"Tis th' hand o' Providence!" exclaimed Bob.
The three shook hands and laughed and did everything to show their
delight short of hugging each other, and then ran towards the vessel,
suddenly possessed of a vague fear that it might sail away before they
were seen. Bob fired several shots out of his rifle as he ran, to
attract the attention of the crew, but as they approached they could
see no sign of life, and they soon found that it was a schooner frozen
tight and fast in the ice pack.
When they at last reached it Bob read, painted in bold letters, the
name, "Maid of the North."
XXIV
THE ESCAPE
They lost no time in climbing on deck, and what was their astonishment
when they reached there to find the vessel quite deserted. Everything
was in spick and span order both in the cabin and above decks. It was
now nearly dark and an examination of her hold had to be deferred
until the following day. One thing was certain, however. No one had
occupied the cabin for some time, and no one had boarded or left the
vessel since the last snow-storm, for no footprints were to be found
on the ice near her.
It was truly a great mystery, and the only solution that occurred to
Bob was that the ice pack had "pinched" the schooner and opened her up
below, and the crew had made a hurried escape in one of the boats.
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