Part 22 (1/2)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
OCCUPANTS OF THE DEEP
Saddened faces aze of the occupants of the stern sheets, as the ed away at their oars hour after hour, with the heavy beluga hanging from its rope behind Then all at once, when theover all that it would be ier, every one loosed his oar and joined in a loud cheer; for from quite close at hand--so near, in fact, that the mist swayed with the concussion--there was the dull, heavy roar of a cannon
”The _Hvalross_!” cried Steve
”Yes, our signal-gun,” replied the captain
A faint cheer like the distant echo of that from the boat was now heard, the our, and ten uided by shout after shout, the boat suddenly glided under the counter of the vessel
”Why, we thought we had lost you!” cried the doctor, leaning over froo The shi+p ca!”
”Yes,” said Captain Marsha! You seem to have been more fortunate than ere Save your fish?”
”Oh yes; they've got it towing alongside And you, did you cut yours adrift?”
”No; it is alongside, too”
All were too tired to ood ht relief fro to and with the fires going sufficiently to enable the engineer to get up steaer if any came near
Steve awoke after ht breeze had swept away theabout ten miles away from the ice, tohich they had partly drifted, partly stea the heavy ation in the north, another of the risks to which sailors are exposed But now that the trouble had passed it was al up the thales and transferring their thick blubber to the caldron, fro drawn off and emptied into one of the tanks that henceforth would be reserved for this particular kind of oil
The trouble of the past day was forgotten, and the ian sailors, who shook their heads when the others laughed and bantered theer better, and said nothing either todown of the bear's fat and the boiling of the whale blubber into oil rather disgusted Steve; but he contented hi a face when the doctor talked about it
”Must take the rough with the s and the whale-fishi+ng grand I think I shall get Johannes to let ”
”You mean,” said the doctor, ”that you h”
”Why? I don't understand you,” replied the boy
”The s”
”Oh, I see!” cried Steve
”And you ”
”Wait till you have so; and then, after a look round at the sunlit sea, on which they were gliding easily along with plenty of canvas spread, as there was a favourable wind, he went below