CHAPTER XXIV: A FRIGHT IN THE NIGHT.
“For de love of Mike, what’s de matter?�
Noddy yelled out the inquiry above the uproar.
“Look! Noddy, look!� cried Raynor suddenly.
Circling round the room, at about six feet above the ground, were two glowing fiery eyes.
Even the boys were alarmed at this. Suddenly, too, their scalps tightened as a diabolical scream rang through the hut. It sounded like the wail of a lost soul.
“Jiminy crickets!� cried Noddy, “I never believed in spooks before but I do now.� The circling eyes glared at them and then dashed on through the darkness. Again came that piercing scream.
“I can’t stand this,� gasped Raynor, “light the lantern.�
“I-I-fergit where I put de matches,� chattered Noddy.
Luckily, Raynor had some in his pockets. In a moment he had the lantern lighted, and the place flooded with radiance. Then it was that both boys looked rather shamefaced. What had alarmed them so was nothing more than a big white arctic owl that had blundered into the hut through the unglazed window. As the light flared up, it uttered another wild shriek, and dashed out the same way it had entered.
“Well, what d’ye know about that?� exclaimed Noddy. “I thought sure that fer once we had a real sure-enuff ghost on our hands. Get up there, Pompey, your ghost was only an owl.�
Pompey, his black face still twitching with alarm, drew his head out of the blankets.
“It weren’t no hant?� he asked tremulously.
“No, only an old owl. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?� said Raynor.
“Well, sir, it peared, to me from what I could obfustacate dat I wasn’ de onlyest one in dis hut dat was scared inter an ager chill, no, sir.�
“I guess he’s got it on us dere,� laughed Noddy. “You looked as white as a sheet of paper when you lighted that lamp, Raynor.�
“I’ll admit I couldn’t account for those fiery eyes or that terrible scream,� rejoined Raynor with a grin.
They hung a blanket across the window so as to guard against any more midnight intruders. Soon they were all asleep again. No more untoward incidents occurred, and at daybreak they were astir.
After breakfast they took the dory, in which Pompey and Noddy had landed, and rowed round to Raynor’s camp, which they found undisturbed. Looking seaward, they met with a surprise. They had fully expected to see that the Polly Ann had sunk. But she lay just as she had on the previous day. In fact, although the boys did not know it just then, the current had swung her hull upon a submerged reef which kept her from sinking any deeper.
It was not a long task to dismantle Raynor’s camp and set his dory afloat. The load of provisions, etc., was divided between the two boats.
“What’s the matter with paying a visit to the Polly Ann?� suggested Raynor when they had finished. “It’s odd that she’s still afloat.�
“We might get a chance to get some more grub,� added Noddy. “We need all we can get with three mouths to feed and no knowing how long we’ll be stuck in dis place.�
So it was arranged to row out to the stranded vessel. Once alongside, it did not take the boys long to discover the reason of the Polly Ann’s still being on the top of the water.
“If bad weather doesn’t come, she’ll stay here indefinitely,� declared Raynor. “We can visit her here every day and get what we want.�
“Dat’s so,� agreed Noddy, “it’s a lucky ting, dat reef wuz dere.�
They worked briskly and busily about the schooner and soon had the dories loaded as heavily as they dared. Another thing they noticed that pleased them. The drift ice was on the move.
On every side came sharp reports like pistol shots as it broke up and drifted, or else crashed together. But it was moving southward with a vast concerted motion that meant that ships could approach the island, and was a welcome sign to the beleagured adventurers.
By noon they were ready for the row back to Camp Hope, which was accomplished without incident. While Pompey cooked a bountiful dinner, the boys scrambled to a rocky peak near the hut.
“We’ll put up a flag here,� declared Raynor, “that will be visible from all sides of the island.�
This necessitated another trip to the schooner after the noon-day meal. The boys towed back an extra spar, which made a fine flagstaff. To it, before they set it up, they nailed the United States ensign upside down.
“Anyone seeing that will know there are shipwrecked mariners here,� declared Raynor when the job was finished.
“Well, dey kaint come too quick fo’ dis chile,� grinned Pompey.
But the weary days went by and no sign of aid came. They spent the time transferring all they could from the Polly Ann to the shore while the fine weather lasted, for the schooner was showing signs of breaking up, and the first gale would demolish her.
“If only there was some way of communicating with the outside world,� sighed Raynor one evening after supper, when they had all sat silent for a time. There was no need for anyone to ask the other what he was thinking of.
“Gee, yes,â€� exclaimed Noddy, “if only we had one of dem wireless chatter machines we—what’s de matter?â€� for Raynor had slapped his thigh loudly and sprung to his feet with a whoop.
“What a chump I am,� he fairly shouted.
“I know dat, but what’s de special occasion?� grinned Noddy.
“Why, we have got one.�
“One what—a fit?â€�
“No a wireless outfit.�
“Chee, you must have bats in your belfry. What are youse goin’ ter do, wireless wid yer fingers?�
“No, with a proper apparatus.�
Noddy rapped his head with his knuckles in a significant way. Then he sighed profoundly.
“Too bad and him so young,� he said to Pompey.
“I’m not crazy,� cried Raynor joyfully.
“There’s a complete wireless set on the Polly Ann! I’d forgotten all about it up to now, and what’s more, I can use it.�
“What’s dat?� cried Noddy, “say, pal, give us yer flipper. I see where we do a sneak from this island before we’re a week older. Me fer de wireless every time.