CHAPTER X.

UNDER THE ICE BARRIER.

Roger was astounded.

“Go aboard with you?” he exclaimed.

“Yes.”

“You don’t mean it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But perhaps you can explain how I can accomplish that eat?”

“In a patent diving suit of mine.”

“Oh!”

The young man drew a deep breath.

“How many more wonderful inventions have you got, Mr. Reade?” he asked. “You are the wonder of the age.”

“Come with me!” cried Frank, phlegmatically.

He led Roger into the vestibule.

Here the diving suits hung.

“Are you at all used to being under water?” he asked.

“Well, I am a good swimmer!” replied Roger.

“Ah! but do you think you could stand the pressure?”

“I don’t see why.”

“All right!”

Frank took down from the hook one of the suits.

“Put this on,” he said.

Roger at once obeyed.

In a few moments they were arrayed in the suits.

Then Frank shouted to Barney:

“Keep the search-light well on the hulk.”

“Ay, ay, sor!” replied the Celt.

Frank then opened the valve and proceeded to fill the vestibule with water.

This accomplished, he opened the outer door and walked out on deck.

Roger followed him.

Frank walked along the railed platform and threw over the gang ladder.

Down this they climbed and started for the hulk.

Frank reached it first and paused at a breach in the side.

It seemed large enough for him to pass through.

The electric light on his helmet illuminated the interior of the vessel.

Frank saw the main deck strewn with barrels, boxes, and old lumber.

He at once passed through and was in the vessel.

Roger followed him slowly.

As yet there had been nothing discovered which would lead to the identification of the vessel.

But as he was crossing the main deck on his way to the cabin Frank came upon a ghastly sight.

Flat upon the deck lay the grinning skull and bones of a man.

Frank stepped over them and reached the cabin door.

He passed through.

The cabin showed that it had been luxuriously furnished.

Upon the walls hung a variety of nautical instruments, and also a variety of firearms.

These were nearly consumed with rust.

There were several paintings, but the canvas had rotted through, and little crabs played hide and seek in the corners of the frames.

But upon the cabin table lay a long telescope and a brass-bound chest.

This Frank knew was such as the log-book of a ship is usually kept in.

At the table was a chair.

In the seat of this was a heap of bones. The skull lay face up.

Evidently a man had sat at the table when the ship went down.

There was no doubt in Frank’s mind but that this was the ship of some exploring party.

He knew that the latitude was such as is rarely attempted by the whaler or ordinary ship.

Frank picked up the box and tried the lock.

Time had rusted it and it yielded.

Opening it, Frank saw what he had expected.

This was a log-book.

Strange to say, the brass box had been water-tight and the log-book was in a perfect state of preservation.

Had Frank known this he would not have opened the box to let the water soak the book.

But curiosity overcame his scruples and he turned the leaves of the book.

The water magnified the letters and he read the writing in a large coarse hand.

Thus it read:

“SATURDAY, December 10, 18––.

“A bitter day for all. No sign of the ice breaking up, and we are plainly in for another winter. Oh, the horrors of this awful life of solitude!

“Three years cast away in this accursed region! Oh, for a chance for life! Alas! none of us, the three survivors of the crew of the Arabella (the ship sent by the American Exploration Company to the North Pole), may never hope to see home again.

“It is a week ago to-day since Captain Cliff suicided. Driven to madness by the horrors of this fate, he took his own life.

“December 15th.--This has been a week of suffering, of mad freaks, and of horror. Benton, the mate, went insane, and for an hour we had all we could do to prevent his cutting his throat. Poor fellow! The end is near.

December 20th.--Another week has dragged by. Yesterday poor O’Byrne died. His body yet lies on the main deck. I am the only survivor. Ye gods! This stark solitude will drive me mad yet. I think I shall try to make a trip across the ice and join a band of Esquimaux. Once to-day the ship heaved and seemed likely to go down.”

The journal ended here.

Frank did not go back further in the book for more particulars.

He had already learned the most that it was necessary for him to.

He knew the name of the ship and the mission of the crew, which was to find the North Pole.

It was only one more instance of the folly of fitting out Arctic expeditions with wooden ships.

This was only one of the many rotting hulks which lay at the bottom of the Arctic.

Frank put his helmet close to Roger’s and shouted:

“Well, have you seen enough?”

“Yes,” replied Roger.

“Sad fate for them.”

“You are right.”

“We will look through the ship a little, and then go back to the Explorer.”

“All right.”

Frank led the way up the cabin stairs and onto the upper deck.

Everything betokened utter desolation and decay.

There was nothing of value worth carrying away.

The scene was one most depressing to the mind, and Frank turned from it with a sense of sickness most intense.

He clambered down the ship’s side and was once more upon the bed of the ocean.

In a few moments, with Roger at his side, he reached the Explorer.

Entering the vestibule, Frank turned the pump valve and pumped the water out of the compartment.

Then he removed his diving suit.

Roger did likewise.

The young man was enthusiastic.

“Wonderful experience!” he cried; “truly I am a fortunate man to have been given the opportunity.”

Frank gave Barney directions to go ahead.

Then he went back to the cabin.

The Explorer once more went on its submarine course.

Frank drew out a number of charts and spread them upon the table.

Roger bent over them with him.

“Can you tell how far we are from the Pole now, Mr. Reade?” he asked.

“I think I can,” replied Frank. “We are not more than three hundred miles, to my reckoning.”

“Three hundred miles?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! then we ought to be near the open sea?”

“We should be in twelve hours.”

“How have you laid your course?”

“Follow this line!” said Frank, “by Baffin Bay, through Smith’s Sound, and straight up through a deep and wide channel, which has doubtless been for ages blocked with ice.”

“And which has been the real barrier to reaching the Pole?”

“Exactly!”

“I shall look forward eagerly to the hour when we shall enter the open sea!”

“Well, in twelve hours I shall make the attempt to do so.”

“Good!”

A short while later all had retired except Barney.

He was at the wheel.

In six hours he would be relieved by Pomp.

And while the voyagers slept the submarine boat was making rapid progress through the Arctic sea.

In six hours all were again astir.

This was as much sleep as they seemed to care for. Their position at the bottom of the ocean did not seem conducive to sleep.

As for Roger, he was too excited to rest for long.

Time passed very rapidly on board the Explorer.

There was always some new incident occurring of startling interest.

The twelve hours had passed and Frank began to make observations.

He threw the glare of the search-light upward.

The waters were pierced for a long distance, but yet it could not be seen whether ice was over them or not.

Finally Frank turned the pump valve and the boat began to slowly rise.

Up it went.

In a few moments the water seemed to lighten.

Then Frank cried:

“Hurrah! We have come to open water!”

This announcement that the Explorer had safely made the wonderful passage under the ice barrier was gratifying enough.

Cheers were given.

The next moment like a cork the Explorer popped to the surface.

The scene spread to view was a wonderful and enchanting one.

They were upon the bosom of a wide and tranquil sea.

In the distance far to the eastward there was a faint line of white.

This was the region of ice.

The air was less keen, and seemed to be getting milder as they went on.

Flocks of geese were flying overhead, and the doubt was settled that they were really in the open Polar Sea.

From all ages there had come a tradition of the existence of this sea.

It had been furthermore claimed by reputable men that here was a small continent where the climate was mild and equable the year round.

Legends also existed of the presence of a wonderful race in this out-of-the-way part of the world.

Whether this was true or not, subsequent adventures in the open Polar Sea were destined to show.