Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 27, 2025
Charly, who looked at Wyllard when he had heard the Indian's story, explained it concisely. "I'm worrying about the boat we left on the edge of the ice," he said. "I've had a notion all along it was going to make trouble. Dampier would see the wreckage when he ran in, and I guess it would only mean one thing to him. He'd make quite certain he was right when he didn't find us at the inlet."
An hour later he called Charly to the wheel, and sitting down in the shelter of the rail soon afterwards went to sleep, though this was about the last thing he had contemplated doing. It was grey dawn when he opened his eyes again, and stood up, aching all over and very cold, to see that the schooner was tumbling over a little spiteful sea with the hazy loom of land not far away from her.
"Lewson Tom Lewson!" he cried. Charly thrust the man inside the tent, and when somebody lighted a lamp Lewson sat down stupidly and looked at them. His face was gaunt and almost blackened by exposure to the frost, his hair was long, and tattered garments of greasy skins hung about him. There was something that suggested bewildered incredulity in his eyes.
"Eggs," said Pierrette promptly, "for one of your savory omelets, mamma, and a bit of cheese." The purchases were quickly made, and, having said good-night to Madame Coudert, they hurried on to the little house in the Rue Charly where they lived. When they reached home, it was already quite dark.
Their faces had grown gaunt and haggard, and each scanty meal had been cut down to the smallest portion which would keep life and power of movement within them. Still, though the weight of it hampered him almost intolerably, Wyllard clung to the one rifle that they had saved from the disaster at the landing and a dozen cartridges. This was a folly about which he and Charly once had virulent words.
In a moment or two, however, the strain slackened, and looking round he saw Charly waist-deep in the snow. The latter struggled out with difficulty holding on by the trace, but the sled had vanished, and it was with grave misgivings that Wyllard scrambled to his feet.
The men they were in search of might have gone either north or south; or they might, though this seemed less likely, have gone inland, if, indeed, any of them survived. "If we only knew how they'd headed," said Wyllard quietly. "Still, right or not, I'm for pushing on." Then Charly, who held the wheel, broke in. "I guess it's north," he said.
The snow broke through continuously beneath the foremost man, but it did not break away altogether, and they could not tell what lay beneath it when they had drawn him out of the hole. When it became evident that the attempt was useless they held a brief council sitting on the sled. "I guess we don't want to go back," said Charly.
"You will send for that Kamtchadale?" "Assuredly. The tale you have told me has stirred my curiosity. As my path lies west up the river valley, we can, if it pleases you, go on for a while together." Wyllard, who thanked him, turned to Charly with a faint sigh of relief. "It seems that we shall not bring those men back, but I think we may find out where they lie," he said.
Then he glanced at the gear and canvas, and was almost appalled, while Charly, who was busy close by, saw his face and grinned. "You don't want to look at her too much," he said. "We took a swig on the peak-halliards a little while ago, and had to let up before we pulled the gaff off her.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking