ot
bad to eat; and then, you know, we can make boots, and caps, and jackets
of their skins. We must look out to get them before the cold sets in."

"Then you think we shall have to winter here?" I asked.

"If the gale had taken off yesterday, I should have expected our ship
back; but now I do not think she will attempt it," he answered
positively. We were standing outside the hut, some way from the rest.
"However, two ships were left in Pond's Bay when we came away, and they
may see us as they pass, or we may pull off to them if the sea goes
down. Peter, we should be thankful that things are no worse. Cold and
inhospitable as is this country, we have the means of existing in it, if
we have sense to employ them. Even now the wind has dropped and the sea
has gone down. It will be as well to get our signal-post up, in case
either of the ships should pass."

I agreed with him; and calling Terence to accompany us, we told the rest
that we were going to the edge of the ice to see how things were, and to
set up a signal.

Our flagstaff consisted of a spar, with a lance handle as a topmast, and
the flag was the jack used in the boat to show that a fish was fast. We
took also some line, to serve as shrouds for the staff. We three set
off, then, not without some difficulty in advancing; for the wind was
still so strong, that we were almost taken off our legs.

The distance, however, was not so great as we expected, for the sea had
broken off the edge of the ice for full half a mile. Some of the pieces
had been washed away, and others had been hurled far up on the surface,
so as to form a high and rugged wall. We had taken the precaution of
bringing two hatchets with us; and having selected the highest hummock
near the sea, we chopped the summit of it perfectly level. We then cut
out blocks of ice, and piled them up, till we had built a pyramid some
ten feet high. We left places on which we could stand, to enable us to
do this. We then planted our staff in the centre, and secured the
shrouds to some large blocks of ice we had dragged up for the purpose.

We thus formed a very conspicuous mark, but we felt that it was too
probable the ship might not pass near enough to see it. For some
minutes we contemplated our work, and then prepared to return to our
companions. Just then Terence happened to turn his eyes to the
north-east. He stopped and looked eagerly out. "A sail, a sail!" he
exclaimed; "she's coming d