!

Yes, mates, David Thomas, come to see his lawful wife, Rhoda Thomas, who
was married to him six months ago.

Rhoda put her finger on my arm, and I sat down like a lamb. It was
impossible to avenge her wrong.

"Be off out of this house, which you have brought ruin into!" says
Miller Howell, speaking to his son-in-law.

The lubber sheered off.

My mates, I can tell no more. We sat as we was, on that there sofa,
till sunset; and then--and then, poor Rhoda died in my arms!

Yes, mates, she dropped off to sleep; and, for all her miserable end,
she died happy indeed!

As for Hugh Anwyl, he went back to sea. But after every voyage he
returns to Glanwern churchyard, and he puts a bunch of flowers on a
grassy mound--for that is his only home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yes, that's all very pretty," cried the doctor, who had listened
attentively; "but in the name of Owen, Darwin, and Huxley; Hudson,
Franklin, Bellot, and Scoresby, how did you--Confound it! was ever
anything so provoking?"

"He ain't left so much as a tooth behind," said Binny Scudds, looking
down at the ice.

"But he had not discovered the Pole, my man. Here, search round; we may
find one who has been there; but I hope not. I believe, my lads, that
there is no Pole. That hollow there leads right into the centre of the
earth; or, through it, to the South Pole."

"Easily prove that ere, sir," said Binny Scudds.

"How, my man--how?" exclaimed the doctor, eagerly. "You unlettered men
sometimes strike upon rich veins."

"You go and stand by the mouth of the hole at the South Pole, while we
roll a big piece of ice down here. You could see, then, if it comed
through."

"Yes, we might try that, certainly," said the doctor, thoughtfully.
"But then I ought to be at the South Pole, and I'm here, you see. We
might roll that block down, though, and see the effect. Here,
altogether, my lads--heave!"

We all went up to a block about seven foot square; but it was too big
and heavy, and we could not make it budge an inch.

"Hold hard a minute," I said, and I scraped a hole beneath it, and
poured in a lot of powder.

"That's good," said the doctor. "That's scientific," and he stood
rubbing his hands while I made a slow match; connected it; lit it; and
then we all stood back, till, with a loud bang, the charge exploded,
lifting the block of ice up five or six feet, and then, in place of
splittin