not necessary, my friend," answered the doctor, grasping theboatswain's hand; "our five lives are precious, and they will bespared, thank God!"
"Then," said the American, "I can't guess."
"Well," answered the doctor, smiling, "if we couldn't get out of thislittle affair, what would be the use of physics?"
"Ah!" said Johnson, brightening up, "physics!"
"Yes! Haven't we here an electric pile and wires long enough,--those,you know, which connected with the lighthouse?"
"Well?"
"Well, we shall explode the powder when we please, instantly, andwithout danger."
"Hurrah!" shouted Johnson.
"Hurrah!" repeated his companions, not caring whether the enemy heardthem or not. Soon the electric wires were run through the gallery fromthe house to the chamber of the mine. One of the extremities remainedat the pile, the other was plunged into the centre of the cask, thetwo ends being placed at but a little distance from one another. Atnine of the morning all was finished, and it was time; the bears weretearing the snow away furiously. The doctor thought the proper timehad come. Johnson was sent to the magazine and charged with pullingthe cord fastened to the post. He took his place.
"Now," said the doctor to his companions, "load your guns in case theyshould not be all killed at once, and take your place near Johnson; assoon as you hear the explosion, run out."
"All right!" said the American.
"And now we have done all that men can do! We have helped ourselves;may God help us!"
Hatteras, Altamont, and Bell went to the magazine. The doctor remainedalone at the pile. Soon he heard Johnson's voice crying,--
"Ready?"
"All right!" he answered.
Johnson gave a strong pull at the rope; it pulled over the stake; thenhe ran to the loop-hole and looked out. The surface of the slope hadsunk in. The fox's body was visible upon the shattered ice. The bears,at first surprised, crowded about this new prey.
"Fire!" shouted Johnson.
The doctor at once established the electric current between thethreads; a loud explosion followed; the house shook as if in anearthquake; the walls fell in. Hatteras, Altamont, and Bell hastenedout of the magazine, ready to fire. But their guns were not needed;four of the five bears fell about them in fragments, while the fifth,badly burned, ran away as fast as he could.
"A loud explosion followed."]
"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the doctor's companions, while theycrowded about him and embraced him.