The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-09-18
The Frozen bog.

Thus at midnight, the Sitting canvas
was heard whipping about, with the din of
thunder, all over the whaleShip Jura,in the
Arctic ocean.
The dark face Of New Zealand native,
with huge rings in his ears, was thrust
through the scuttie forward, and his impish,
shriekng voice awoke the watch below.
''All hands a-ho-yp
At the call dozen wild looking fellows
were out Of their hunks like fash.
There was the Kamska, with his black
hair as coarse as a horses name, the tall
SUPPLE uasear, the "white eyed" Russian,
the sturdy Scot, the ruddy Englishman and
the long-limbcd Nantuckiter.
Quickly arrayed in patched Guernseys,
pea-jackets, heavy trousers, shoes and SOU
westsrs, they hdRg themselves on deck.
The cold, cutting night blast of the Arctic
Ocean was blowing "great guns"
The ships bell toiled mourufully es the
craft rolled and plunged
Darkness was all arortid her, save here
and there, where some huge iceberg, like q
great, sheeted spectre in is white drapery
of snow, nodded to the vessel as she rushed
past.
The wind seemed to shout wild "Hoo-
hahI' as it swept through the hollows Of
these bergs, and the leaping seas answered
back with roar like iion's.
Up among the frozen, cracking shrouds
swarmed the crew, and out upon the slip
perry yards behind the rafting canvas.
With benumbed hands they rcefed the
sails, and were about. TO descend, when a
hollow voice was heard rising from the
deck.
"There It is again !"
Ay, there 1t was, ssato enough-the frozen
dogl
Seated on a tall berg, the light of the
ships lantern falling full upon it, was the
form of a large white hound, frozen fast to
its position.
Its mouth was open, showing its fangs,
each ear, tiff and hard, stood out from the
long head, the large eyes, protruding, were
glazed end ixed, cleaning strangely through
a thin coating of ice, and as it sat there on
its launches, its white figure loorhed bolt
upright in the weird light.
The sailors shuddered.
A strange, mournfutj, tsoiOnged moaning
seemed to come from the dog, though all who
heard It knew he was stone dead.
! 4 4
deck again. ,..t.,. -,
was the captain who spoke. His brown,
wrinkled face was sharply defined in the
frame formed by his bristling, unshayed
beard, his unkempt hair streamed on the
gale. ..e..
Husband, may God :o+giv7o you for what
you did"
: A woman, beautiful only a week before
but now haggard and worn, said this az she
laid her hand on the captains arm.
at is a judgment on me-" he groaned
"The hound is dead-we are sure of that
for we saw him ohce before in the daytime
and yet he can howl. Wife, can you explain
that to me rs
"Give me back our son." said his wife
. hoarcely almost fiercely, "and perhaps, then
, the dog will stop bowling" ..,,. d.
a "our SOM Would that could do so."
"Hls death Be upon your head. You ler
him on the dreary Arctic coast to perish
oh, NV noble boy, are you really dead
lost to me ?" she added, in wild anguish.
|. "Calm yourself, Mary. You know mean
only to leave him and bis dog there tempo
:, rarily when put them ashore during tn
whale hunt. l meant to pick them up oI
b return, but a gale, the ice, and fog KEEP
me back for many hours, and when at las
, l reached the shore they we're gone" o..
! "And Chat was seven days ago My poo
boy must be frozen TO death by this time
The captain bowed his head and groaned
Bitterly did he regret tho angry Impuls
, which had caused him to leave his bo,
ashore. ~ r.
A few weeks previously Russian tradin
:, schooner had anchored near the whaler
which then also lay at anchor.
! The, skipper, with Henry Burton, his son
youth of nineteen, visited the craft.
There Henry first saw the Russian cap
tain's pretty daughter, Liska, and fell il
> love with her. D., ,i-i.. o.. .,,u....
3 He paid many visits Ia her, and fnall
told his parents that he wished 10 MARI
her. e, .rn,..
His father opposed il, He got up anchO
and left the vicinity Of the Russian craft.
H. ,ga - A. L
1 would yet wed the girl enraged the skipper
The result has been. shown. When h
left Henry ashore he had acted on the i'm
5 pulse of the moments but when he return
o ed to look for him the youth was nowher
10 be found. AS there was no craft then il
I sight il seemed evident he had not bee
picked up by any vessel. After long, use
l. less search he returned 10 his ship, bringin
a the terrible news DO his wifej who, a 70
q having concealed her husbands boat from
a her, had previously known nothing of hi
y movements.
d A week bad passed and they were still
10 searching for the lost youth.
!. But only bis frozen dog had yet been seer
and this they had been unable TO reach o.
account Of heavy gale raging at the time
b Now. as before, they were prevented froH
z going to it by reason rof the furious blas
VII ch rendered ii rough To lower boat
The dog was soon lost sight Of in the gloon
2 Of night, but tho superstitious crew still fan
J., cied they could hear iu unearthly moan
: ing. ,s r..t
SNo good will come of this /" said an Olc
sailor. .ao, o.. .-
The teeth Of the Kanakas and Lascar
} ratified in their heads. 't
Their wild, black eyes rolled nervously il
their sockets,
: The gale furiouFly ragged for days. ,-v
i Sadder became the captain and his grief
d stricken wife. b.. ioa,. ..... ...
Tbs gaunt form Of the skipper was like I
skeletons. 90.
Meanwhile, still on through the colS
waters and among the bsrgs rushed thu
d groaning, creaking old iWhaler covered from
truck 10 deck with sheathing OF ice.
Louder than ever Toared the gale on th'
= third night after the frozen dog was las
: seen. t
The wind shrieked and hummed in In,
: rigging, and fragments Of ioe fell 10 the decl
with a tipkling, gathering sound.
The shiyering crew were huddled at when
suddenly, the man forward on the luol1 out
bounded up like black ball, yelling with