Part 14 (1/2)
”Dundee!” cried Steve quickly
”Good Of course, a Dundee whaler,” said Captain Marsha to grief here But let's see; we may find traces of the poor felloere wrecked;” and after a look at the ree cavern-like hollow ripped in the deck, where tons upon tons of sand were lying as it had been tossed in during storms, he led the way aft to the cabin; but there was little to see there The s had been battered in by the stones and pieces of rock hurled at thehts, which had been evidently closed during the storm in which the vessel recked, were still held in their places As for the cabin itself, the contents had been torn and beaten away through a huge gap on one side of the rudder, which reached upward to the deck, and nothing reive any trace of the crew From here they went forward to the forecastle, the hatch of which gaped widely open; and as they stood below it at the bottoe sensation of shrinking, and as if he would prefer to leave any secrets which the cabin ht hide in peace
Captain Marsha of the kind, and he said a feords in a low voice to the doctor
”Yes,” replied the latter, ”perhaps so, poor fellows; but we ought to see”
That was enough to suggest to Steve the possibility of the re below, just as they had died of cold, perhaps of starvation The desire to leave the deck increased, but he tried to brace hiether, and listened as the doctor said:
”Shall I go?”
”No,” replied the captain; and taking hold of the hatch he drew hiun to Steve, he lowered himself down feet first and disappeared, while the rest stood watching the square opening and listening intently
”Rather dark,” ca soundof a ht in”
Another match was struck, and then, after the short period one of the little tapers would take to burn out, the captain's hands appeared and he cli whatever,” he said ”No trace of a soul, and everything has been cleared out; not so much as a blanket left”
”That looks as if the crew must have stripped the vessel, and built themselves a place somewhere inland”
”Or on the shore,” said the captain ”No; I fancy that this vessel was forsaken long ago Her crew must have taken to the boats, and let us hope that they all escaped across to Hammerfest, or some other port”
”Will you search any further?” asked Steve ”There is nothing to search for here, my boy,” replied the captain; ”but ill have a tranal-post, though I feel certain that no one is here”
The doctor looked doubtful, and Steve felt glad, for he thought the captain was taking entle that it was your misfortune to be cast ashore on this desolate place, ould be the first thing you would try to do?”
”Try to get away,” replied the doctor, s aould you not hoist a flag on so vessel?”
”Of course”
”Where is the spar, then, hoisted on the cliff?” The doctor shook his head, and Steve gazed up and along the top of the long, level height, which looked like a hty rampart at the foot of a snowy pyramid
”Here, what do you say, Johannes? You have had plenty of experience of sea life Where is the crew of this schooner?”
The man shook his head and smiled ”Who knows, sir?” he said ”I don't think they ever landed here It was a deserted shi+p when it came ashore”
”Why do you say that?” said the doctor sharply ”I see nothing, sir: no ti having been , which had followed the for the first shot to be fired, when his task of retrieving the gain, uttered an uneasy whimper and cocked his ears
”Quiet, Skeny! What is it?” said Steve, stooping to pat hi impatient”