s and his
three companions, and halted, wondering why they were there, as they
were generally with the firemen below.

"We were only having a talk, sir," said the harpooner.

"About our position--whether we shall get through it?" cried Steve
eagerly.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, and what do you think?"

"That we shall, sir. Why not? It is very dark and cold, but we have
plenty of food and fuel. We only want work. The cook yonder is always
busy getting things ready for us, and he is the healthiest man on
board."

"Then you think we can hold out?"

"Please God, yes, sir," said the men in reverent tones. "We must not
give up now."

"No, we must not give up now," echoed Steve.

"We have been thinking that, as soon as this storm has blown over, we
may have three or four days' fine, clear weather. The moon is getting
toward the full, and if the captain would start an expedition, it would
not be so dangerous now."

"Which way would you go?"

"Inland, sir. I don't expect it, but we might find deer or a bear; but
whether we did or no, we should have something to do."

The storm had given place to fine clear moonshine, and there was not a
breath of air, but no expedition was started; for, to the despair and
misery of all, the captain broke down, worn out by mental care; and
after three or four days Steve sat by his cot listening to his hurried
breathing, and asking himself what was to become of them all if their
brave leader died. The boy had to divide his attention between watching
and keeping up the temperature of the cabin; but the glowing stove and
constantly burning lamp had a hard fight with the cold, which seemed to
pierce through everything; and though curtains of sailcloth had been
nailed up outside the cabin door, they did little in those piercing
hours of the long arctic night.

The boy had just resumed his seat, after rearranging the fur coat which
he had thrown over the captain, when Mr Handscombe entered, the
sailcloth curtains crackling loudly as he moved them to pass, for the
moisture from the breath froze them stiff, and the thickness was
constantly being added to.

"How does he seem?" said the doctor, going closer to the fire to thaw
the frozen rime from his beard, which was quite a bush of ice from the
chin downward, before taking off his heavy fur coat and hood.

"Just the same, sir," said Steve despondently.

"Ah!" exclaimed the doctor sharply; "none of that. Don't you take that
tone."