CHAPTER V.
WE ENTER THE POLAR GULF.
How the _Polar King_ penetrated what appeared an insurmountableobstacle, and the joyful proof that the hills did not belong to apolar continent, but were a continuous congregation of icebergs,frozen in one solid mass, are already known to the reader.
The gallant ship continued to make rapid progress toward the openwater lying ahead of us. Mid-day found us in 84' 10" north latitudeand 150' west longitude. The sun remained in the sky as usual to addhis splendor to our day of deliverance and exultation.
We felt what it was to be wholly cut off from the outer world. Thechances were that the passage in the ice would be frozen up solidagain soon after we had passed through it. Even with our dogs andsledges the chances were against our retreat southward.
The throbbing of the engine was the only sound that broke thestillness of the silent sea. The laugh of the sailors sounded hollowand strange, and seemed a reminder that with all our freedom we wereprisoners of the ice, sailing where no ship had ever sailed nor humaneye gazed on such a sea of terror and beauty.
Happily we were not the only beings that peopled the solitudes of thepole. Flocks of gulls, geese, ptarmigan, and other Arctic fowlswheeled round us. They seemed almost human in their movements, andwere the links that bound us to the beating hearts far enough off thento be regretted by us.
Every man on board the vessel was absorbed in thought concerning ourstrange position. The beyond? That was the momentous question that laylike a load on every soul.
While thinking of these things, Professor Starbottle inquired, if withsuch open water as we sailed in, how soon I expected to reach thepole.
"Well," said I, "we ought to be at the 85th parallel by this time.Five more degrees, or 300 miles, will reach it. The _Polar King_ willcover that distance easily in twenty hours. It is now 6 P.M.; at 2P.M. to-morrow, the 12th of May, we will reach the pole."
Professor Starbottle shook his head deprecatingly. "I am afraid,commander," said he, "we will never reach the pole."
His look, his voice, his manner, filled me with the idea thatsomething dreadful was going to happen. My lips grew dry with a suddenexcitement, as I hastily inquired why he felt so sure we would neverreach the object of our search.
"What time is it, commander?" said he.
I pulled forth my chronometer; it was just six o'clock.
"Well, then," said he, "look at the sun. The sun has swung round tothe west, but hasn't fallen any."
I looked at the sun, which, sure enough, stood as high as at mid-day.I was paralyzed with a nameless dread. I stood rooted to the deck inanticipation of some dreadful horror.
"Good heavens!" I gasped, "what--what do you mean?"
"I mean," said he, "the sun is not going to fall again on this course.It's we who are going to fall."
"The sun will fall to its usual position at midnight," I stammered;"wait--wait till midnight."
"The sun won't fall at midnight," said the professor. "I am afraid totell you why," he added.
"In God's name," I shouted, "tell me the meaning of this!"
I will never forget the feeling that crazed me as the professor said:"I fear, commander, we are falling into the interior of the earth!"
"You are mad, sir!" I shouted. "It cannot be--we are sailing to theNorth Pole."
"Wait till midnight, commander," said he, shaking my hand.
I took his hand and echoed his words--"Wait till midnight." After apause I inquired if he had mentioned his extraordinary fears to anyone else.
"Not a soul," he replied.
"Then," said I, "say nothing to anybody until midnight."
"Ay, ay, sir," said he, and disappeared.
The sailors evidently expected that something was going to happen onaccount of the sun standing still in the heavens. They were gatheredin groups on deck discussing the situation with bated breath. Inoticed them looking at me with wild eyes, like sheep cornered forexecution. The officers avoided calling my attention to the unusualsight, possibly divining I was already fully excited by it.
Never was midnight looked for so eagerly by any mortal on earth as Iawaited the dreadful hour that would either confirm or dispel myfears.
Midnight came and the sun had not fallen in the sky! There he stood ashigh as at noonday, at least five degrees higher than his positiontwenty-four hours before.
Professor Starbottle, approaching me, said: "Commander, myprognostication was correct; you see the sun's elevation is unchangedsince mid-day. Now one of two things has happened--either the axis ofthe earth has approached five degrees nearer the plane of its orbitsince mid-day or we are sailing down into a subterranean gulf! Thatthe former is impossible, mid-day to-day will disprove. If my theoryof a subterranean sea is correct, the sun will fall below the horizonat mid-day, and our only light will be the earth-light of the oppositemouth of the gulf into which we are rapidly sinking."
"Professor," said I, "tell the officers and the scientific staff tomeet me at once in the cabin. This is a tremendous crisis!"
Ere I could leave the deck the captain, officers, doctor, naturalist,Professor Rackiron, and many of the crew surrounded me, all in a stateof the greatest consternation.