The Ice Queen

  Chapter XX.

  A NIGHT IN AN OPEN BOAT.

  What should be done? Aleck was sure that their only chance for lifelay in getting the boat afloat; but unless it could be brought nearerthe edge this could not be done, and perhaps it was impossible,anyway. Yet to stay where they were meant destruction. Katy and Jimclimbed into the boat, and crouched down out of the snow, while thelarger lads stood outside trying to find some way out of theirdesperate situation. They must think fast; minutes were precious; but,cudgel their brains as they might, only darkness, a howlingsnow-squall, and crashing blocks of ice greeted their eyes orthoughts. One minute passed, two minutes passed, yet they could see noway to help themselves. The third minute was slipping by, when a hugeice-cake crowded its resistless way underneath the rear edge of theirown raft, towards which the stern of the boat was pointing, and slowlylifted it above the level of the water.

  At once the sledge began to feel this inclination, and started to moveforward.

  "Jump in!" shouted Aleck, and leaped aboard, with Tug beside him. "Tryto steady her!" they heard him cry, and each seized an oar, or aboat-hook, or whatever was nearest. But it was of little use. Slowlybut gently the hinder part of the ice-cake rose, and the front parttipped down. As the slant deepened, the speed of the sliding boatincreased, until it went with a rush, and struck the water with aplunging splash that would surely have swamped them had it not beenfor the tight half-deck forward; this shed the water, and caused thelittle craft to rise upon an even keel as soon as she had fairly leftthe surface of the ice. It was evident in an instant, however, thatshe would sink in a very short time unless freed of the great sledgethat was dragging upon her bottom. Already the water was pouring overher sides, and Aleck knew that they were in imminent danger of sinkingor capsizing, or both. Tug had leaped in forward, and to him Aleckshouted, "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 hishatchet for the second one, for there were two straps forward. As itdescended, Aleck drew his pocket-knife across the strained bandastern, which parted with a loud ripping noise. The idea was that bothstraps should be severed at the same instant; but in the darkness Tugpartly missed his aim, and the poor boat, held to the sledge by asingle strap, began to yaw and jerk and ship water in a most alarmingmanner--a strain she could not have borne one moment had not thehalf-cut band of canvas broken, setting the boat free. Aleck hadintended to hold to the strap and take the sledge aboard; but thisstruggle, which came so near wrecking them all, wrenched it out of hishand, and the first wave washed the bobs beyond recovery--a loss whosefull force did not strike them at once, for they had too much else tothink of.

  "TRY TO STEADY HER!"]

  The weight and awkwardness of the sledge having been taken away, theboat rode much more lightly in the face of the ice-clogged sea, andshowed how stanch and trim she really was, though much cold watersplashed over her rails.

  "Now," said Aleck, cheerfully, though it was fortunate the darknesscould conceal how anxious was the expression of his face, "now weshall get along. Jim, get out your oars (the stroke); and look out forfloating ice forward, Tug. Katy, my little steersman, are you very,very cold?"

  "N-n-n-o!" the girl answered, bravely, but her teeth chattereddreadfully.

  "Better say you are, for you can't hide it, poor child. Wait a minutetill I get this strap off my roll of bedding, and I will wrap ablanket around you."

  Doubling a large blanket, he put it carefully over her head andshoulders like an immense hood. Then he buckled around her the strapwhich had held the roll together, leaving only a fold out of which shemight grasp the tiller, and another crevice through which to peep andbreathe.

  "We've got to have that lantern lit, because you must see thecompass."

  Taking some matches from his pocket, he knelt down, placed the lanternunder the skirt of Katy's blanket robe, crouched over it as close ashe 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 wicktook fire, and the lantern was soon shining gayly into the bright faceof the compass at Katy's feet.

  "Now, Youngster, for the oars. Lie low, and let me crawl over you tomy seat."

  Aleck got there and was ready, but Jim was still fumbling about oneach 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 droppedoverboard, evidently, during the excitement about losing the sledge.

  "Well, Jim, it's your fault, but it can't be helped now. You take thisquilt, and cuddle down as close to Katy as you can get, and try tokeep each other warm. I'll row alone. Ready, forward?"

  "Ay, ay, sir."

  Then they began to move ahead through the water, which came in longrollers, not in breaking waves, because there was so much ice aroundthem 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 andsteer clear of a big piece; but pretty soon he called out in a shakyvoice that he was too stiff to stand there any longer, where the spraywas blowing over him, and that he should be good for nothing in a fewminutes unless he could row awhile to get warm. So Aleck took hisplace, fixing the spare canvas into a kind of shield to keep off thespattering drops. It was very forlorn and miserable, and to say thatall wished themselves back on shore would be but the faintestexpression 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 toboat-hook and back again, while Katy, protected from freezing by herdouble blanket and Jim's close hugging, kept the yawl's head duenorth; fighting fatigue, hunger, cold, and a great desire to sleep,these brave boys worked hour after hour for their lives and the livesin their care.

  When they were beginning to think it almost morning they came squarelyagainst a field of ice which stretched right and left into thedarkness farther than it was possible to see. Whether this was theedge 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 upand wait for daylight. Tug struck his hook into the ice until it heldfirmly, then lashed it to the bow. Aleck also stepped out and droveone of the short railway spikes into the ice near the stern, aroundwhich a rope was hitched. Then both the boys opened a second roll ofbedding, and snuggled down as well as they could to get what rest theywere 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 snowhad stopped now, and the stars began to appear, first in the north,then overhead, then gradually everywhere. The wind still blew, but theboat rose and fell more and more slowly upon the rollers, until atlast it stood perfectly still. This happened so suddenly, and wasfollowed by so complete steadiness, that it aroused Tug's curiosity.Poking his head from under the covering, he said, "I think we arefrozen in." Nobody answered him, for they were asleep, or too stupidto care; but the gray daylight which came at last showed that he wasright. On their right hand was a great sheet of new, thin ice; ontheir 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 asthe red streamers of the morning shot higher and higher into theeastern sky.

  Tug was the first to catch this sight, and roused his fellows with ashout:

  "Land!--land! Hurrah!"