The Olympian Sisters #2 The Great War

Chapter 18

SOUTHERN OCEAN AUGUST 1916 "YELCHO"

I steamed at full speed towards Elephant Island. Four months ago, Sir Ernest Shackleton and five men set out in an open boat to South Georgia Island.

Now, winter was setting in and I had to hurry if I and Shackleton were going to pull off a successful rescue this year.

My biggest worry was ice. My hull was made of metal and the memory of Titanic just four years earlier was still very fresh.

I shuddered to think what that must've been like. For some fortunate reason, I saw no ice and soon Elephant Island was in sight.

I had never seen such a more remote, desolate place. But that made it seem all the more pitiful for the thought of the 22 men left stranded there.

The sun was rising as we neared Cape Wild, where the men had their base camp. We were so close, they should be able to see us.

Sure enough, I saw men scrambling around the beach. There was an explosion of flame as they ignited a signal fire. But there was no need, I had seen them and so had Shackleton and Captain Pedro.

Shackleton ordered a boat lowered and rowed to the shore. Then he began the process of ferrying men and supplies back to me. Once the last man was aboard, I turned north for Punta Arenas.

As I did, I saw the shimmering outline of a sleek black barkentine. Her glacier blue eyes were like 2 large sparkling moons.

"Thank you for rescuing my men, Yelcho." She whispered. "You're welcome, Endurance." I replied. She dipped her head and vanished.

"Come on." I sighed to the men. "Let's get you home." I took one last look southwards, towards desolate Elephant Island and beyond that, the Weddell Sea, where Endurance gave up her life for her men.

"You won't be forgotten, Endurance." I whispered. "Your name will become legend. You will be the spirit of the Antarctic, the way to victory!"