all, I hope," said Captain Marsham. "Nature counteracts a great
deal of the gloom by the brilliancy of stars and moon, and the
reflection from the dazzlingly white earth. Then, too, I suppose we
shall have the aurora pretty often."

"But for how long does the sun disappear entirely?"

"About eighteen weeks," said the captain. "Once it has reached its
farthest point to the south I don't care, for then it will be journeying
back to us. Our task seems to be to keep the men in good heart up to
the shortest day; after that we can manage."

Days passed with a fair amount of sunshine, and then came a week of
storm, the wind giving them a taste or two of what might be expected
later; and the snow fell heavily, loading down the great tent-like
arrangement over the deck to such an extent that the men were busily
employed rigging up the extra spars and spare yards as rafters and
ridge-poles, to help bear the strain put upon the ropes; and then all
knew that there was to be no autumn, for the brief northern summer gave
place at one bound to winter.

After the storm the snow was piled and drifted up round and about the
bows to such an extent that in one place there was a complete slope from
the top of the bulwark, and the snow lay deep upon the ice, though here
and there a few passages were left where the wind had swept the surface
pretty clear; and as the day was fairly bright and the way open in the
direction of the narrow, jagged rift, it was decided to take advantage
of the opportunity and have a trip through the gorge to the seashore.

Anticipating that the zigzagging, canal-like waterway would be too
slightly frozen in so sheltered a spot to bear a party of men, a boat
was run down the snow-slope on to the ice, and then skated along on the
iron of the keel where the snow was absent, and driven over or through
it when it lay deep. The men took to the task readily, the dog entered
into the excitement of the business, and Steve followed sedately enough
with the captain and doctor, envying Watty his spirits, for the lad had
permission to accompany the party, and he was revelling in the
excitement of a day's freedom from the slavery of the galley. The men,
too, thoroughly enjoyed their task, dragging and pushing with plenty of
cheering as they got the boat through some great snow-wreath which
barred their way to the chasm-like opening in the side of the fiord.

"Black water--no ice!" cried Steve, who made his way to the