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Far's h'I know, no white man's been there, h'either; leastwise, not in our generation." He studied the charts and made one further observation: "Far's h'I can tell, sir," he smiled, "On-na-tak's h'our only chance. Current sets that way h'at three knots an hour. That means we'll drift there in four or five days. There'll be driftwood on the beach, and, with good luck, we can fix 'er up there.
Dave had just succeeded in binding this up when they heard footsteps approaching. Jamming themselves hard into a crevice of ice, Jarvis whispered: "H'I'll fight t' a finish before h'I go back to that white prison of the bloomin' 'eathen." Dave made no response. The steps came nearer, then began to die away. "Didn't sound like the bloomin' 'eathen," muttered Jarvis.
"H'I don't mind tell' y', lad, that we was 'eaded for this point way back some'ers in the late nineties," said the engineer, "but there come a Nor'wester, an' the cap'in, 'e lost 'is 'ead and turned to run. We'd froze in for the winter, but we'd a seen things if we 'ad. We'd a seen 'um." They were struggling over some pressure ridges and neither had breath to spare for further talk just then.
H'I'm bound to 'aunt this 'all, an' that's hall there is about it. H'I carn't find a better wy to ly them Baingletops low than by attachin' of their hincome, hand the rent of this 'all is the honly bit of hincome within my reach." "But I've leased the place for five years," said Terwilliger, in despair; "and I've paid the rent in advance." "Carn't 'elp it," returned the ghost.
"The bally, blithering unnatural 'eathen hev flew the h'ivory coops. T'was to be expected. I 'ates t' think what h'I'd a-done, 'ad h'I 'ad the say of it." "Oh, well," said the Doctor, who was inclined to take Jarvis' quarrel with the natives rather lightly, "in twenty-four hours we'll be away from these shores never to return." "Return?" exclaimed Jarvis. "H'I'll return, an' Dave 'ere'll return.
H'I'll wear one of 'em h'in me belt from now on! H'I 'ates t' think 'ow cold th' water was when h'I pitched 'em h'in, them other two." "Kill 'em?" "Not that bad. But mebby they'll drown. H'I'll go see. H'I'd 'ate t' see 'em climbin' back." He hurried up the hatchway, followed closely by Dave.
Immediately a line of fire was kindled and its light, reflected again and again by the dazzling whiteness of their prison walls, made the whole place as light as day. At once Jarvis gave a cry of surprise and began crawling toward the farthest side. "H'I told you there was minerals," he exclaimed. "E's a rich un, this bloomin' 'eathen. H'it's gold, h'I'll be blowed!"
"'E did, hindeed; hand then 'e discharged me without me waiges. Hof course h'I wouldn't sty after that; but h'I says to 'im, 'Hif I don't get me py, h'I'll 'aunt this place from the dy of me death; hand 'e says, ''Aunt awy." "And you have kept your word." "H'I 'ave that! H'I've made it 'ot for 'em, too." "Well, now, look here," said Terwilliger, "I'll tell you what I'll do.
"We'll sew the dead one up in a blanket and throw him overboard; then we'll be going back. Think how all fussed up the Doctor will be." The boy chuckled. "Going back?" Jarvis stared, as if unable to believe his ears. "Going back? And the treasure city within peep of h'our h'eyes. Going back, did y' say? H'I 'ates t' think 'ow rich we'll be, you an' me."
As the three stood apart they were joined by the undersized Englishman, who touched his hat to them with a show of great respect. "Young gentlemen," he inquired, "h'I suppose, h'of course, you've 'ad a look h'at the anchor h'of Sir Francis Drake's flagship, the time 'e went h'out h'and sank the great Spanish h'Armada?" "Why, no, my friend," replied Dave, looking at the man with interest.
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