The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-14
CHAPTER ri.
THE AURORA.

Il tell you, sir, the thing is beyond
human heln in the world. | would swear
TO that before God. But | think you must
know II as We'll as l do Captain War
ner, standing upon the AuroraS bridge,
was the speaker.
The TWO Fanshaws, father and SON
their faces gray with despair: turned
of loose. churning fleld-ice, Confirmed the
How long @g Tom Fanshaw began
rubbed them roughly with his hand How
long,' he repeated, shall we have TO
wait before it opens up?..
1t won't open up again this season
said the captain.
1T will freeze. though" Mr. Fanshaw
said freeze into solid pack that we
have TO walt for that?"
IT'S hard TO tell, Generally in this lati-
Iude the pack is pretty solid by the first
which caught Fielding's ship, which
caught the Walrus-the current which
makes, every summer apparently, that
long gap Of open water which enabled us
10 reach the land that Fielding reached
that current would keep loose fleld-ice
floating about for at least another
month"
Tow Fanshaws eyes had almost the
light of madness in them. But she can't
live a monthH he cried She's alone.
''The Walrus people doubtless left some
stores there, If she could find them, said
hope TO keep alive week"
Then" said Tom, in dull, passionate
rebe!lion-"then: in some way or other.
If you won't take the Aurora back III
take one of the little boats and go my
III you want to commit suicide" said
Captain Warner you could do 1t less
painfully with a revolver. The small boat
would not live thirty seconds after we
If you are not mad. AS for the Aurora
herself. II she had not been built the way
she is. she would have been crushed
hours, ago. And If l were to lower the
propeller and start the engines. they
would simply twist the screw off her be-
fore she had gone a ships length: and
finding open waller. We may never live
TO find il. but there's a chance that we
viii There are more than thirty lives
that ] am responsible for aboard this
yacht, and l mean TO live up 10 that re-
sponsibility. Ii we ever do find open wa
ter. then I'll do whatever you say. / Will
can winter there Then when, the pack
Is sold. II YOU can find dogs and sledges,
you can attempt. the journey. across the
ice. j don't believe II can he done. |
don't believe there is "A chance In hun
dred that any single member OF the party
that set out would live TO reach that
SlloIe- Lot. however Is not my aHdlf.
Or. II you wish. we can take the
yacht back 20 San Francisco. refit her
and come back next summer l think that
with our knowledge Of tho currents and
where the open water Is. we might get
back to Fielding Bay by the first OF July.
Then we can fnd-whatever there is TO
find
His own voice faltered there. and there
were tears In the deep weather beaten
burrows OF his cheeks. God knows he
concluded. IF there were any possible
chance would take II. but there is none
none in the world not unless we could
fly through the air.
II was only an hour since they had
ascertained. beyond the shadow of a
doubt, that Jeanne was not aboard the
Aurora Until Tom had recovered con-
sciousness, the others had entertained lit
tie doubt that she was safely hidden
some where about the ship.
They had had a grim night of IT, as
the condition OF the Aurora's decks when |
the dawn first frightened them. testified /
When the two parties, which had been |
re- unit ted by Cayley's efforts. had reached I
the shore on the previous evening. tho |
Yacht w;LA still invisible in the fog, and |