Chapter 43 Chapter Eleven Anxiety Footprints

From April 26th to 27th, the weather began to change, and the temperature dropped significantly. The residents of the doctor's house felt the cold creeping into their quilts. A large amount of coal has to be filled, and the room temperature is kept at 10°C. This cooling heralds the end of the storm, and to the great delight of the doctor, the return to the usual activities of hunting, excursions, and land surveying puts an end to the idleness which can make the best of tempers sour. The next morning the doctor got up early and made his way along the snow and ice that had piled up to the top of the cone of the lighthouse.

The wind turned to the north, and the weather was very clear, with strips of snow making a firm, firm carpet underfoot. The five wintering companions soon left the doctor's house, and their first task was to clear away the snow that had buried the house; Ruins, the blizzard filled the undulating terrain, flattening everything and raising the ground by at least 15 feet. Start by clearing the snow first.Restore the original appearance of the building, make those bloated lines lively, and restore its balance.Nothing could be easier. After clearing the ice and snow, a few swipes of the snow knife will return the ice wall to its original thickness.

After two hours of persevering labor, the granite plinth was revealed, and it was possible to re-enter the food store and powder magazine. But in the ever-changing weather, when this kind of thing could explode at any time, they stored some fuel and transported it to the kitchen.Stomachs afflicted by salted goods need fresh meat, and the hunters are responsible for changing the caloric system of the food, and they are ready to go. However, at the end of April, the Arctic spring has not yet come, and the moment of recovery has not yet sounded. It will take at least six weeks.They feared the scarcity of beasts, whether birds or quadrupeds.But a hare, several pairs of large waterfowl, and a small fox would still appear on the dining table in the doctor's house, and the hunters decided to hunt with ecstasy everything that came within range of their guns.

The Doctor, Altamon, and Bell are tasked with surveying the area.Altamon, judging by his habits, should be a tactful and decisive hunter, and a good marksman, if a bit of rhetoric.He was part of the team, and Duck was like him, like him in his kind, but less talkative. The three adventurous companions climbed from the eastern cone into the vast white plain, but they need not go far, for there are many footprints within two miles of the fort, and from there they extend to Victoria Bay, seeming to surround God's Fortress in their circle. The hunters followed the footprints curiously and looked at each other.

"Hey!" said the doctor, "I can see clearly." "Quite clearly," answered Bell, "the bear's footprints." "Pretty good prey," Altamon replied, "but I don't think it's special today." "What is it?" asked the doctor. "A lot," replied the American. "What do you mean?" Bell continued. "I mean there's clearly five bears here, five bears, too many for five people!" "Are you sure of what you say?" said the doctor. "Look and judge for yourself, here's one footprint different from the other, the paws are farther apart than the other. It's the footprint of a much smaller bear. Compare it well, and you'll see Within a closed circle are the tracks of five beasts."

"Obviously," Bell said, examining it carefully. "Then," said the Doctor, "do not be useless bravery, but be vigilant instead. These beasts must be hungry after a harsh winter, and they are quite dangerous, since their numbers are beyond doubt..." "Their intentions are beyond doubt." The American added. "You think," said Bell, "that they found us on this coast?" "Unless we fall into the bear's path, no doubt, but why are the footprints in a circle instead of disappearing into the distance? Watch out! These beasts came from the southeast, and they stopped at this place, where they began to survey the land."

"You are right," said the doctor, "and it is even certain that they came this evening." "Other nights have come, no doubt," answered Altamon. "It's just that the snow covered their tracks." "No," answered the doctor, "it is more probable that the bears waited for the storm to pass, and they were compelled to come to the bay, hoping to catch a seal, which would soon smell us." "Exactly," replied Altamon, "but it's easy to know whether they'll be here to-morrow night." "How do you know?" Bell said.

"Remove part of this footprint, and if we find new ones tomorrow morning, it will be obvious that God's Fortress was the object of these wild beasts." "Well," replied the doctor, "at least we know what we have to do." The three hunters started to work. They scraped the snow and quickly made the footprints within two hundred meters disappear. "It's very strange," said Bell, "that the beasts could smell us from such a distance that we didn't burn any fatty substances that would attract them." "Oh!" answered the doctor, "bears are born with keen eyesight and an exceptional sense of smell, and besides, they are very intelligent, if not the most intelligent of animals, and here they smell something extraordinary."

"Besides," continued Bell, "who can tell us that they don't come to the plateau during a snowstorm?" "Then," replied the American, "why did they stop at this limit tonight?" "No, there's no answer to that," retorted the doctor. "We'll gradually narrow their search circle around God's Fortress." "Let's see," Altamon replied. "Now, go on," said the doctor, "but watch your eyes." The hunters are so preoccupied with their vigilance that they fear which bears may hide behind the mounds, they often go so far as to mistook the bears for huge blocks of ice shaped and colored to look like bears.But, in the end, they discovered to their great satisfaction that it was nothing more than their hallucination.

They made their way back at last to the half-way up Pit Pit, where they had seen Johnson Island from Cape Washington without gaining anything. They could see nothing, everything was still, white, there was no sound, not a crack. They went back to the igloo. Hatteras and Johnson also learned of the situation, and they decided to put on the alert with all their might.Night came, and nothing disturbed its majestic stillness, and there was not a single sound that foreshadowed the approaching danger. At dawn the next day Hatteras and his companions went out in full armor to survey the snow, and they found the same tracks as the night before, but nearer.Apparently, the enemy had begun to lay siege to God's fortress.

