Page 121 of 159 CHAPTER XX, “UNMERCIFUL DISASTER” - An Antarctic Mystery

“I ought to treat you as evil-doers; however, I will only consider you as madmen! The boat belongs to everybody. It is now our only means of salvation, and you wanted to steal it—to steal it like cowards! Listen attentively to what I say for the last time! This boat, belonging to the Halbrane, is now the Halbrane herself! I am the captain of it, and let him who disobeys me, beware !”

With these last words Captain Len Guy looked at Hearne, for whom this warning was expressly meant. The sealing-master had not appeared in the last scene, not openly at least, but nobody doubted that he had urged his comrades to make off with the boat, and that he had every intention of doing the same again.

“Now to the camp,” said the captain, “and you, Dirk Peters, remain here!”

The half-breed’s only reply was to nod his big head and betake himself to his post.

The crew returned to the camp without the least hesitation. Some lay down in their sleeping-places, others wandered about. Hearne neither tried to join them nor to go near Martin Holt.

Now that the sailors were reduced to idleness, there was nothing to do except to ponder on our critical situation, and invent some means of getting out of it.

The captain, the mate, and the boatswain formed a council, and I took part in their deliberations.Captain Len Guy began by saying,—

“We have protected our boat, and we shall continue to protect it.”

“Until death,” declared West.

“Who knows,” said I, “whether we shall not soon be forced to embark?”

“In that case,” replied the captain, “as all cannot fit into it, it will be necessary to make a selection. Lots shall determine which of us are to go, and I shall not ask to be treated differently from the others.”

“We have not come to that, luckily,” replied the boatswain. “The iceberg is solid, and there is no fear of its melting before winter.”

“No,” assented West, “that is not to be feared. What it behoves us to do is, while watching the boat, to keep an eye on the provisions.”

“We are lucky,” added Hurllguerly, “to have put our cargo in safety. Poor, dear Halbrane. She will remain in these seas, like the fane, her elder sister!”

Yes, without doubt, and I thought so for many reasons, the one destroyed by the savages of Tsalal, the other by one of these catastrophes that no human power can prevent.

“You are right,” replied the captain, “and we must prevent our men from plundering. We are sure of enough provisions for one year, without counting what we may get by fishing.”

“And it is so much the more necessary, captain, to keep a close watch, because I have seen some hovering about the spirit casks.”

“I will see to that,” replied West.

“But,” I then asked, “had we not better prepare ourselves for the fact that we may be compelled to winter on this iceberg.”

“May Heaven avert such a terrible probability,” replied the captain.

		Violence is fear to others ideas and little faith to the owns. Antonio Fraguas Forges