Robert Michael Ballantyne

Rivers of Ice Robert Michael Ballantyne

Publisher Marketing: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ...by an appalling yelL At the same moment part of the ice overhead gave way, and he beheld the artist descending. He was stopped with a sudden jerk, as the rope tightened, and remained suspended in the air, while his coat and colour-box accompanied icicles and snow-blocks into the abyss below. A second later and the struggling artist's head appeared to fall off, but it was only his hat. Gillie had by this time recovered himself so far as to be able to add his piercing shrieks for help to the cries of the artist, and well was it that day for Mr. Slingsby that Gillie had, since the years of infancy, practised his lungs to some purpose in terrifying cats and defying "Bobbies" in the streets of London. "Oh, sir! sir!--I say--hi!" he cried, panting and glaring up. "Eh? what? Hah!" gasped Slingsby, panting and glaring down. "Don't kick like that, sir; pray don't," cried Gillie in agonised tones, "you'1l start the boulder wot yer fast to, if you don't keep still." "Oh!" groaned the artist, and instantly hung limp and motionless, in which condition he remained while Gillie ran towards the place where he had left the rest of the party, jumping and slipping and falling and yelling over the ice like a maniac in blue and buttons! "D 'ee hear that?" exclaimed Captain Wopper with a startled look, as he and his companions busied themselves packing up their instruments. Antoine Grennon heard it, but made no reply. He was familiar with cries of alarm. Turning abruptly he dashed off at full speed in the direction whence the cries came. The Captain and Professor instantly followed; Lawrence overtook and passed them. In a few minutes they met the terrified boy, who, instead of waiting for them and wasting time by telling what was wrong, turned sharp round, ...