hat so long as they had favourable winds they should
continue their voyage without stopping. There was no occasion for going
ashore. The bears' flesh would last them as long as it kept good, and
they had plenty of water on board for at least a fortnight. In a few
minutes Luka was sound asleep. Jack lay on the deck in front of him,
sometimes sleeping, sometimes waking up, and giving a sharp bark in
reply to the cry of a sea-gull passing overhead, or a flock of black
ducks skimming along close to the surface of the water within fifty
yards of the boat.

CHAPTER XV.

COASTING.

The current was now losing its power, and Godfrey, dipping his hand into
the water and then putting it to his lips, found that it was distinctly
brackish, and congratulated himself upon having laid in a stock of water
when he did. After Luka had slept for six hours, Godfrey roused him.

"Now, Luka, you must take my place and steer; move very carefully else
we shall capsize her. That is it. Now, if there is any change you lean
forward and touch me; I shall wake in a moment. If the sail should shift
over to the other side all you have got to do is to shift this sheet to
its fastening on that side. With this light wind jibing does not matter
at all, but if the wind freshens wake me at once."

For a quarter of an hour Godfrey watched to see that Luka steered
steadily, then he worked himself down in the cockpit and closed his
eyes. It did not seem to him that he had been asleep long when Luka
touched him.

"I would not have woke you," Luka said; "but the land seems going right
away from us."

Godfrey sat up. "So it is, Luka! I should not be surprised if that is
the extreme northern point. Of course it may be only a deep bay, but at
any rate we must see." He looked at his watch, "Why, I have been asleep
nearly seven hours. Now, Luka, you had better haul the boat alongside,
and see about cooking. We forgot to try those onions yesterday. Cut one
up small and put it in the pan with the meat. By the by, you had better
tie a piece of cord to those four bears' hams, and let them tow
overboard for two or three hours. The water must be quite salt now, and
when you take them out we will rub a little fresh salt into them. They
ought to keep well then."

As soon as Luka had got into the boat--Jack jumping in with him, as he
always made a point of superintending the cooking operations--Godfrey
took his place in the stern, jibed the sail, which had b