"They started the second round," the doctor said. "They have even advanced a step," answered Altamon. "Look at these steps towards the plateau, they belong to a mighty beast." "Yeah, the bears are getting closer," Johnson said. "Obviously they want to attack us." "There is no doubt about it," replied the doctor. "We avoid showing up. We are powerless to win the struggle." "But where are the goddamn bears?" Bell yelled. "Behind some ice floes to the east, from where they spy on us, let's not risk it rashly." "What about hunting?" said Altamon. "Delay for a few more days," replied the doctor. "Eliminate the tallest footsteps again, and we will see if there are any new ones in the morning. Then we will know the plot of our enemy." The doctor's opinion was accepted, and they were shut up again in the fort, and the presence of these terrible beasts prevented all excursions.They watched with rapt attention the surroundings of Victoria Harbour.The lighthouse was extinguished, it was of no use at present, and would attract the attention of the beasts, the lantern and wires were put away in the house, and everyone took turns keeping an eye on the plateau. This is going through a new pain of loneliness, but is there any other way?They cannot be compromised in such a struggle of disparity in strength, each life is too precious to be risked lightly, the bears will see nothing, they may be thrown off, if they are alone in the long journey , they are more likely to win by attacking them. But this inaction is underscored by a new trend: to be vigilant, and everyone is willing to do something about this vital matter. As April 28 passed, there seemed to be no sign of the beasts.The next day they looked at the steps with great curiosity, and then cried out in wonder. There is no more footprints, and the untouched snow blanket spreads into the distance. "Good!" cried Altamon. "The bears have been thrown off! They are impatient! They are tired of waiting! They are gone! Have a good trip! Now, hunt!" "Oh! Oh!" retorted the doctor, "who knows? To be sure, my friends, I ask you to be on the alert for another day. The enemy will certainly not return tonight, at least not this way... " "A week on the plateau," said Altamon, "and we'll know what we're going to do." "Greatly," said the doctor. But in vain they searched cautiously for a week within two nautical miles, and it was impossible to find any trace. "So, shall we hunt?" asked the impatient American. "Wait until tomorrow," replied the doctor. "To-morrow," replied Altamon, with an effort to control himself. They returned to the fort.But, like the day before, everyone should be at his observation post within an hour. When it was Altamon's turn, he took Bell's place on top of the cone. As soon as he started, Hatteras called his companions to his side, the doctor put down his notebook, and Johnson left his stove. It was conceivable that Hatteras was going to talk about the danger of the situation, and he didn't even have to think about it. "My friends," he said, "while this American is away, let's talk about our affairs. There are things that have nothing to do with him, and I don't want him to participate." The captain's interlocutors looked at each other, wondering where he was going. "I'd like," he said, "to talk to you about our future plans." "Well, well," replied the doctor, "let's talk, since we are alone." "In a month's time," continued Hatteras, "in six weeks' time at the latest, the time for the great journey will come. Have you thought about what to do in the summer?" "And you, Captain?" Johnson asked. "I, let's say I haven't passed a single moment of my life that wasn't in my thoughts. I don't think any of you want to go back?  …" This hint was not immediately answered. "I see," continued Hatteras, "that I should go all the way to the North Pole. We're at most 160 nautical miles away. Man has never been so close to where I want to go. I won't do nothing. To try even the impossible is to lose such an opportunity. What are your plans in this regard?" "Same as yours," replied the doctor excitedly. "What about you, Johnson?" "Same as the doctor's," answered the bosun. "Your turn to speak, Bell," said Hatteras. "Captain," replied the carpenter, "we have no family waiting for us in England, it is true, but there is a country, a country after all! Don't you want to go back?" "Going back," said the captain again, "is well after the Pole has been found. And better. No more difficulties, because, going forward, we are far from the coldest place on earth. Our fuel and food are still Can last a long time. Nothing can stop us, and we are guilty if we don't go all the way to the end." "Well," answered Bell, "we all agree with you, Captain." "Well," replied Hatteras, "I never doubted you that we shall succeed, my friends, and England shall have all the glory of our success." "But there is an American among us," Johnson said. Hatteras couldn't help making an angry gesture at the prompt. "I know," he said stiffly. "We cannot leave him here," said the doctor again. "No, we can't!" Hatteras replied mechanically. "He will definitely go!" "Yes! He will go! But who will lead?" "You, Captain." "What if you obey me, the rest of you, but this Yankee refuses to obey?" "I don't think so," replied Johnson, "but if he won't obey your orders anyway? . . . " "It's between him and me." The three Englishmen looked at Hatteras, lost in thought.The doctor took over. "How do we travel?" he said. "Try to follow the coast," Hatteras replied. "But if we found unimpeded oceans, how is that possible?" "Then, we'll go through it." "How? We don't have a boat." Hatteras didn't answer, obviously perplexed. "Perhaps," Bell said, "build a boat out of the remains of the Perle Boise." "No!" Hatteras yelled. "No!" Johnson said. The doctor shook his head, understanding the captain's disgust. "No," said the latter again. "A boat made of American ship wood is American." "But, Captain..." Johnson continued. The doctor made a gesture to the old boatswain not to insist on it now, but to save the question for a more opportune time, and while the doctor understood Hatteras' distaste, he had no regrets. With the same sentiments, he intended to dissuade his friend from such a resolution. He then spoke of other things, of the possibility of going directly up the coast to the North, of that strange point on the globe called the North Pole. In short, he reversed the dangerous momentum of the conversation until it was cut short and Altamon entered. He didn't notice anything. The day passed like this, and the night passed peacefully.The bear was apparently gone.