Chapter 36 Chapter 4 The First Tube of Gunpowder

Johnson makes room for exhausted dogs in the igloo; during heavy snowfalls, the snow acts as a blanket for the animal, retaining the animal's natural heat.But in the dry and cold open air at -40°C, these poor animals will freeze to death in a short time. Johnson, a very good dog trainer, tried to feed the dogs with gray-black seal meat, which the travelers could not eat, and to his surprise, the dogs regarded it as a delicacy; The phenomenon told the doctor. The doctor wasn't surprised at all; he knew that horses in North America depended on fish as their main diet, and horses, as herbivores, could do so, and dogs, carnivores, should have reason to do so.

Before going to sleep, though sleep was the paramount need of these men who had dragged fifteen miles on the ice, the doctor's remark to his companions about the present situation did not lessen its severity. We are still at eighty-two degrees north latitude, he said, and we are already running out of supplies! That's why we can't waste a second!Hatteras replied, should go forward!The strongest drags the weakest. Will we find a boat at the designated spot?Bell replied that the fatigue of the journey had worn him down, though he did not like it. Why doubt it?Johnson replied: The salvation of Americans is closely related to our salvation.

To be more certain, the doctor wanted to ask Altamon again.The latter spoke fluently, though in a faint voice; he confirmed all the details recently given; he reiterated that the ship was grounded on marble and would not move, that the longitude of the ship was one hundred and twenty degrees fifteen minutes, and the latitude eight Thirteen degrees thirty-five minutes. We cannot doubt this statement, the doctor went on, and the difficulty was not in finding the Perboise, and getting to that place. What food is left?Hatteras asked. Can eat food for three days at most, the doctor replied. Well then, get there in three days!said the captain firmly.

As it should, after all, the doctor said, if we succeeded we should have no complaints, for we had excellent weather.It had not snowed for fifteen days, and the sled ran easily on firm ice.ah!How difficult is it to pull two hundred pounds of food!Easy for our brave dogs!In short, if this is not the case, there is nothing we can do. With a little luck and tact, Johnson replied, couldn't we use the few remaining barrels of gunpowder?If we hit a bear, we have food for the rest of the trip. No doubt, replied the doctor, but these beasts are very rare, and they flee quickly, and, considering how vital it is to shoot, because the eyes are dizzy and the hands are shaking.

You're a seasoned gunslinger after all, Bell said. Yes, when four people's meals don't depend on my agility, but I'll do the best I can whenever I get the chance.In the mean time, my friends, we shall have a meager supper of dry meatloaves, sleep well, and continue our journey in the morning. After a while, excessive fatigue overcame all other considerations, and everyone fell into a deep sleep. Early Saturday morning Johnson woke his companions; the dogs were harnessed to the sleds and they continued north. The sky is magnificent, the atmosphere is exceptionally pure, and the temperature is very low; when the sun rises above the horizon, it is an elongated ellipse; its horizontal diameter, because of refraction, appears to be twice the vertical diameter; It casts clusters of bright but cold light across vast ice fields.This return of light, not heat, is exciting.

Gun in hand, the Doctor walked a nautical mile or two away, ignoring the cold and solitude; No more.That's very little, considering that a strong, vital beast like a polar bear usually only takes ten or twelve shots before it goes down. The ambition of the honest physician has not yet reached such a fearful game; a few hares, and two or three foxes will suffice, and will make a great supplement to the food. But on this day, even if he saw such an animal, he either couldn't get close, or was confused by refraction, he missed, and he spent a day of powder and bullet in vain. His companions trembled with hope at the sound of the shot, only to see him return with his head bowed.They didn't say anything.In the evening they lay down as usual, and put away their two quarters of food for the next two days.

The next day, the road became more and more difficult to walk.They didn't go, and the dogs they were dragging ate the seals' guts, and they started swallowing their leashes. Several foxes ran by at a distance from the sledge, and the doctor fired another shot in vain in pursuit of them, not daring to risk his last bullet and penultimate cartridge. At night they rested at the best hour; the travelers could not advance a step, and they were obliged to stop, though the way was illuminated by the beautiful aurora. The last meal was eaten in a cold tent on a Sunday night, and the atmosphere was very sad.If Heaven does not help these unfortunates, they are broken.

