The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

LOOSING THE TEMPEST. ried away with all the rest of her fur- nishings. They were with the pile of kitchen utensils, now so useless, and we dug them out. We chose the side of the basin that gave the longest slant, and began work. It was not our purpose. to put any artistic flourishes on the job; simply to cut footholds to reach the top. We accomplished this in less time than I supposed it would take, and soon stood on the top surface, which had been the wall. We could see nothing to the south because the wall, which had been the floor, obstructed our view. The frag- ment of the big field that had been our first undoing was not visible, nor was the drift-ice in the channel. To the north floated the main portion of the field, solid, barren, uninviting. It was about a thousand feet away, the space having been increased apparently by the explosion. All around was drift-ice. The berg containing our basin was now so re- duced in size that from our position at the edge of the basin we could look in all directions at the water except, as I have explained, on the south. We swept the horizon with our glasses, but saw nothing. As a matter of fact, it was to the southward only we might expect to find a sail, and that way was barred. But even as we stood there, there came another boom, and the big field split again about in the middle. We had an opportunity of being witnesses from a safe distance of the same phe- nomenon that had upset us twice. ® ‘“‘ She’s breaking up,” said Ordway. “It’s only a matter of time when this piece splits. Well, we've got to make the best of it while it lasts. . And— look there.” He was pointing up at the top of the wall—that had been the floor, I looked as he pointed, and laughed. I could actually laugh. Hanging from the bolts Ordway had driven in the ice hung the splin- tered remains of the old Northbird. 23 “She’s going to stick to us while we last,” said Ordway. ‘‘ How can we get that wood down here? ”’ It hung fifty feet above our heads. “Tt will come down. The sun is thawing the ice, and the bolts, now they are getting the full benefit of the warmth, will let go.” This proved to be the case. In about ten hours the bolts began to loosen. A portion of the splintered hull fell now and then, and finally the whole thing came down with a crash. We chanced to be “ out on deck,” as Ordway called it, when the thing hap- “pened, and we walked over to the wreck to view it. Ordway glanced at my face. “T don’t blame you for looking so somber, Dag,” he said. “ She was. a gallant boat. It’s a great loss.” “T wasn’t thinking of the gallant boat business,” I answered, “ nor the loss. But I was thinking just the same.” “You looked as though you had the affairs of state on your mind.” “T’ve got something on my mind that is a blamed sight more important to us than all the affairs of state ina dozen capitals.” “Pm in. It’s your deal. all the cards.” “Tm thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick out the best planks and build a raft. Then if this ice turns rotten and goes to pieces, we can still keep afloat.”’ “Great! Let’s get at it.” But it was, even after we had united our efforts, a hopeless task to attempt to construct a raft that would hold Give me -both. There seemed hardly an entire plank left in the deck. Of course, the superstructure was practically useless, and the hull below the water-line was smashed to kindling-wood. We gathered enough of this for sev- eral fires, and carried it to the brim of the basin. “After all,” I said, “ we'll have to do our cooking, if we get any to do, up here. We can’t do it down there.” CoOMmicbook CO