The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

THE FROZEN CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP. 85 OO nnn This terrible fall almost dislodged Nick, who, with a force equal to that of the foe managed to maintain his hold though thus vigorously shaken. Despairing of carrying into effect his intended design, Rotaldo at last resolved to gratify his hatred by a “ grand coup.” Utterirg a yell, he coolly proceeded to saw through the rope with his cutlass. The weapon had scarcely grazed it, when an arrow from the bow of Miamas sped on its work of death. The poisoned dart smote the Spaniard betwixt the temples. _His body appeared precipitated over the pre- cipice. He grasped at the projection, then at the rope, but missed both. His bulk accelerated his fall. His skull came in contact with an angle of the ice, which it at once shattered. His burly frame dropped upon the bank at the same moment as his intended victim’s reached it, He gave a dying groan as Nick advanced. Why does he advance ? Why does he kneel beside the body of Rotaldo? Why does he place his hand in the Spaniard’s breast. It is to get the papers of which he had been dis- possessed by the pirates. E Those that give life, riches, and liberty to Paul ones. CHAPTER XXXII. ADRIFT NEAR THE RAPIDS The raft Miamas had hastily constructed was found to answer well. The current assisted the fugitives to proceed rapidly to-the southward. They hoped in a day or two to reach an island that lay in that direction. Their object in seeking it was to reach a settle- ment there, whose people Miamas knew to be friendly disposed. The first night Miamas saw the raft on shore in a small cove. Refreshed by sleep and food, which the Indian had not forgotten to provide, they again made sail and prosecuted their voyage. On the second day open water was reached, a gale from the north-west set in, and the raft was driven forward with fearful velocity, Presently a cloud much darker and more de- scending than the others, which obscured the firma- ment, spread over the zenith, and based itself upon the horizon to leeward. Borne on the resistless tide, the fugitives skim the surface of the waters with the swiftness of the eagle’s flight. The lightning commences to flash incessantly. It is followed by a rolling and distant peal of thunder. A deluge of slanting rain descended. The blast roared, lulled, then roared again more fiercely. resi. The frail stricture rocked to and fro in its impetuous course through the eddy. While darkness became so intense, that the band could scarcely be seen before the face. In the gloomy moments, the wind suddenly burst upon the devoted raft. : It rose from a quarter directly opposite to that from which the gale had blown. Four of the occupants were hurled into the water. While the other two, Miamas and Sumach, were carried further into a distant stream. Here the Indian lost all control of the raft, for the concussion had deprived him of pole and rudder. Paul Jones, bearing Emona, was the first to reach some neighbouring rocks, He was foilowed by Nick and Zoe. These rocks served-as a rendezvous in the terrible emergency. Awtul as the forked flames were, when moment- arily presented to sight, they were not so awful as the darkness and uncertainty that prevailed. ‘he transient blaze too soon revealed the terrible fate of the Indians, Sumach and Miamas. An under current had swept the raft, upon which they were still standing into a mid stream, the boiling waters of which hurried them on with the speed of lightning itself. They were at the mercy of the wind and wave without means to control either. To add to their terror they were nearing a cata- ract, with w fal! of more than four hundred feet. Screams and shouts presently proclaimed that the wretched victims were unable to avoid the perilous descent. The scene was agonising. : Sumach, with a yell of despair, fell on her knees. Miamas, more frantic, prepared to dash into the seething flood. He paused to regard his companion for the last time. As he did so, they reached the brink of the falls, and were carried over. The booming waters stifled their dying shrieks, and sounded their death-knell. The effect of this catastrophe may be imagined, but can hardly be described. Paul Jones and the other spectators, forgetting their own danger, were overcome. Each covered the face, and remained for some time buried in grief. For the first half hour that Paul Jones was on the desolate spot upon which he had taken refuge, his thoughts were unconnected, wild and vague. His chance of escape seemed to grow fainter and fainter. He once more fixed his eyes on the region around him. He contemplated his companions, on whom terror had induced sleep. Their present situation again turned his thoughts, and resolved him to take some measure jor their sakes. He wandered farther on the rock, and discovered an elevated part. Here he again encountered a steep emminence, full seventy feet above high water mark, but only fifty in circumference. . It was on observing the emminence that a means of escape at once presented itself to the imagination of Paul Jones. “A beacon lighted on the top,” he exclaimed, ‘would surely attract the people of the island, from which we cannot be far distant.” The idea was put into execution as quickly as conceived. The ascent Paul Jones was making was sur- rounded by many dangers and difficulties. It was one which none but the best mountaineers could have attained. The toppling crags whom a breath drew down seemed every moment to come, overwhelm or crush the climber. He heard above and beneath frequent crashes, and conHicts of the disturbed rock-stone. oO SOMGEDVOOKSIGO nn