Winter in Spitzbergen; a tale of the Northland - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 Excerpt: ...color, and diffused a smell, which was not unlike boiled sour crout. The pilot tried his dish, and found that it tasted finely. With what longing he now awaited the return of his friends. He was almost displeased that his guests were not in at the moment, and became the more so, the longer they stayed. But he did not spend his time in useless expressions of regret, for he knew how to employ it still better. Many little matters were yet to be taken care of; for example, splitting up of the wood which they had lately brought in, a labor which occupied several hours. But when he had finished this, the two friends were not yet returned. Finally after sixteen hours' waiting in vain, the pilot became uneasy. He felt heavyhearted, lest the young men might have lost their path, and that they in a helpless state could not find their way back, but were wandering about perhaps almost frozen, or had met with some injury of another kind. His disquiet increased every moment, and became more torturing and dreadful. The idea of living alone in this solitude, stiffened with frost and cold, and terminating his last days without a friend, was terrible to him. Had he often before been discontented with his situation, now the time when he had his friends around him, appeared to him a happy one in comparison of that which was coming. Every few moments he walked out in front of the hut and listened, whether he could hear any steps in the distance. He called aloud the names of his friends--but no answer followed; all remained still and desolate. In the greatest anxiety he gathered together a heap of dry wood, and at the risk of his life mounted a rock, and kindled here a clear burning fire. Julia. What was that for? Father. It might be possible, that his two friends had wandered o...