turn in."

"You are in a great hurry, my old friend," said the doctor.

"Naturally enough, Doctor, I am so comfortable in bed! And then my
dreams are pleasant. I dream of warm countries; or that, to tell the
truth, half of my life is spent at the equator and half at the Pole!"

"The deuce," said Altamont, "you have a happy temperament."

"True," answered the boatswain.

"Well, it would be cruel to detain Johnson any longer. His tropical
sun is waiting for him. Let us go to bed."

CHAPTER XI.
DISQUIETING TRACES.

In the night of April 26-27, the weather changed; the thermometer fell
many degrees, and the inhabitants of Doctor's House perceived it from
the cold which made its way beneath their coverings; Altamont, who was
watching the stove, took care not to let the fire get low, and he was
kept busy putting on enough coal to keep the temperature at 50
degrees. This cold weather announced the end of the storm, and the
doctor was glad of it, for now they could resume their usual
occupations, their hunting, excursions, and explorations; this would
put an end to the apathy of their loneliness, which in time sours even
the finest characters.

[Illustration]

The next morning the doctor rose early, and made his way over the
drifts to the lighthouse. The wind was from the north; the air was
clear, the snow was hard under his feet. Soon his five companions had
left Doctor's House; their first care was to dig away the drifted
snow, which now disguised the plateau; it would have been impossible
to discover any traces of life upon it, for the tempest had buried all
inequalities beneath fifteen feet of snow.

After the snow was cleared away from the house, it was necessary to
restore its architectural outline. This was very easy, and after the
ice was removed a few blows with the snow-knife gave it its normal
thickness. After two hours' work the granite appeared, and access to
the stores and the powder-house was free. But since, in these
uncertain climates, such things can happen every day, a new supply of
food was carried to the kitchen. They were all wearied of salt food
and yearned for fresh meat, and so the hunters were charged with
changing the bill of fare, and they prepared to set out.

[Illustration]

Still the end of April did not bring with it the polar spring, which
was yet six weeks off; the sun's rays were still too feeble to melt
the snow or to nourish the few plants of these regions. They fear