uly and August,--the days are
growing shorter again. "Will nobody come and take care of me, and cut
off these horrid blocks of ice, and see to these sides of bacon in the
hold, and all these mouldy sails, and this powder, and the bread and the
spirit that I have kept for them so well? It is September, and the sun
begins to set again. And here is another of those awful gales. Will it
be my very last? I all alone here,--who have done so much,--and if they
would only take care of me I can do so much more. Will nobody come?
Nobody?... What! Is it ice blink,--are my poor old lookouts blind? Is
not there the 'Intrepid'? Dear 'Intrepid,' I will never look down on you
again! No! there is no smoke-stack, it is not the 'Intrepid.' But it is
somebody. Pray see me, good somebody. Are you a Yankee whaler? I am glad
to see the Yankee whalers. I remember the Yankee whalers very
pleasantly. We had a happy summer together once.... It will be dreadful
if they do not see me! But this ice, this wretched ice! They do see
me,--I know they see me, but they cannot get at me. Do not go away, good
Yankees; pray come and help me. I know I can get out, if you will help a
little.... But now it is a whole week and they do not come! Are there
any Yankees, or am I getting crazy? I have heard them talk of crazy old
ships, in my young days.... No! I am not crazy. They are coming! they
are coming. Brave Yankees! over the hummocks, down into the sludge. Do
not give it up for the cold. There is coal below, and we will have a
fire in the Sylvester, and in the captain's cabin.... There is a horrid
lane of water. They have not got a Halkett. O, if one of these boats of
mine would only start for them, instead of lying so stupidly on my deck
here! But the men are not afraid of water! See them ferry over on that
ice block! Come on, good friends! Welcome, whoever you be,--Dane, Dutch,
French, or Yankee, come on! come on! It is coming up a gale, but I can
bear a gale. Up the side, men. I wish I could let down the gangway
alone. But here are all these blocks of ice piled up,--you can scramble
over them! Why do you stop? Do not be afraid. I will make you very
comfortable and jolly. Do not stay talking there. Pray come in. There is
port in the captain's cabin, and a little preserved meat in the pantry.
You must be hungry; pray come in! O, he is coming, and now all four are
coming. It would be dreadful if they had gone back! They are on deck.
Now I shall go home! How lo