The Ice Pilot

age of discovery and profit, and he had acted outside the law in order to obtain a crew. This was not unusual upon the Coast of Barbary. Stirling, as honest a

, and Stirling leaned back, dropping his eyes to the rug at hi

nly one, that we took matters in our own hands and obtained a complete cr

lanced up.

ll attest to my financial responsibility. Roth & Co. have outfitted the Pole Star. They know me! I'll take Mr. Cushner's word that you are a first-class ice pilot. You sign on with me and I'll see that y

oned. The amount was at least a capta

uits me. But one thing-I'm plain spoken-is this shi

you ask?" he said, stroking his V

n on with one of Larribee's ships. Larribee kno

mise you that there will be no regrets. All's honest and aboveboard. Whitehouse-Mr. Whitehouse is an English ge

"I'll have to get my dunnage bag.

tend to

entirely outfitted?" he asked, professiona

s. Papers, everything, all right to clear. Some of the crew have be

"Too fine a ship to buck the old floes wit

rr. "Write me out an order for your bag. I'll

assed it over to Marr, who touched a button at the end of the piano. A ne

ons. Stirling, whose ears were sharp, caught a command

is ear cocked toward the deck beams. A shuffling of feet sounded overhead as men sprang do

said the captain. "We

square block of a man, with long arms and a pair of bushy brows which t

se," Marr introduced, with a comprehensive

red. His tanned features and knotted hands, his quick manner and alert stride, spoke the Dundee and Gr

p's completely outfitted with seamen

eturning with a tray and a bottle. Setting these down on a

eyes, "let's look over the chart. You, Stirling

e tasted this, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then leaned forw

ands. The ice will lie about here, and the bowhead can't go north till it

ther whaling spo

arrow-I've caught late whales at the Point. Then there's the lane between the grounded ice floes and the coast, all the way to the mou

e to the Siberian shore? I've heard of catches in the Gulf of Anadir.

adir was close indeed to Russia. It was a favourite sealing ground; few whales were to be found there. The s

ten to anything that year. The second time was in the old Norwhale-Captain Gully commanding. We fastened to

you d

was late in July when we broke through and reached Bering Strait. We got nothing but some trade stuff from the nativ

like to try for the Gulf of Ana

sealing ground in all the world-outside of the Pribilofs. It belonged to Ru

yly. "There's plenty of seals

ravelled the circle and rested upon the cha

them Russians got all them nice little pelts. What's the 'arm in lookin'

Stirling can put us through the early ice. We'll skirt the Siberian shore

he chart, then fastened a penetrating glance which bored into the

u anywhere. We're all together. I see

to follow the skipper, here, and keep our

Marr's face, which l

hand out, palm upward. "Well spoken,"

whirl of his hands, then rose and star

ng aboard?" the li

nt we can on the Siberian coast or at Unalaska. The bunkers are chockablock, but you know that ice work takes the stea

d and smiled at a memory-"there's a spot on the coast east of Point Barrow where we can dig out all the coal we need. I know it. I was

here. Now everybody stand up and we'll drink a final toa

of bone!" Stir

glass. "I'd say," he muttered, "that there's a better toast. L

e to face about him. The circle of men who comprised the afterguard of the Pole Star woul

tepped toward the after bulkhead of the

ship, sounded, and this was followed by steps on the deck overhea

ward, his hand lifted for silence. There came a kno

d. "Get to your bunks and turn in. I'l

ist where the shadow of the dark deck house lay across the planks, two riding lights shone through t

?" asked Stirlin

ong, pointed beard, then turned and stared at the lo

enger!"

asse

a woman's. At least, it sounded that wa

ll they are,"