Hatteras didn't speak, Bell didn't think anymore, Johnson thought silently, but the doctor wasn't desperate yet. Johnson thought of digging a few traps during the night; he had no bait to put in them, and therefore had little hope of success with his invention, and he was right, for in the morning when he went to inspect his traps, he saw many Fox tracks, but not a single animal fell into the trap. He came back dejected.At this time, he saw a huge bear sniffing the smell of the sled less than a hundred meters away.The old sailor realized that Heaven had sent the unexpected beast to his door to kill; instead of calling his companions, he took the gun from the doctor's hand, and ran towards the bear.

He found the proper distance and took aim at it; but, as he pulled the trigger, he felt his arm tremble; his large leather gloves impeded his movement.He threw them away quickly, one hand gripping the gun tightly. Suddenly, he let out a cry of pain.The skin on his fingers was burned and stuck to the cold barrel, and the gun fell to the ground and flew out with a bump, the last bullet flying into the air. Hearing the noise, the doctor came running; he understood everything.He saw the beast go away quietly; Johnson was so desperate that he forgot the pain. I'm a real coward!He cried: A child who does not know how to suffer!I!I!At my age!

Well, think no more, Johnson, said the doctor, you'll be freezing; look, your hands are turning white; come on!bring it on! I am outraged at your care, Mr Crawburn!The boatswain replied, leave me alone! But come on, stubborn ones!or it will be too late! The doctor dragged the old sailor back into the tent, and told him to place his hands in a bowl of water, which was kept liquid by the heat of the stove, though cold; but as soon as Johnson put his hands in the water, the water froze instantly. up. You see, the doctor said, it's time to come back, or I'll have to amputate. Thanks to his care, after an hour there was no danger, but it was not easy, requiring constant rubbing to restore circulation to the old sailor's fingers.Doctors specifically told him to keep his hands away from the stove, whose heat could have serious consequences.

