Under the Sea to the North Pole (15 page)

The departure was promising. In the morning, three sledges, two of them carrying boats, had the dogs harnessed to them. The day was superb, and the recent frosts had again united the outer floes so that they could venture on them with almost perfect safety. The party, consisting of six men, among whom were Hubert and Guerbraz, and Isabelle, in her travelling dress, went off to the pack in comparatively high spirits. A radiant sun shone in the sky, and they expected to traverse without difficulty the twenty miles which separated them from the islands to the north.

Alas! That hope had soon to be given up. They had gone but three miles when an accident occurred. The ice, under the powerful action of the tide, was not yet completely joined together. It broke under the weight of one of the sledges, and Guerbraz was almost swallowed up in the crack. His strength and activity fortunately saved him, and not a single object was lost.

But a kilometre further on a similar accident occurred, with the additional misfortune that the harness of two of the dogs was broken, and one of the animals slipped under the ice. At the same time sounds of bad augury proclaimed an almost complete breaking up of the ice-field. A retreat had to be made through incredible perils, and it took six hours to go back the seven kilometres already accomplished.

Throughout the journey Isabelle had displayed admirable intrepidity. The compulsory retreat disheartened her a little, and she shed a few tears, but without complaining of the decision, which the most elementary prudence imposed on Hubert who was in command.

They had to wait three days more. But on the 10th of August, after a night in which the mercury went down to seventeen degrees, they considered the pack sufficiently strong to again venture out upon it.

This time the attempt was crowned with success.

It was now four weeks since De Keralio and his companions had gone away with the submarine boat. They could not expect to get on their track before reaching the islands to the north. The party advanced resolutely, and reached them a little before the day closed in. They had undergone great fatigues, but had been rewarded by the discovery of a cairn of stones already covered with a mantle of snow. Inside they found a paper to this effect: “Arrived here in good health. We are following the forty-first degree of longitude west, until we reach the wall of ice or the open sea.”

But at this time of year there could be no question about an open sea. To north, east, and west extended an immense plain of ice. The explorers had only to strike out over this plain and follow the forty-first meridian to rejoin the three hardy pioneers.

This they did.

The 11th was devoted to a rest under the tents. On the 12th the thermometer went down twice to twenty-two and twenty-eight degrees. The period of intense cold was coming on, and they had not, as at’ Fort Esperance, the shelter of a well-warmed house. Fortunately, such a temperature was quite abnormal. During the afternoon of the 12th the sun reappeared, and the mercury rose to six degrees.

Isabelle herself gave the signal for departure.

Hubert went up to her, and in a most affectionate tone asked her if he might be allowed to give her some advice.

“Tell me,” said Isabelle, somewhat feverishly.

“Listen,” said Hubert “Your presence with us is no longer indispensable. You have displayed invincible courage by coming thus far. I ask you, for your own sake and for ours, not to continue the experiment. Now that we know the course taken by those we are in search of, you are reassured. Leave us to do the rest of the journey by ourselves.”

“And what am I to do?” she asked.

“Return to the camp. Our brave friend Guerbraz will accompany you.”

Isabella proudly raised her head, and, laying her gloved hand on the lieutenant’s shoulder, said,—

“In your turn, Hubert, listen to me. You are to be my husband, and when the day comes you will have the right to make me obey you. And, loving you, I will obey you. But now, knowing as I do, that what you say is out of anxiety for me, I claim my right to do as I please. I shall not be happy until I have found my father, and, as we are going to be united later on, you must allow me now to share in your joys as well as in your sufferings and your work.”

“But if these sufferings, if this work, exceed a woman’s strength?”

“There are no sufferings which a woman cannot bear when consoling those she loves. Are you going to refuse me this task, or do you not think me capable .of it?”

”You know very well that is not so,” said Hubert, impetuously.

“Then what is your reason for sending me back?”

“But if there are fatigues, if there are tortures, if there is death?”

“We will die together, Hubert.”

The young officer saw that all his arguments were useless. The heroic girl’s resolve was unshakable. Her filial love would be her guide and her support. All that Hubert could do was to bow before the will so decisively expressed.

And so they resumed their journey across the new ice and the channels of open water.

The journey became more and more toilsome, and the days decreased as the cold increased.

Isabelle struggled on with heroic courage. At every halt under the tent, she made Hubert tell her about the journey of the balloon towards the Pole.

“And so,” she would say, “it was really a wall of ice that stopped you?”

And she would add,—

“Do forgive me for troubling, you so. You know how much I benefit by your story; it gives me strength every time I hear it.”

Then they discussed the different hypotheses which occurred to their minds. What was there beyond this impassable barrier? Was it the belt of a virgin land in the centre of the diurnal movement? Was it, on the contrary, the boundary of a vast interior basin, containing an open

sea unknown, and destined to be always unknown to man?

And then they would ask what had happened to De Keralio and his two companions. Two or three times they were led to form hopes that were almost immediately destroyed.

With the changing light the landscape assumed the most fantastic aspects. They were the sport of the strangest illusions. Sometimes a chain of mountains appeared on the horizon; sometimes they gazed upon lovely valley covered with verdure inconceivable under such latitudes; in fact, the mirage of the polar regions is even more deceptive than that of the Sahara. But notwithstanding these fascinating aerial phenomena, the lowness of the temperature was quite enough to remind the travellers of the reality of their position.

As the winter approached the field of ice was broken by fewer gaps of water that required the boats for crossing them. Stretches of from five to six miles could be accomplished on dry feet without interruption. The dogs were very tame, and received their food with great regularity. But it was evident that the Greenland breed was very close to the primitive if not the savage state, for it would not have taken much to arouse in them the carnivorous instinct. They had consequently to be watched closely, and kept out of range of anything that might excite their desires or tempt them to conflict.

