With  his  face  pressed  over  the  edge  of  the  canvas,
Slim  took  in  the  details  of  the  ship  and  the  revolu-
tionists and  frowned.  A  second  form  moved  close
to  his  side  and  the  girl  glanced  over  the  canvas,
her  eyes  raised  in  tearful  search  of  the  crow's-nest.
When  they  lighted  upon  Stirling,  she  beckoned  with
a  white  finger,  then  gave  a  heart-rendering,  poignant
call  of  distress.
CHAPTER  XXVI

IN   THE    SUDDEN    DARKNESS

THE  Ice  Pilot  had  no  way  to  answer  the  piercing
call   of  the  girl,  yet  the  revolutionists  might
detect    her    presence  at   any   moment.     The
leader  was  alert  and  kept  sweeping  the  sea  to  port
for  a  chance  opening  which  would  lead  farther  away
from  the  land.     He  turned  once  toward  the  wheels-
man, berated  him  in  Russian  for  not  putting  the
wheel  over  soon  enough,  as  the  ship  narrowly  escaped
a  heavy  floe.
Again  the  girl  beckoned  as  Stirling  watched  the
two  forms  beyond  the  canvas  barricade.  This  time
she  had  lifted  her  pale  face  so  that  he  could  see  her
shoulders  and  arms.  They  were  slight  and  childish,
and  tears  glistened  upon  her  cheeks.  Her  call  was
not  to  be  denied,  and  Stirling  lowered  his  legs,  swung
far  out  over  the  deck,  hesitated  in  that  position,  and
turned  his  head.
Slim,  the  sole  survivor  of  the  forecastle  crew,  was
reaching  downward,  his  back  straining.  He  straight-
ened up  and  staggered  aft  to  the  taffrail.  The  bur-
den he  carried  froze  Stirling  in  the  act  of  descending
the  ladder,  and  an  icy  chill  swept  through  the  Pilot's
body,  which  almost  unnerved  him.  He  wound  his

208


IN  THE  SUDDEN  DARKNESS         209

fingers  about  the  ratlines  and  breathed  deeply.  The
Arctic  air  seemed  strangely  quiet.
Slim  reached  the  rail  and  lifted  one  leg  to  the  top.
