ter he went down to talk to the
Norsemen forward, the momentary depression at the idea of being shut in
having passed away.

There was a low, whimpering muttering as he neared the galley, the door
of which was ajar, and he heard the cook say angrily:

"Look here, sir, if you don't stop that snivelling, I'll stand you
outside to let the tears freeze. I'm not going to have you turning on
the rain here. Do you want to put my fire out?"

"Aw canna help it," said Watty piteously. "Aw was thenking aboot my
mither."

"Thinking about your `mither,' you great calf! Well, other people think
about their `mithers,' but they don't go on blubbering when they've got
some potatoes to wash. Hullo! Tut, tut, tut! They'll have to go
overboard. Here, take these from close by the stove. Those others are
frozen."

"She never meant me to come oop here in the cauld to be starved to
death."

"What?" cried the cook. "Eh? Oh, it's you, Mr Steve. How are you,
sir? Managed to get you a good breakfast this morning."

"Yes, thank you. It was grand. What's the matter with Watty Links?"

"Why, sir, he had a lot of biscuits and fried bacon an hour ago, and a
quart of hot coffee to wash it all down, and now he says that his
`mither' never meant him to come up here to be starved."

"I didn't!" cried Watty angrily. "I never said a word aboot eatin' and
drinkin'. I said `starved wi' the cauld.'"

"Hey, but you're a poor, weak, sappy kind of a fellow," cried the cook.
"There's precious little solid meat on you, I'm afraid. Going, Mr
Steve, sir?"

"Yes, I must be off."

"Right, sir. Roast venison for dinner to-day. The deer meat will be
prime."

Steve nodded, and was turning away, when his eyes encountered those of
the boy, who had evidently forgotten all about his "mither," and was
grinning at him derisively, and in a way which made Steve's fingers
tingle to tighten up into a fist and teach the lad a lesson. But he
went out and shut the door, before going forward to where the four
Norwegians were fending off the ice.

"Morning," he cried; and the great, sturdy fellows greeted him with a
pleasant smile on their grave faces.

"Glad to see you out and well, Mr Steve," said Johannes; and the others
uttered something which was evidently meant as acquiescence in their
companion's greeting.

"Oh, I'm all right," said Steve, "only a bit cold; but I say, have all
you chaps had plenty of breakfast?"

"Plenty, sir, plenty!"