One of the most interesting episodes of this forward march occurred one morning before the explorers had left their sleeping bags, owing to the bitter wind then blowing. Salvator, who enjoyed all sorts of immunities, and was for that very reason hated by his congeners, “had already shaken off sleep, and, notwithstanding the twenty-eight degrees below zero of the thermometer, went out to prowl round the camp.

A quite involuntary negligence of the Eskimo, Clerikisen who was in charge of the team, had left insufficiently fastened the one strap which kept them together. Urged by hunger which was never absent from their stomachs, the do^s had so tugged at it and shaken it, that they managed to get away.

“When they were free, they doubtless indulged in a few atavistic gambols, and then, taking advantage of the explorers being asleep, had rushed away madly from the camp with probably no intention of returning. But after a distant and profitless exploration of a barren plain they returned for their food, and singly and in groups entered the camp again. So that in . the morning there was not one missing.

Is there a canine language? One would think so, for almost simultaneously, they rushed ‘with one accord on the sledge which up to then they had drawn, and which they now arrogated to themselves the right to rob. And of course the sledge selected was the one containing the provisions. A big dog with yellow coat, the king of the troop, strong and valiant, gave the signal. He jumped on the bales of provisions, more especially on the case containing the fresh meat, and with one snap of his jaws, tore away the canvas which covered it, thrust his muzzle into it and threw out quite half a pound of meat. The example was too encouraging not to be followed. In a moment the whole band were at similar work. And with surprising sagacity, so as not to attract the attention of the sleepers, the dogs maintained profound silence. Not a sound rose from the group of assailants. And then occurred a truly epic scene. The moment arrived when Salvator came forth to risk the freshness of the morning. It did not take him long to see the depredations that had begun, and without losing a second he precipitated himself on the entire pack, knocked over the two foremost, and leaping on the sledge drove off the aggressors. This was quite an unexpected intervention. At first the Greenlanders retreated, being unaware probably of the strength of the enemy who had so suddenly appeared. But why had this dog of luxury, this aristocrat, forgotten the solidarity which had for so long existed among his equals and set himself against the populace? Old embers of the secular hatred between the rich and the poor soon broke into flame again in the veins of these pariahs of the ice-field, condemned to the servitude of the strap. With deep growlings they looked at this descendant of the old Labradors, denationalized by the long sojourn of his race in old Europe. And the whole insurgent democracy declared war against this paladin, who to serve his master fought his elder brethren. And Salvator, upright on thp sledge, in the attitude of a hero, reminded one of those knights of history, who, single handed, fought the Saracens.

As proud as Roland in refusing to sound the horn, the Newfoundlander continued silent. His enemies, sure of victory from their numbers alone, did not wish by awaking the tents to endanger their victory.

At first they formed round Salvator a menacing ring of pointed jaws and upturned muzzles. This was the period of invectives as in the combats of Homer.

Then suddenly one of the Greenlanders plucked up courage and leaped on the sledge. Salvator’s powerful jaws gripped him by the throat and threw him back.

A second leaped; then a third. They were received in the same manner.

Then four at a time rushed on the brave defender. A mere waste of effort! The Newfoundlander, with terrific strength, knocked the first under his paws, snapped off the ear of the second, put out the eye of the third, and ripped the fourth half open.

That did for seven out of twenty.

This was too much. Away with prudence and control! A deep long bark rang out like a signal of attack, and the whole troop sprang to the assault.

The fight became furious, merciless. Salvator was sublime. Bleeding, torn, covered with wounds in twenty places on his handsome body, he none the less victoriously resisted the exasperated mob. Without a thought that his fidelity and his exploits were endangering his master’s interests, he strangled two of his adversaries.

But he would infallibly have succumbed to ‘numbers ^the tumult of the fight had not aroused the sleepers

Hubert and Clerikisen, the first to awake, rushed out with long whips, and slashing right and left soon brought the assailants to reason.

Salvator himself, excited by the ardour of the battle only gave way when loudly scolded by the lieutenant.

When the losses were totalled up it was clear that the brave dog’s fidelity had been more disastrous than useful. Besides the two he had killed, he had rendered four more quite useless for work for many a long day.

However, Salvator received nothing but congratulations. He was even treated to double rations on this and the following day. Henceforth he was looked upon as a devoted auxiliary in whom implicit confidence could be placed.

Two days had to be spent on the scene of the fight before the dogs were again fit for their work.

The cold was not so great now, but the sky was covered with clouds announcing that storms were near. At the same time, threatening sounds were heard, proving that the icy crust was in movement. And it was apparent that the need was urgent of as long a run as possible, while the explorers could be sure of the ground which the carpet of snow would soon conceal.

The advance was resumed. It was more and more evident that the 4ist meridian led out to the open polar sea. From the l2th to the 15th of August only three strips of water were met with, and these were only a few yards across. But each time the boats had to be used and this hindered progress considerably.

Isabelle, always courageous, gave no sign of her personal sufferings.

She replied only with smiles to Hubert’s uneasy looks. To all his questions she invariably replied, “I am very well; do not be anxious about me.”

On the 16th the snow began to fall, and in a few hours the ground disappeared under a bed several feet thick, which made sledging terribly hard work. Hardly three leagues were accomplished that day.

On the 17th the storm was so violent that the explorers were confined to their tents. Hubert and Guerbraz, indefatigable as usual, raised the tents using the sledges to fasten them to. In an hour there was a rampart of snow around them six feet thick. Sheltered in this grotto the explorers were not much affected by the temperature which followed, and which was thirty-eight degrees below zero. They remained under cover, a prey to the terrible anxiety caused by the cracking of the ice and the constant shocks to which the pack was subject. In the morning of the l9th the storm ended, and Isabelle, the first to go out of the tent, gave a shout which brought out her companions.