They had no breakfast this morning; there was nothing left of dry meatloaf, or bacon.Not a single cookie crumb; less than half a pound of coffee; should be satisfied with the piping hot drink, and they're on their way. No more food!Bell told Johnson, with an indescribable desperation in his tone. Believe in God, said the old sailor, He is too powerful to save us! ah!This Captain Hatteras!Bell added that he survived the previous voyages, that he was crazy!But he can't go back this time, we will never see our country again! Take courage, Bell!I admit that the captain was a brave man, but beside him was a man of great sailing experience. Dr. Crawford?Bell said. it's him!Johnson replied. What can he do in this situation?Bell retorted, shrugging his shoulders, can he turn ice into meat?Could it be that he is God and can perform miracles? not sure!The bosun replied to his companion's question, I believe him. Bell shook his head and fell back into complete silence, not even thinking about it. They walked less than three sea miles that day; at night, they didn't eat; the dogs almost killed each other; people felt the pain of hunger strongly. They don't see a single animal.But what's the use?Never hunt with a knife.Only Johnson, a nautical mile to leeward, thought he saw a bear trailing the unfortunate party. It spies on us!Surely, he thought, he took us as prey! But Johnson said nothing to his companions: in the evening, they rested as usual, with only coffee for dinner.These unfortunates felt that their eyes became alarmed, their minds tightened, they were tortured with hunger, and could not sleep for an hour, while strange and painful dreams occupied their minds. In a latitude where the body's need for comfort is so great, unlucky people have not eaten for thirty-six hours when morning comes.But inspired by courage and superhuman will, they hit the road again, pushing the sled that the dogs could no longer pull. Two hours later, they fell.exhausted. Hatteras wanted to go further.Always full of energy, he begged, begged his companions to rise; it was the impossible to ask! So, with Johnson's help, he dug a snow house on an iceberg.The two were working as if they were digging their own graves. I'd rather starve, said Hatteras, than freeze to death. After brutal and exhausting labor, the igloo was built and the whole team settled in it. Thus passed the day.At night, when his companions were motionless, Johnson had a hallucination; he dreamed of giant bears. The word was repeated by him so often that it attracted the attention of the doctor, who, coming out of his stupor, asked the old sailor why he spoke of bears, and what bears he meant. Tracking our bear, Johnson replied. Tracking our bears?The doctor repeated. Yes, it's been two days with us! It's been two days!did you see it Yes, it was a mile to leeward. You didn't inform me, Johnson? What is the use? That's right, said the doctor, we're going to shoot him, and there isn't a single bullet. Not even an ingot, a piece of iron, not even a single nail!replied the old sailor. The doctor fell silent and began to think.Presently he said to the boatswain: Are you sure this beast is following us? Yes, Mr. Croubney, it wants to eat human flesh!It knows that we cannot escape its palm! Johnson!The doctor said he was moved by his companion's tone of desperation. Food is a sure thing, for it!The unfortunate man replied, he was talking nonsense, it must be hungry, I don't know why we let it wait! Johnson, calm down! No, Mr. Crawburn; why prolong the animal's suffering when we are dying?It's as hungry as we are; it has no seals to eat!God sends people before it!Well, that's not bad for it, either! Old Johnson was mad; he wanted to get out of the igloo.It was with great difficulty that the doctor held him back, not by strength, but by the confidence with which he uttered the following words: Tomorrow, he said, I'll kill the bear! tomorrow!Johnson said it was as if he had woken up from a nightmare. tomorrow! You are out of bullets! I make bullets. You have no lead! Yes, but I have mercury! After saying this, the doctor took the thermometer; the room temperature indicated by the thermometer was ten degrees above zero.The doctor went out, put the thermometer on a piece of ice, and was back in no time.The temperature outside was minus forty-seven degrees Celsius. See you tomorrow!He said to the old sailor, go to sleep and wait for the sun to rise. The night passed in pangs of hunger; only the boatswain and the doctor, with some hope, relieved the pain. The next day, at dawn, the doctor rushed outside, followed by Johnson, and ran to the thermometer; all the mercury had gone into the mercury bath, forming a regular cylinder.The doctor broke the instrument, and carefully with gloved fingers removed a nearly inmalloyable but exceptionally strong piece of real metal, a real ingot. ah!Mr. Crawburn, cried the bosun, this is great!You are an amazing person! No, my friend, replied the doctor, I am only a man born with a good memory and a wide reader. What do you want to say? I recalled a fact that Captain Ross told of his voyage: He told of having pierced a plank as thick as a thumb with a gun loaded with quicksilver bullets; if I could get oil, It was almost the same thing, because he also said that the bullet made of sweet almond oil hit a road sign, passed through, bounced off the ground, and didn't break. It's unbelievable! But it's true, Johnson; it's a piece of metal that will save our lives; we'll let it air before we use it, and see if the bears don't leave us. At this moment Hatteras came out of the igloo; the doctor showed him the ingot, and told him the plan; the captain took his hand, and the three hunters began to survey the horizon. In clear weather, Hatteras went ahead of his companions and found the bear not more than twelve hundred meters away. The beast squatted, shaking its head quietly, inhaling the smell of these unfamiliar visitors. here!cried the captain. Be quiet!The doctor said. But the huge quadruped didn't move when he saw the hunters.It watched them with neither fear nor anger.But getting close to it is difficult. My friends, said Hatteras, this is not a vain pleasure, but to save our lives.Proceed with caution. Yes, replied the doctor, we can only fire one shot.The beast should not be let go; if it escapes, we lose him, for he can run faster than a rabbit-hound. Well, you should go straight to it, Johnson replied, life-threatening!So what!I beg to risk my life. let me!shouted the doctor. I!Hatteras answered flatly. But, cried Johnson, wouldn't you be more useful in saving people than an old man my age? No, Johnson, said the captain again, let me do it; I will not risk my life till it is necessary; at most I may ask you to help me. Hatteras, asked the doctor, are you going to the bear? If I'll knock it down, it'll knock my skull off, I'll do that, doctor, but it'll run away when I get close.The animal is very cunning, and we must be even more cunning. What do you want to do? Take ten steps forward without letting it notice my presence. what to do? My method is very dangerous, but very simple.Do you keep the skins of the seals you kill? It's on a sled. good!Back in our igloo, Johnson stayed to observe. The boatswain hid behind a mound of ice that the bear couldn't see at all. The bear remained where he was, continuing to make grimaces of shaking his head and breathing through his nose.