The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-06-04

through the haze. II was quite as
thick as IL had been for the last eight
hours, yet there was whiteness in il
at strange variance with the night.
"Listenl" commanded Potter, and
raised bis hand.
The faint clatter of a falling stream
grew upon their ears-the hustle and
splash of a miniature waterfall find
ing its way to the seas from the sum
nit of an iceberg. And the berg was
even then upon them
In the fog doomed of sudden vast
moving shape. 1t whitened the mist
which chung about it like a ghostly veil
and its peak lowered far above the
Naliant's topmast.
"She's got usl" cried old Andrew
"Stand by the doriesl" shouted the
skipper.
There was jarring crash. The little
schooner had run her nose upon a spur
of the berg. She shook from truck to
heel. The next swell threw her for
ward on her knees, as it were, and
then, splintering and crashing, the dis
placed ice began to fall upon and about
| her.
The men worked like mad to launch
the dories, but one after another was
dashed to pieces or swept away and
swallowed up in the suddenly angered
sea. A great piece of the berg fell
across the schooner's deck, carrying
away the roof of her house and STAYING
in her sides. The sea rushed into the
gap.
Four men in a tossing dory saw this
death blow delivered. They were all
that were left OF the Valiant's crew
ahoat in the ice-pack without food,
feted the fragile craft numerically.
She'll last about ten minutes at this
rate" said Potter, calmly. eve must
ease her, boys. Andrew. grab that cake
it'll hold us all. So! Now, Herman,
jump ashore"
whats the use?" growled the cook,
obeying the order.
Don't croak," said Potter. He had
them all out upon the cake and the
dory hauled up also in three minutes.
Old Andrew was inclined to continue
his eroakings.
about one chance in a thousan' of
aour gittin' aout o. this alive" he said.
well take that thousandth chance"
reioined Potter. briskly.
"How long d'yeou s'pose this chunk
of ice is goin' to hold together?' the
old cook demanded.
81 don't know. When ii breaks up
We'll take another. We've got the dory
yet"
The cook shook his head. Two hun
dred miles from the fishing grounds, al
most as far from any land, and well
out of the course Of the steamships-it
was truly one chance in a thousand.
They crouched together in the boat
till dawn. Their bodies became chilled
20 the bone. The dampness and cold
seemed 10 penetrate the planks of the
dory and they might as we'll have lain
upon the bare ice itself. Old Andrew
became well-night crippled with rheu-
The fog lifted bit when the sun
arose, and they were able to view sew
eral hundred square yards of the ice
pack. The cakes were rubbing close to-
gether, occasionally separating for
little, only to crash again with fearful
force, the heavier grinding the smaller
to powder. The four castaways could
see the berg itself not far away; but
the schooner had disappeared.
AS soon as Potter obtained q sight of
the berg he became anxious to reach ii.
1t was not very tall, but was of con-
siderable circumference, and upon one
side was a plain several feet above the
sea and an acre or two in extent. If
they could once reach this they would
be in comparative safety until the berg
floated far enough south for the de-
structive warm currents to have a seri-
Gus effect upon the ice. But between
them and the berg death lurked in
every crowding, shifting cake.
ITS temptin' Providence" objected
the cook. Let we'll enough be, skip
per-" Old Andrew was a good deal of
n fataist, but he influenced the other
two men strongly.
at will be our salvation if we reach
that berg" declared Potter.
Were well enough here" growled
one of the others. 1--WE can starve Just
as well here us yonder."
Look herel" cried Potter, decisively,
"rm captain here yet, | reckon. jest
as longs a stick o. the Valiant holds
together, or one o. her boats, I'm in
command. An by holy! propose that
y QUILL obey me. Move sharp, now, you
fellers, an get ready to launch this
boat"
Amid much grumbling he was obeyed.
Tom Potter was not man to be trified
with. As the cake on which they floated
swung clear from its sister cakes for
they dropped the dory into the
water and tumbied into her. The seats,
from their places, were their
paddles and they forced the frail and
overloaded boat -four In a dory is n
dangerous number) through the mar
row lanes between the cakes.
Under the spur of Potter's voice the
two younger men piled their rude pad
dies madiy. The cook could do little,
because Of his swollen joints, and when
The ice shut in upon them and Potter
and the other two leaped out, they
dragged the dory with the old man still
IN it, upon the ice.
Leave me an look out for your
selves, boys" said he, with a groan.
"Nonsensel You'll cook aboard the
new Valiant III have built, come next
season" declared Potter.