New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-02

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the whole family climbing up the hill
side over the snow as Il to look for
them. a. ls4
$ They see Us, and they must see the
seals we shotr' exclaimed Carl. z. They
wont starve DOW, though we may drift
away, and, If they never see us again,
somebody will find them before the two
seals are eaten,
Up to this time the wind had been
blowing quite fresh, but now it sudden
II burst into q gale, with occasional
spurts of snow. The clouds became
dark and heavy, and after while the
snowfall was constant. The hunters
were in q most wretched condition.
Everything around them was obscured,
and they were drifting they knew not
whittier, nor in what direction. Waves
broke against the iceberg, and the spray
wet them to the skin; and, as it grew
colder, they became covered with
icicles. They spoke but little. One
could hardly comfort the other in such
an emergency, but both prayed fervent-
ly. Peter thought of his wife and chill
dren, Carl of his mother and Nicholina,
neither of whom he ever expected to
see again. And thus they drifted on
through the angry sea and the gloomy,
cold and dreadful night, until at length
they felt heavy shock. The iceberg
had grounded, and, to their great joy,
it held fast. They knew now that
they were in comparatively shall
low water, and consequently could
not be far out at sea; so, hope once
more inspired them. If their berg
could hold until the storm should clear
away, some means of escape might be
discovered.
If the storm would but cease! The
outlook, now, in spite of hopefulness, is
dreary enough.
Meanwhile, how very different is it
with the friends in Upernavik! While
the angry sounds of the warning ele-
ments deafen the ears of the hunters. at
Upernavik the lights are glimmering
brightly, and the CHEEKY fires on the
village hearths defy the storm that
how1s without. 1t is the night of the
Hunting Festival. Although it is
night, it is not dark, but the heavy
clouds and the thickly falling snow rem
der everything obscure. In the
cooper shop, candles are burning
above the merry crowd, and
the storm vainly tries to drown
the sounds of their music and laughter.
Nicholina is there in all her glory, and
her pretty dress of warm cloth trimmed
with seal fur and delicate eider.down,
her embroidered jacket, her raven
tresses and bright ribbons, make her as
pretty picture as all Greenland ever
looked upon. All are as happy as hap
py can be. and the Governor and his
officials are present, aiding in the gen.
eral enjoyment.
Some one enters, and says to the
Governor that down upon the shore he
has heard strange noises coming in
from the sea. Another presently runs
in and says that he, too, has heard the
sounds, and that they resemble the
cries of dogs in distress. But all laugh
at the idea and say: ct is the storm
you hear! Dogs are not fish that they
should take to the water" But third
running in to confirm the story, they
are alarmed, and hastily make for tie
shore. AS they run down to The rocks
they hear distinctly distant wall
borne on the fierce blast. Dogs they
are, undoubtedly; but whose dogs can
they be?
They 20 down near the beach and peer
into the gloom. They have not long to
wait before the air lightens up q lit
tie, and vaguely they see broad
ice-field, and upon it are the dogs.
Nicholina is the first to discover them,
and, quickly pushing her way through
the crowd, she stands almost at the
waters edge. The spray touches her,
but sho does not seem to heed it, and,
for once, at least, does not appear to
think of her fine clothes. Being lower
down, she can see more plainly than
the rest. 4. -,
"Come back, Nicholina, or you'll be
drownedw cried her father. "Come
back, Nicholina!' cried everybody; but
she stood there motionless, looking
from beneath her hand. There is an
intense earnestness about her manner
that overcomes all remonstrance, and
her father, fogetting his command that
she shall come back. now eagerly asks:
I" What is it, Nicholinap' All the men
crowd forward, and their faces wear a
look of pain and anxiety as the posi-
bility of some great calamity suggests
itself. In few minutes, they can all
see the dogs and recognize them. They
are, beyond question, Peter and CARTS
dogs; but where are their masters?
where are Peters wife and his boys and
girlsp What has happened to them allP
The dogs, seeing the people on the
shore, and knowing they are safe,
whine joyfully, and as the ice-feld
comes crashing in and piling great
fragments up against the rocks, they
scamper gladly upon the land. There
are eighteen of them; not one is miss
ing; but of their m asters the great ice
field gives no trace.
"They are lostr' cries everybody.
But Nicholina, still standing by the
surf, with trembling voice, says: "Oh,
no! 1t cannot be. When it grows
lighter we shall surely see them!''
Two dark objects come into view
upon the drifting field, and every eye
is strained toward them. But as they
each heart sinks again. They
are only the sleds.
The Governor shakes his head sadly.
."Let watch be kept and be relieved
every hour, and let me know if any
thing is seen of them. All others 20
home; the morning may need all your
energies"
The Governors order is obeyed, and
Nicholina, distracted with her fears, is
by sheer force made to 60 with her,
father.
The first to the beach in the morn
ing is Nicholina. The brave girl is
pale, and her bright eyes are dimmed
with tears.
The sun mounts higher from the
horizon. and little by little The clouds
lift and the view becomes less OBJ
scured. The snow ceases to fall. By
and by the keen eye eof Nicholina de-
tects the simmer of a great iceberg
as she scans the surface of the dark
waters. She sees the ice clearly and
the waves breaking against it's sides.
IT. frrnua mora on9 ,n0ro d;s+;no+E 90