Part 31 (1/2)
At such a distance from the coast, it was impossible Hatteras could reach it alive, without an oar or even so much as a spar to help him; if ever he touched the haven of his desire, it would be as a swollen,re out, and about five in the radually became calm The sky recovered its polar clearness, and less than three randeur
The new continent was only an island, or rather a volcano, fixed like a lighthouse on the North Pole of the world
[Illustration: Twoa volcano in the distance]
Thestones and glowing rock At every fresh eruption there was a convulsive heaving within, as if so, and the h into the air a down the sides in impetuous torrents In one part, serpents of fire see rocks, and in
[Illustration: ]
another the glowing liquid fell in cascades, in the midst of purple vapour, into a river of fire below, forneous strea and seething like a boiling cauldron
Apparently there was only one crater to the volcano, out of which the colu
Electricity seenificent panora flames waved an immense plume-shaped cloud of smoke, red at its base and black at its summit It rose with incomparable majesty, and unrolled in thick voluht, and it was evident that the darkness that had prevailed while the tempest lasted, which had see to the colu the sun like a thick curtain He remembered a similar phenomenon which occurred in the Barbadoes, where the whole island was plunged in profound obscurity by the mass of cinders ejected fronivoh, just about the altitude of Hecla
It seeot nearer
There was no trace of vegetation, indeed there was no shore; the rock ran straight down to the sea
”Can we land?” said the Doctor
”The wind is carrying us right to it,” said Altamont ”But I don't see an inch of land to set our foot upon”
”It seems so at this distance,” said Johnson; ”but we shall be sure to find some place to run in our boat at, and that is all ant”
”Let us go on, then,” said Clawbonny, dejectedly
He had no heart now for anything The North Pole was indeed before his eyes, but not the ot nearer the island, which was not ators noticed a tiny fiord, just large enough to harbour their boat, and made towards it immediately
They feared their captain's dead body would meet their eyes on the coast, and yet it seemed difficult for a corpse to lie on it, for there was no shore, and the sea broke on steep rocks, which were covered with cinders above waterently into the narrow opening between two sandbanks just visible above the water, where she would be safe from the violence of the breakers; but before she could be ain in theon the cruel sea and stony rocks to yield up his lost master The Doctor tried to calm him by caresses, but in vain The faithful beast, as if he would represent the captain, sprang on shore with a tre a cloud of cinders after him
”Duk! Duk!” called Clawbonny
But Duk had already disappeared
[Illustration: ]
After the sloop was ot out and went after hi to climb to the top of a pile of stones, when the Doctor exclai veherief rather than fury
”Has he come on the track of some animal, do you think?” asked Johnson
”No, no!” said Clawbonny, shuddering ”His bark is too sorrowful; it is the dog's tear He has found the body of Hatteras”
They all four rushed forward, in spite of the blinding cinder-dust, and ca barking round a corpse wrapped in the British flag!