But the longer he looked, the more apparent became the fact.
Hatteras was chagrined beyond measure. A European here, so near the Pole!
The footprints extended for about a quarter of a mile, and then diverged to the west. Should the travellers follow them further?
"No," said Hatteras, "let us go on."
He was interrupted by an exclamation from the Doctor, who had just picked up an object that gave still more convincing proof of European origin. It was part of a pocket spy-gla.s.s!
"Well, if we still had any doubts about the footmarks, this settles the case at once, at any rate," said Clawbonny.
"Forward!" exclaimed Hatteras so energetically, that instinctively each one obeyed, and the march was resumed forthwith.
The day wore away, but no further sign of the presence of suspected rivals was discovered, and they prepared to encamp for the night.
The tent was pitched in a ravine for shelter, as the sky was dark and threatening, and a violent north wind was blowing.
"I"m afraid we"ll have a bad night," said Johnson.
"A pretty noisy one, I expect," replied the Doctor, "but not cold. We had better take every precaution, and fasten down our tent with good big stones."
"You are right, Mr. Clawbonny. If the hurricane swept away our tent, I don"t know where we should find it again."
[Ill.u.s.tration: ]
The tent held fast, but sleep was impossible, for the tempest was let loose and raged with tremendous violence.
"It seems to me," said the Doctor, during a brief lull in the deafening roar," as if I could hear the sound of collisions between icebergs and ice-fields. If we were near the sea, I could really believe there was a general break-up in the ice."
"I can"t explain the noises any other way," said Johnson.
"Can we have reached the coast, I wonder?" asked Hatteras.
"It is not impossible," replied Clawbonny. "Listen! Do you hear that crash? That is certainly the sound of icebergs falling. We cannot be very far from the ocean."
"Well, if it turn out to be so, I shall push right on over the ice-fields."
"Oh, they"ll be all broken up after such a storm as this. We shall see what to-morrow, brings; but all I can say is, if any poor fellows are wandering about in a night like this, I pity them.
The storm lasted for ten hours, and the weary travellers anxiously watched for the morning. About daybreak its fury seemed to have spent itself, and Hatteras, accompanied by Bell and Altamont, ventured to leave the tent. They climbed a hill about three hundred feet high, which commanded a wide view. But what a metamorphosed region met their gaze! All the ice had completely vanished, the storm had chased away the winter, and stripped the soil everywhere of its snow covering.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Three hours afterwards they arrived at the coast, and shouted simultaneously, "The sea! the sea!"--P.206]
But Hatteras scarcely bestowed a glance on surrounding objects; his eager gaze was bent on the northern horizon, which appeared shrouded in black mist.
"That may very likely be caused by the ocean," suggested Clawbonny.
"You are right. The sea must be there," was the reply.
"That tint is what we call the blink of open water," said Johnson.
"Come on, then, to the sledge at once, and let us get to this unknown ocean," exclaimed Hatteras.
Their few preparations were soon made, and the march resumed. Three hours afterwards they arrived at the coast, and shouted simultaneously, "The sea! the sea!"
"Ay, and open sea!" added Hatteras.
And so it was. The storm had opened wide the Polar Basin, and the loosened packs were drifting in all directions. The icebergs had weighed anchor, and were sailing out into the open sea.
This new ocean stretched far away out of sight, and not a single island or continent was visible.
On the east and west the coast formed two capes or headlands, which sloped gently down to the sea. In the centre, a projecting rock formed a small natural bay, sheltered on three sides, into which a wide river fell, bearing in its bosom the melted snows of winter.
After a careful survey of the coast, Hatteras determined to launch the sloop that very day, and to unpack the sledge, and get everything on board. The tent was soon put up, and a comfortable repast prepared. This important business despatched, work commenced; and all hands were so expeditious and willing, that by five
[Ill.u.s.tration: ]
o"clock nothing more remained to be done. The sloop lay rocking gracefully in the little bay, and all the cargo was on board except the tent, and what was required for the night"s encampment.
The sight of the sloop suggested to Clawbonny the propriety of giving Altamont"s name to the little bay. His proposition to that effect met with unanimous approval, and the port was forthwith dignified by the t.i.tle of Altamont Harbour.
According to the Doctor"s calculations the travellers were now only 9 distant from the Pole. They had gone over two hundred miles from Victoria Bay to Altamont Harbour, and were in lat.i.tude 87 5" and longitude 118 35".
CHAPTER XXI.
THE OPEN SEA.
Next morning by eight o"clock all the remaining effects were on board, and the preparations for departure completed. But before starting the Doctor thought he would like to take a last look at the country and see if any further traces of the presence of strangers could be discovered, for the mysterious footmarks they had met with were never out of his thoughts. He climbed to the top of a height which commanded a view of the whole southern horizon, and took out his pocket telescope. But what was his astonishment, to find he could see nothing through it, not even neighbouring objects. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but with no better result. Then he began to examine the telescope, the object gla.s.s was gone!
The object gla.s.s! This explained the whole mystery, foot-prints and all; and with a shout of surprise he hurried down the hill to impart his discovery to the wondering companions, who came running towards him, startled by his loud exclamation, and full of anxiety at his precipitate descent.
"Well, what is the matter now?" said Johnson.
The Doctor could hardly speak, he was so out of breath. At last he managed to gasp out--
"The tracks, footmarks, strangers."
"What?" said Hatteras, "strangers here?"
"No, no, the object gla.s.s; the object gla.s.s out of my telescope."
[Ill.u.s.tration: ]
And he held out his spy-gla.s.s for them to look at.
"Ah! I see," said Altamont; "it is wanting."