ons about the food could
not be any longer enforced.

It was useless to attempt to show these men that these measures
were for the common interest, for they knew it well, and only
sought a pretext to revolt.

Penellan advanced towards the Norwegians, who drew their
cutlasses; but, aided by Misonne and Turquiette, he succeeded in
snatching the weapons from their hands, and gained possession of
the salt meat. Andre Vasling and Aupic, seeing that matters were
going against them, did not interfere. Louis Cornbutte, however,
took the mate aside, and said to him,--

[Illustration: Penellan advanced towards the Norwegians.]

"Andre Vasling, you are a wretch! I know your whole conduct, and
I know what you are aiming at, but as the safety of the whole
crew is confided to me, if any man of you thinks of conspiring to
destroy them, I will stab him with my own hand!"

"Louis Cornbutte," replied the mate, "it is allowable for you to
act the master; but remember that absolute obedience does not
exist here, and that here the strongest alone makes the law."

Marie had never trembled before the dangers of the polar seas;
but she was terrified by this hatred, of which she was the cause,
and the captain's vigour hardly reassured her.

Despite this declaration of war, the meals were partaken of in
common and at the same hours. Hunting furnished some ptarmigans
and white hares; but this resource would soon fail them, with the
approach of the terrible cold weather. This began at the
solstice, on the 22nd of December, on which day the thermometer
fell to thirty-five degrees below zero. The men experienced pain
in their ears, noses, and the extremities of their bodies. They
were seized with a mortal torpor combined with headache, and
their breathing became more and more difficult.

In this state they had no longer any courage to go hunting or to
take any exercise. They remained crouched around the stove, which
gave them but a meagre heat; and when they went away from it,
they perceived that their blood suddenly cooled.

Jean Cornbutte's health was seriously impaired, and he could no
longer quit his lodging. Symptoms of scurvy manifested themselves
in him, and his legs were soon covered with white spots. Marie
was well, however, and occupied herself tending the sick ones
with the zeal of a sister of charity. The honest fellows blessed
her from the bottom of their hearts.

The 1st of January was one of the gloomiest of these winter