acier. This promised to give them
shelter from the first northern gale which blew, though one of the
lateral valleys looked threatening, and as if the wind could rush along
it like a blast roaring through a pipe; but as that was below their
anchorage, it was not likely to affect them much.

The anchor then went down in deep water, and as if they had only to sail
out up the fiord at any time they liked, the captain had two boats
lowered, and giving the mate charge of one, he led the way in the other
to the mouth of the chasm, while the men, with their lances and harpoons
on board, tugged eagerly at the oars, ready and willing for their first
attack upon the oil-yielding animals of the northern seas.

Success attended them on getting to the more open water at the end of
the chasm, for, after a little searching, the continuation was found
right at the back of a huge mass of rock, and, clearing this obstacle,
the men rowed on, to plunge into brief darkness again beneath the long
stretch of ice arches. Then came a good, steady pull and a cheer, for
the boats were out in clear water in the wide channel which ran up
between the ice-bound shore and the floe.

As they rowed out in the open water the men looked disappointed, and
Steve, who was in the bows of the first boat with Johannes and Jakobsen,
had to listen to the Scotch sailors' banter, spoken to the Norwegians
sometimes, but more often at the lad himself.

"Hahmeesh laddie," said Andrew McByle, "if she hadna baith hands at the
oar, she'd get out ta sneeshin'. Gie me a pinch. Hah! Ferry goot,
laddie, ferry goot," he continued, after helping himself to a pinch of
snuff, and being able to use his hands for that. "She'll hae chust ane
more wee bit. Hah! Tak' the box back, as she'll pe for finishing it
a'."

They rowed on for a little while, with Hamish staring about and Andrew
giving an occasional snort of contempt.

"See annything, Hahmeesh?"

"Na, naething."

"Naething it is, laddie. Hech! And I thocht after a' she'd heard tell
tat the sea was chust alive wi' the walrus and seal, and bear lived a'
along like wee birdies on the rocks."

"Hey, to hear a' they said," grumbled Hamish, "she'd think sae. Ant
there's as many walrus coos and bulls here as ye see in ta Firth o'
Clyde if ye gang oop ta Glasgie."

"Ye're recht, laddie," said Andrew, "chust as many. Why, it's petter in
ta Clyde, for she can see a porpoise pig, and there's naething here but
wat