The World of Ice

future effects-Our hero's early life at sea-A pirate-A terrible fight an

is adventurous life he had been to nearly all parts of the known world) he was the first awake in the morning and the last asleep at night; he always answered promptly to the

ays kept his weather-eye open." This remark of his was apt to create confusion in the minds of his hearers; for John meant the expression to be understood figuratively, while, in point of fact, he almost always kept one of his literal eyes open and the other partially closed, but as he reversed the order of arrangement frequently, he might have been said to keep his lee-eye as much open as the weath

ng-ship which was on the point of starting for the ice-bound seas of the Frozen Regions, and making sundry remarks

half, accordin' to my notions, and I have seen a few whalers in my day. Them bow-timbers, too, are scarce thick enough

e youth indignantly. "Do you suppose that my father, who is an older man than yourself and as good a sailor,

temper, boy, and don't run foul of an old man who has been all but a wet-nurse to ye-taught ye to walk, and swim, and pull an oar, and build ships, an

I think you have been a wet-nurse too! But why do you run down my father's

all ready, and if he don't make haste he'll lose the tide, so he will, and that'll make us have to start on a

r Fred, wotever ye do. My maxim is-and it has served me through life, uncommon-'Keep your weather-eye open and your tongue housed 'xcept when you've got occasion to

t me go with him!" muttered

is mind but a regular sou'-easter. Now, if you had been my son, and yonder tight craft my ship, I would have said, 'Come at once.' But your father k

ut not harsh voice, a rather quick temper, and a kind, earnest, enthusiastic heart. Like Buzzby, he had spent nearly all his life at sea, and had become so thoroughly accustomed to walking on an unstable foundation that he felt quite uncomfortable o

d the course of Captain Ellice's life, and for a long period plunged him into the deepest

accompany her husband to sea. This was without much difficulty agreed to, and forthwith Alice Bremner became Mrs. Ellice, and went to sea. It was during he

familiar to his ear. As Fred grew older his mother encouraged him to hold occasional intercourse with the sailors-for her husband's example taught her the value of a bold, manly spirit, and she knew that it was impossible for her to instil that into him-but she was careful to guard him from the evi

ents of an excellent education at a private academy. At the age of twelve, however, Master Fred became restive, and during one of his father's periodical visits home, begged to be taken to sea. Captain Ellice agreed; Mrs. Ellice i

fter crossing the line, they descried a suspicious-looking scho

by?" inquired Captain Ellice, h

ps for some time; then he returned the glass,

his wife, who, all unconscious of their danger, sat near the taffrail employed with her needle; "these fellows show no mercy, becau

, and he took two or three rapid, hesitating turns on t

ength abruptly, "yond

and her face grew pale as her eye m

uite sure,

ps I am wrong, it may be a-a clipper-built trading-vessel. If not, Alice, we must

in; but his candid countenance spoke too truthfully, and she

to his heart, Captain

f upwards of thirty men, were conversing earnestly in knots of four or five w

the schooner, which was rapidly nearing the vessel. "Take another pull at these main-topsail-halyards, and send the

d, father," cried Fred,

go below; you can

you know that

ng to fight-you're not strong enough. Besides, you m

the men say we would need all the hands on board, and more if we had them. Besides, it

ptain as he said hastily, "You may stay, then," and turned

r minds to fight well. You know that pirates give no quarter. I see the decks are swarming with men. If you don't go at them like bull-dogs, you'll walk the plank before sunset every man of you. Now, go forward, and double-shot your muskets and pistol

cal schooner, from the side of which a white cloud burst, and a ro

-to," said the captain bitterly, "b

shot were fired, but passed unheeded, and the captain, fully expe

se a man, Mr. Thompson

remain?" said Buzz

captain sternly. The sailor

ndiaman, until she approached within speaking distance. Still Captain Ellice paid no attention to her, but stood with compressed lips beside the man at the wheel,

ttings, and, putting a trumpet to his mouth, sang out lusti

ordered four of his men on deck

eave to, or I'll sink you." At the same moment the black flag was r

s gun," said the capta

ay,

-sail-yard in two and brought it rattling down on deck. Instantly the pirate yawed and delivered a broadside; but in the confusion on deck the guns were badly aimed, and none took effect. The time lost in this manoeuvre, added to the crippled condition of the schooner, enabled the West Indiaman to gain considerably on her antagoni

ger, had crept upon deck at the risk of another reprimand; "and, if my eyes be'n't deceiving me, ther

ear the boats will come up before it reaches us. There are three in the

ip at different points. They were full of men armed to the teeth. While they rowed towards the ship the schooner resumed its fire, and one ball cut away the spanker-boom and slightly wounded two of the men with splinters. The guns of the ship were now brought to bear on the boats, but without effect, althou

Fred. Load again as fast as I fire." So saying, the captain took aim and fired at

d the little carronade and fired. There was a terrific crash; the gun recoiled violently to the other side of the deck; and the pirate boat sank, leaving the sea covered with dead and wounded men. A number, however, who seemed to bear charmed lives, seized their cutlasses with their teeth

r, and two of the men sprang up the side. Fred observed them, and felled the first with a handspike before he reached the deck; but the pirate who instantly followed would have killed him had he not been observed by the second mate, who had prevented several of the men from joining in the mêlée on the forecastle in order to meet such an emergency as this. Rushing to the rescue with his party, he drove the pirates back int

g through the struggling crowd, "h

gun, and, with the help of Buzzby, who never left h

ed the quarter-deck, but were hurled back again and again by the captain and a few chosen men who stood around him. At length one of the pirates, who had been all along conspicuous for his strength and daring, stepped deliberately up, and pointing a pistol at the captain's b

into the cabin, where they discovered Mrs. Ellice almost dead with terror. Dragging her violently on deck, they were about to cast her into the sea, when Buzzby,

d? my boy?" screame

verboard. A loud shriek was followed by a heavy plunge. At the same moment two of the men raised the captain, intending to throw

ts, with the intention of pulling to their schooner; but those who had been left in charge, seeing the approach of the man-of-war, and feeling that there was no chance of escape for their comrades, or, as is more than probable, being utterly indifferent about

dy of poor Mrs. Ellice proved utterly fruitless. Captain Ellice, whose wound was very severe, was struck down as if by a thunderbolt, and for a long time his life

their outward appearance and expressions, in nine cases out of ten judge very wide of the mark indeed. Both had undergone a great change. The brilliancy and glitter of this world had been completely and rudely dispelled, and both had been led to inquire whether there was not something better to live for th

Indies. He determined to change the scene of his future labours and sail to the Frozen Seas, where the as

o might be appropriately described as "fat, fair, and forty," and Buzzby's wife absolutely forbade him to go. Alas! Buzzby was no longer his own master. At the age of forty-five he became-as he himself expressed it-an abject slave, and he would as soon have tried to steer in a slipper-bath right in the teeth of an equinoctial hurricane, as have opposed the will of his wife. He used to sigh gruffly when spoken to on this subject, and compare himself to a Dutch galliot that made more leeway than headway, even with a wind on the quarte

great solemnity, as he stood with Fred, and Mrs. Bright, and Isobel, at the end of the pier, gazing at the brig, with one eye very