Under the Polar Star; or, The Young Explorers

He burst into the house just as his father and mother were sitting down to their humble evening meal, and wondering what had detained him so long beyond his usual time.

Those on board the Arctic had due warning, and, although the ship was badly shattered, the crew got it in order to run the dangerous course the chopping sea opened to it.

Will Bertram dodged aside as he was walking along the wharf, near where the Golden Moose lay at anchorage and a broad rope-loop was thrown around a dock post from a yawl coming...

He called himself a ship carpenter, and he was one, for no member of that craft ever did finer work than that he was now engaged on. Before him, upon the bench, fast assuming ar...

“I won’t keep you in the dark speculating over what I mean,” said Alan. “Ambergris is a substance found in whales in very rare instances and only under certain conditions. It is...

Some ten feet away was daylight penetrating through the main aperture to the cave, while directly in front of him and against this light was the great, crouching body of the bea...

Will Bertram’s expressive face must have betrayed to Mr. Hunter that the stowaway was a friend, for that gentleman regarded Tom with a critical, amused smile, and then asked Will:

To the far south a level field of snow-covered ice seemed to reach, while on the east and west were towering walls of ice, between which an open sheet of water alone admitted of...

They had been enabled, when the waters grew calm, to creep upon the grating, but they were so chilled and exhausted that they were only conscious of suffering and misery.

Will Bertram had followed the Captain and Tom to the deck. As Morris flung the cabin boy with a violent jerk upon a pile of ropes he growled out, viciously:

“Well, I guess if we find Will Bertram we’ll place Tom Dalton,” said the mate, confidently. “Come, Jack, we won’t break our necks looking for the lads, but, of course, we must f...

“Tom! Tom!” cried Will, aroused to positive terror at his words; “you must get up and stir about. That’s just the way people freeze to death in this temperature. Once asleep, yo...

It did not take long for the excited party to learn that the ship, which now offered them a comfortable temporary home, was the Arctic, Captain John Smith, of Bedford.

“I don’t know whether I have done right or wrong in incurring Captain Morris’ enmity,” he soliloquized, “but I couldn’t stand it to see him abuse poor Tom, and I wouldn’t let hi...

Will Bertram studied his mother’s face searchingly as he sat down to breakfast that morning. The sad, patient features gave no indication of the decision arrived at regarding th...

There was no doubt of Will’s statement, for the form climbed astride the roof pole, and, as the howling of the wolves sounded below him, shook his fist in their direction.

He was about to descend as they had come, for the only way to carry out his plan was to go around some distance to where the cliffs were lower, when he paused.

Will began to reconnoitre at once, but he found that the distance from the windows to the ground was too great to encourage him to take a dangerous leap downwards.

One of the masts was broken, and whole parts of the deck had been swept away. The forward part of the ship dipped low, as though disabled, and its course was erratic and unguide...

A few days previous the little party would have been delighted at the discovery of a warm home and the various articles of utility and comfort with which the cabin abounded.

It was Alan Bertram, his long-lost brother, bronzed and bearded and changed, but the same kindly eyes beamed down on the happy Will, and the same hearty voice welcomed him.

The fire showed how frail the stability of Arctic home life was to those unused to it. Had they depended on the ship as a shelter, the present disaster would have made them enti...

“Yes; the lanterns are ready for an outward trip. Come, now’s our time to steal aboard. They’ve been making a lot of changes, just as if they were going on a long voyage.”

“Come out of that place, both of you,” said the boatswain. “You might hide away for a day or two, but not for two months. Here, lads, I’ll find a place where we can talk without...

“I don’t intend to. I intend to keep him a close prisoner for a few days, and no one must know of his being here. You understand, Jones?” he said, turning to the landlord.

“Yes, all but the Bertram mortgage. I ordered my lawyer to foreclose and sell old Bertram out. I’m glad I did now,” remarked Morris, with malignant satisfaction expressed on his...

“The two men who came from Watertown an hour since and went with a detective to the office of the insurance company and sent me here to watch for the yacht, don’t seem to think...

Investigation, however, proved the masses to be of ice or snow, and they abandoned this line of exploration until, as they came near the camp, Will made the discovery noted at t...

Jack Marcy had made a long, narrow sled by reconstructing the old one brought from the ship and placing most of their stores on this, and, seating themselves one behind the othe...

“When Captain Morris regains consciousness he will fly with his associates. The money, too!” cried Will. “Does it not belong to the Albatross, for he robbed the ship of its cargo?”

The settlement had numerous Esquimaux among its population, and several of these and members of the crew of the ship at anchor soon gathered in the depot building, as it was cal...

“Yes, Will,” replied Alan, looking around to see that they were not observed. “That cask contains valuable property. No matter what just now. I brought it from the ship to here,...

“Yes. That will be paid over soon. I have converted all my other property into money, and we will leave Watertown before the truth is known. This boy also spoke of the Albatross...

For several minutes Will Bertram was kept busy answering his brother’s rapid questions. He told Alan of all that had occurred, and the latter expressed the keenest satisfaction...

“In the hold, where you and your mate were two hours since, and where I overheard your plot to sink the ship and trust to the long-boat to get ashore.”

“There may not be a house within a hundred miles, and there may be one within ten. All we can do is to struggle on, and as it’s getting night and looks like snow, we had better...

Willis and Tom and Hugo were also there, and, when the first raptures of welcome had subsided, the boys retired to a corner and talked over their past adventures, while the olde...

“He said what was false, lad. I happened to overhear him talking on the Golden Moose with the mate one day, and it verified a suspicion I had formed when I noticed how familiar...

“It is an ice hut, sure enough,” he said, quite excitedly, “but it is probably a long time since it was used. Let us get to work at it and see if it is habitable.”