Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-03-27

and when they reached the edye the
.ddvipy water between forbade all hope of
crossing.
They drove back TO the iceberg and climb
ed IL, bopipy To find tn AZ 10 the northward
the ice still held fast to the main land.
They were disappojut.d. On every side
they saw the water. They were afloa, S>pon
a grea, raft OF ice that was bearing them
steadily away toward the southwest, In
this. however. there was nothing very
alarming. since the chances were that the
ice-neld on which they stood would swing
around and close I'm with the land again.
But presently the Iceberg grounded. and
the shock caused the field to crack again.
A great seam opened swiftly at their very
feet, and before they could realize their
danger, a wide channel yawned between
them and their dogs with the laden sleds.
The ice-tied adherlng Ia the berg swung
round as upon a pivot, and. as It did so,
the berg became def ached from the bottom,
and the whole mass noated Off Into deep
water. The field ice broke away bit by bit.
and finally the berg alone itself remained.
with Peter and Carl upon 1t, drifting out
toward the open ocean. utterly powerless
10 help themselves
Their frst thoughts were not for them
selves but tor the helpless ones at Peverick.
"Carl, my boy" said Peter, "that last
crack did the business for us; and unless
God wills II otherwise. we are lost. But II
Is hard to think that those on shore must
starve
Peters voice was husky. aud tears trick
led down his face.
Peter had scarcely spoken when a num-
Der OF seals appeared upon the edge OF the
land ice The hunters instinctlvely raised
I.fr ill a,k I'D nj
NAL, although the distance was very great.
A moment afterwsrd they saw (for they
wer. now right opposite the camp at Pew
erick) the whole family climbing up the
hillside over the snow as II TO look for
them.
They see rs, and they must see the
seals We have shot" exclaimed Carl.
They won't starve now, though we may
drif, away, and, II they never see Us again,
seal. ,re cate, :,
Up 10 this time the wind had been blow.
ing quite fresh. but now il suddenly burs,
into a gale. with occasional -purt. OF snow.
The clouds became dark and heavy. and
after a while the snowfall was constant
The hunters were In n most wre,ch.d con.
di,ion. Everything around them was OBJ
scured. and they were drifting they knew
not whittier. nor in what direction. Waves
hroke av,inst the iceherv and the sprav
wet them 10 the skin: and. as Il grew col.
der they became covered with Icicles
They spoke but little. One could hardly
comfnrt the other In sprh an emer0ency
but both pray.d feryen,ly Peter though,
OF his wife and children. Carl of his mother
and Nicholina, neither of W hom he ever
.,n.c,.d ,o soc agsIn And Thus they
drift.d on ihrough the angry sea and tho
gloomy. cold. and Dire adful night. until a,
length they felt a heavy shock. The ice.
berg had grounded and To their gr.a,
ioy Il held fast. They knew now that they
were I'm compara,Iyely shallow water
and consequently could not be far out a,
sea: SO hone once more jnsnIrad them II
their ber, could hold until the storm
should clear AWAY. some mean, of esrap.
might be discovered
FART IL
II the storm would but cease. The out
look. now, In spite OF fhopciulness. i drehry
enough. Meanwhile. how very different
II is with the friends at Upernavik While
the angry sosnds OF the warrigg element,
desfen The ears OF the hunters at Upernayik
the lights are glimmering brightly. and
the CHEEKY fires on the village hearths defy
hLr kLDEfi tNAt nuNl- without. IL IL Ilt
night OF the Hunting Festival. Although h
It l. not dark. but the heavy clouds and the
thickly falling snow reader everything OBJ
scure In the cooper shsp, candles are
burning above the merry crowd. and the
storm vainly tries to drown the sound. OF
their music aud laughter Nicholina /.
there In all her glory. and her pretty dress
OF warm cloth trimmed with seal iur and
delicate eIder-iown, her embroidered lack
et, her raven tresses and bright ribbons.
make her - pretty A picture As all Green
land ever looked upon. All are as happy a.
happy can be, and the governor and hi :
officials are present aldlrg in the general
endowment.
some one enters. and saws TO the cover
nor that down upon the shore he had heard
strange noises coming from the sea. An
other presently runs In and saws that he.
too, has heard the sounds. aud that they
resemble the cries OF dogs In distress
But ali laugh al the Idea and ssy: "Iti.
the storm you hear! Dogs are not tish tha,
they should take to the water" But a
third running in 10 confirm the story. they
are alarmed. and hastily made for the shore.
As they run down To the rock, they hear
distinctly a distant wall borne on the fierce
blast. Dogs they are. undoubtedly: but
whose dogs can they be-
They 90 down near the beach and peer
into the gloom. They have not long 10
wait before the air liyh,ens up a little. and
vaguely tbey see a broad ice-tield. and up-
ON il are the dogs. NichoIina /. the fr,t
TO discover them and. quickly pushing her
way through the crowd she stands slnos,
70 the waters edge The spray touches
her. but she does no, seem to heed il. and
for once. at least. does no, appear TO think
OF her fine clothes. Being lower down.
she con soc more nIsinlv ,hsn the res,
Come back. Nichoiina. or you'u he
drowned - cried her father. Come back.
Nicholina,n cried everybody: but she
stood there motiopless. looking from be.
neath her hand There is AN intense ear.
nestness about her manner that oyercomes
an remonstrance and her fsther forvetting
his command thar she shall come back
now eagerly asks. .,Whati II. NicholIna -
An the men crowd forward and their faces
wear a Iook Of main and anxiety as the nos.
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