An Antarctic Mystery - Jules Verne (good summer reads TXT) 📗

on without revealing their impressions. West, after going aloft to the fore-cross-trees, where he had remained ten minutes, had reported nothing precise. Stationed at the port side, leaning my elbows on the bulwarks, I closely watched the sky line, broken only towards the east.

At this moment the boatswain rejoined me, and without preface said:

“Will you allow me to give you my opinion, Mr. Jeorling?”

“Give it, boatswain,” I replied, “at the risk of my not adopting it if I don’t agree with it.”

“It is correct, and according as we get nearer one must really be blind not to adopt it!”

“And what idea have you got?”

“That it is not land which lies before us, Mr. Jeorling!”

“What is it you are saying?”

“Look attentively, putting one finger before your eyes⁠—look there⁠—out a⁠—starboard.”

I did as Hurliguerly directed.

“Do you see?” he began again. “May I lose my liking for my grog if these heights do not change place, not with regard to the schooner, but with regard to themselves!”

“And what do you conclude from this?”

“That they are moving icebergs.”

“Icebergs?”

“Sure enough, Mr. Jeorling.”

Was not the boatswain mistaken? Were we in for a disappointment? Were there only drifting ice-mountains in the distance instead of a shore?

Presently, there was no doubt on the subject; for some time past the crew had no longer believed existence of land in that direction.

Ten minutes afterwards, the man in the crow’s-nest announced that several icebergs were coming northwest, in an oblique direction, into the course of the Halbrane.

This news produced a great sensation on board. Our last hope was suddenly extinguished. And what a blow to Captain Len Guy! We should have to seek land of the austral zone under higher latitudes without being sure of ever coming across it!

And then the cry, “Back ship! back ship!” sounded almost unanimously on board the Halbrane.

Yes, indeed, the recruits from the Falklands demanding that we should turn back, although Hearne was not there to fan the flame of insubordination, and I must acknowledge that the greater part of the old tars seemed to agree with them.

West awaited his chief’s orders, not daring to impose silence.

Gratian was at the helm, ready to give a turn to wheel, whilst his comrades with their hands on the cleats were preparing to ease off the sheets.

Dirk Peters remained immovable, leaning against the foremast, his head down, his body bent, and his mouth set firm. Not a word passed his lips.

But now he turned towards me, and what a look of mingled wrath and entreaty he gave me!

I don’t know what irresistible motive induced me to interfere personally, and once again to protest! A final argument had just crossed my mind⁠—an argument whose weight could not be disputed.

So I began to speak, and I did so with such conviction that none tried to interrupt me.

The substance of what I said was as follows:⁠—

“No! all hope must not be abandoned. Land cannot be far off. The icebergs which are formed in the open sea by the accumulation of ice are not before us. These icebergs must have broken off from the solid base of a continent or an island. Now, since the thaw begins at this season of the year, the drift will last for only a short time. Behind them we must meet the coast on which they were formed. In another twenty-four hours, or forty-eight at the most, if the land does not appear, Captain Len Guy will steer to the north again!”

Had I convinced the crew, or ought I to take advantage of Hearne’s absence and of the fact that he could not communicate with them to make them understand that they were being deceived, and to repeat to them that it would endanger the schooner if our course were now to be reversed.

The boatswain came to my help, and in a good-humoured voice exclaimed⁠—

“Very well reasoned, and for my part I accept Mr. Jeorling’s opinion. Assuredly, land is near! If we seek it beyond those icebergs, we shall discover it without much hard work, or great danger! What is one degree farther south, when it is a question of putting a hundred additional dollars into one’s pocket? And let us not forget that if they are acceptable when they go in, they are none the less so when they come out!”

Upon this, Endicott, the cook, came to the aid of his friend the boatswain.

“Yes, very good things indeed are dollars!” cried he, showing two rows of shining white teeth.

Did the crew intend to yield to Hurliguerly’s argument, or would they try to resist if the Halbrane went on in the direction of the icebergs?

Captain Len Guy took up his telescope again, and turned it upon these moving masses; he observed them with much attention, and cried out in a loud voice⁠—

“Steer south-sou’-west!”

West gave orders to execute the manoeuvres. The sailors hesitated an instant. Then, recalled to obedience, they began to brace the yards and slack the sheets, and the schooner increased her speed.

When the operation was over, I went up to Hurliguerly, and drawing him aside, I said⁠—

“Thank you, boatswain.”

“Ah, Mr. Jeorling,” he replied, shaking his head, “it is all very fine for this time, but you must not do it again! Everyone would turn against me, even Endicott, perhaps.”

“I have urged nothing which is not at least probable,” I answered sharply.

“I don’t deny that fact, Mr. Jeorling.”

“Yes, Hurliguerly, yes⁠—I believe what I have said, and I have no doubt but that we shall really see the land beyond the icebergs.”

“Just possible, Mr. Jeorling, quite possible. But it must appear before two days, or, on the word of a boatswain, nothing can prevent us from putting about!”

During the next twenty-four hours the Halbrane took a south-southwesterly course. Nevertheless, her direction must have been frequently changed and her speed decreased in avoiding the ice. The navigation became very difficult so soon as the schooner headed towards the line of the bergs, which it had to cut obliquely. However, there were none of the packs which blocked up all access to the