The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

eS THE FROZEN ‘he suggestion was met by Nick with an incre- dulous shake of the head, as he answered — “Tt won’t be safe, at present, to steer in that latitude. I suspect the mutinous swabs have got an inkling of our whereabouts, and will surround the crib for a day or two, expecting our return.” “ Right, Nick, I did not think of that.’’ ‘Why go at all to a spot where our enemise are sure to find us?” said Emona, whose terror until now had kept her silent. ‘“ Better to trust to the open ice-field and heaven for succour, than our fortunes in their keeping.” ‘‘Qur case cannot be so hopeless,” exclaimed Paul Jones; ‘‘something whispers to me even at this very moment succour is at hand.’’ ’ “To be sure itis,’ returned Nick, endeavouring to cheer the drooping spiritsof Emona. ‘“* We shan’t be long before the boatswain pipes to dinner, de: pend upon it. Many a losing voyage have I made in my time, but I never let my heart sink five fathom; ’cos why, I knew there was, as the song says— % ‘¢ A sweet little cherub sits perched up aloft, To look out for the life of poor Jack” Take my word for it,’’ continued the seaman, “‘we shan’t be left on this shoal at the mercy of wind and weather.”’ Paul Jones and his companions now advanced from their cover, intending to make way for their boat. They had not proceeded many paces, when a burst of cries arrested their progress. ‘The next moment, four pirates appeared in the pathway. Paul Jones felt a burning desire to rush forward and meet them. He was restrained by Brandy-nosed Nick. Lhe fugitives drew back into their retreat, as the enemy advanced. ** Lie still till they come up,” said the seaman. “<The leading man comes to his death,” he added, examining his flint, “though it should be the Spaniard, Rotaldo, himself.” The pirates, discovering the retreat, followed in pursuit, with curses and imprecations. When they were within a yard of it, the pistols of Nick rose and poured out their fatal contents. Two of the foremost adversaries bounded like stricken deer, and fell headlong over the broken fragments of the ice. ‘‘ Now, captain,” exclaimed Nick, drawing his knife, while his quick eyes began to flash with ar- dour, ‘‘ you can leave those screeching imps be- hind, of the other we are sartain.”’ He was obeyed, as but two pirates were to be over- come. together they dashed towards the foe. They discharged their weapons at the same in- stant, and equally, without success. Paul Jones encountered a man of gigantic statue, and of the fiercest mien in the crew of the Ll Malachor. At the same moment, Nick found himself en- gaged with another, in a similar contest of hand to and. With ready skill, the seaman grasped the arm of his antagonist, as each upheld the dangerous cnife, His toughened sinews prevailed after a time over the less practised limb opposed to him. Suddenly, wrenching his armed hand from a grasp that held it, Nick drove his sharp blade into the heart of the pirate, at the moment he had been deprived of his own weapon. A. shriek from Emona now alarmed Nick. CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP, Turning, the seamen discovered the unfortunate woman, vainly contending with the two ruffians who had been maimed in the first onset, but who had been but partially wounded. Nick was by Emona’s side with the quickness of the eagle’s swoop. A brace of pistols were pointed at his breast, and the pirates fired. He saw the death-dealing tribes levelled, and stooped to the ground. ; The bullets whizzed through the air over his ead. : “Whew! T’mnotto be rundown by a fleet of small craft! Hark’ee, two to one are long odds, but, damme, !’1l scuttle your nobs before I strike.” With the words, Nick fetched a compass with his weapon, that dazzled the eyes of the beholders like a flash of lightning. | Two fearful groans that followed the gladiatorial display, announced that the opposing pirates had bit the dust. While the above occurences were taking place, Paul Jones had been pressed in even a more deadly © struggle. His blade had been snapped in the first attack. As he was destitute of any other means of defence, his safety entirely depended oa bodily strength, and resolution. Sik Though deficient in neither of these qualties, he had met a foeevery way his equal Happily, he succeeded in disarming him. The encounter was fierce, savage, and fearfully desperate. . The antagonists had reached the dizzy height of a neighbouring iceburg. Every step brought them nearer to the verge of the chasm beneath. Paul Jones perceived that here the final and con- quering effort must be made, Each of the combatants threw all his energies into that effort. The result was that each tottered on the very brink of the glassy precipice. Paul Jones felt the grasp of his enemy on his throat. A savage smile gleamed upon his countenance at the revengeful hope that the fate of both would be the same. The one felt his body yielding to a resistless ower. ‘Phe other the passing agony of such a fearful moment. The over-strained eye of Paul Jones gazed, while in this extreme danger, at a dark hand that passed before it. A glancing knife appeared glistening in the Paul Jones gave one of his pistols to Nick, and dreamy air, and the enemy released his hold, as blood flowed freely from around the severed tendons of his wrist. The rescued man saw no more. He felt himself drawn backward by a saying arm, and fainted. On returning consciousness, Paul Jones discovered the man with whom he had struggled laying in gore at the bottony of the precipice. fee his side, the form of his preserver, Fergus ake. CHAPTER XXVI. THE TORCH.—THE SIGNAL GUN.—THE CONFLICT ON THE ICE, ‘Ts it to one whio I can look upononly as an enemy that Lowe my life?” asked Paul Jones, as he re- | garded Fergus Blake. TST a ee TC OMmiCboOOKSs.co