Part 15 (1/2)
”Faith, there is enough to make us as merry and comfortable as if we were waking the dead man below there.”
Chapter VI.--The Madman.
Taking the things with them, they hastily descended the companionway.
It was not without a shudder that they pa.s.sed the many bodies.
As they were preparing supper they noticed the sick man stirring.
”Who are you?” he suddenly muttered.
”We are Americans, like yourself,” replied Bob. ”Here, have something to eat?”
The man's eyes glistened.
”Give it me--quick!” he exclaimed, in a hoa.r.s.e voice.
Jack, who had warmed some of the soup, brought it in a basin he had found, with a spoon and a piece of bread.
Bob took it from him and fed the invalid slowly.
”More,” cried the latter, when it was finished.
”Not yet,” replied our hero. ”Have a doze, and you shall have as much as you want next time.”
Giving him a gla.s.s of wine, they left him, and in a few minutes his regular breathing showed that he slept again.
By this time the joint of seal was roasted, and the little party of three sat down together.
”What can that noise come from?” exclaimed our hero, as he stayed his fork halfway to his mouth to listen.
”I heard it once or twice before,” returned Jack, ”but thought it rats.”
”Faith, but I hope there's no ghosts here,” cried Bok. ”Heaven stand between us and harm.”
”Bah! don't be foolish. It's rats, sure enough.”
It was not long after this that the sick man sat up to partake of more food.
This done, he told his story.
He said he belonged to the whaler, _Cross of Gold_, which had been caught in a large icepack.
”This pack we attempted to cross,” continued the sailor, ”by dragging our boats over rollers we had brought with us.
”On the third day, however, a snow-storm set in, and continued for hours.
”Knowing as how time was valuable, after a rest, we tried to make our way through the drifting snow.