Adrift in the Ice-Fields | Page 9

if you never
come back--"
"There, there, Hughie, old fellow, don't go mad with your foolish fears.
Pray for yourself and us, if you please, for it is a terrible night, and we
may well stand in need of prayer; but do your duty like a man. Stand in
your place until I summon you, and then come, if a score of ghosts
stand in the way."
The next second Hughie stood alone, watching the tremulous radiance
of the mysterious beacon, which La Salle rapidly approached, not
without fear, it may be, but with a settled determination superior to the
weakness which he felt, for the danger, exposure, and settled fears of
his companion had almost transmitted their contagion to his own mind.
As he drew nearer, however, the apparition resolved itself into a large
reflecting lantern, suspended from a pole, in the hands of Captain Lund,
who had headed a party to assist their friends to find the shore. The
approach of our hero was not at first noticed, as he came up the bank a
little to the rear of the party.

"I'm sure, gentlemen, I don't know what to advise; and yet we can't let
them perish on the floes. We had better get the guns, and build a
bonfire on the cape below; perhaps they may see it; but it wasn't for
nothing that I saw those men the other night. Poor La Salle laughed at it,
but if he was here now--"
[Illustration: CAPT. LUND HEADED A PARTY TO ASSIST THEIR
FRIENDS. Page 32.]
"He is here, captain, thanks to your lantern, although Hughie, who is
out on the ice yonder, shivering with fright and fear, vowed that it was
the 'Packet Light,' and would scarcely let me come to see what it was.
But this is no time to tell long stories; so I'll give the signal at once."
Creamer, fearfully watching the luminous spot, saw suddenly beside a
jet of red flame, as the heavy gun roared the welcome signal that all
was well; and scarcely a half moment later a still heavier report called
the perplexed and wearied party to the shore, where they found
themselves but about ten minutes' walk from the house.
Half an hour later, the bustling housewife summoned them to the
spacious table, which was crowded with a profusion of smoking-hot
viands, among which two huge geese, roasted to a turn, attracted the
attention of all. Mr. Risk saw the inquiring looks of the others, and
"rose to explain."
"Davies and I claim 'first blood,' as you see, having killed this pair,
which, early in the morning, flew in from the westward, and were just
lighting among our decoys, when we each dropped our bird. We came
in early, seeing the storm brewing, and, being warned by Indian Peter,
we escaped much inconvenience, if not danger, and were able to supply
a brace of hot geese for supper. We shall expect a similar contribution
to the general comfort from each party in rotation, in accordance with
the ancient usage of professors of our venerable and honorable mystery.
"Well, Lund," he continued, "the omen is not yet verified, although the
party was nearly lost, and would have been altogether, if Hughie here
had had his way, when he took your lantern for a ghost."

"Well, it does seem foolish, now that it is all over; but I have seen the
'Packet Light' myself too often not to believe in it, and so I was as
simply frightened at the captain's lantern as the people of Loughrea
were at Matthew Collins's ghost."
La Salle noted the look of annoyance which clouded the usually placid
brow of their host, and hastened to allay the threatened storm. Rising
from his seat, he begged the attention of the company.
"As we are to spend our evenings together for some weeks, it seems to
me that it would not be a bad plan to require of each of our company, in
rotation, some tale of wonder or personal adventure. Hughie has just
referred to what must be an interesting and little known local legend of
his mother isle. I move that we adjourn to the kitchen, and pass an hour
in listening to it."
The proposition met with general favor, and rising, the company passed
into the unplastered kitchen, through whose thin walls and poorly
seasoned sashes came occasional little puffs of the furious wind, which
whistled and howled like a demon without. The gunners seated
themselves around the huge fireplace, in which a pile of dried gnarled
roots filled the room with light and warmth, and lighting pipe or cigar,
as fancy dictated, gave a respectful attention to the promised story.
As will be gathered from the preceding conversation, Creamer spoke
excellent English, but as