, becoming pressing.

"Now then, answer, Bell!" chimed in all the other sailors.

"By whom? how? Why, I don't know," said the carpenter, embarrassed
in his turn.

"Why, by the dog-captain," exclaimed Clifton. "He has written once
already; why shouldn't he again? If I only knew half of what that
'ere animal knows, I shouldn't be embarrassed at being First Lord
of the Admiralty!"

"So then you stick to your opinion that the dog is the captain?"

"Yes."

"Well," said Pen in a hoarse voice, "if that 'ere animal don't want
to turn up his toes in a dog's skin, he's only got to make haste and
become a man, or I'm hanged if I don't settle him."

"What for?" asked Garry.

"Because I choose," replied Pen brutally; "besides, it's no business
of any one."

"Enough talking, my boys," called out Mr. Johnson, interfering just
in time, for the conversation was getting hot. "Get on with your work,
and set up your saws quicker than that. We must clear the iceberg."

"What! on a Friday?" replied Clifton, shrugging his shoulders.
"You'll see she won't get over the Polar circle as easily as you
think."

The efforts of the crew were almost powerless during the whole day.
The _Forward_ could not separate the ice-fields even by going against
them full speed, and they were obliged to anchor for the night. On
Saturday the temperature lowered again under the influence of an
easterly wind. The weather cleared up, and the eye could sweep over
the white plains in the distance, which the reflection of the sun's
rays rendered dazzling. At seven in the morning the thermometer marked
eight degrees below zero. The doctor was tempted to stay quietly in
his cabin, and read the Arctic voyages over again; but, according
to his custom, he asked himself what would be the most disagreeable
thing he could do, which he settled was to go on deck and assist the
men to work in such a temperature. Faithful to the line of conduct
he had traced out for himself, he left his well-warmed cabin and came
to help in hauling the vessel. His was a pleasant face, in spite of
the green spectacles by which he preserved his eyes from the biting
of the reflected rays; in his future observations he was always
careful in making use of his snow spectacles, in order to avoid
ophthalmia, very frequent in these high latitudes.

Towards evening the _Forward_ had made several miles further north,
thanks to the activity of the men and Shandon's skill, which made
him take ad