and go
across to the main next season a'ter timber to make ways?" put in Daggett,
inquiringly. "She stands up like a church, and nothing would be easier
than to lay down ways under her bottom."

"Or more difficult than to make them of any use, after you had put them
there. No, no, my good sir, you must think no more of this; though it may
be possible to make a cover for the cargo, and return and recover it all,
by freighting a craft from Rio, on our way north."

Daggett gave a quick, inquisitive glance at his companion, and Roswell's
colour mounted to his cheeks; for while he really thought the plan just
mentioned quite feasible, he was conscious of foreseeing that it might be
made the means of throwing off his troublesome companion, as he himself
drew near to the West Indies and their keys.

This terminated the discussion for the time. Both of the masters busied
themselves in carrying on the duty which had now fallen into a regular
train. As much of the interest of what is to be related will depend on
what was done in these few days, it may be well to be a little more
explicit in stating the particulars.

The reader will understand that the house, of which so much had already
been made by our mariners, was nothing but a shell. It had a close roof,
one that effectually turned water, and its siding, though rough, was tight
and rather thicker than is usual; being made of common inch boards,
roughly planed, and originally painted red. There were four very tolerable
windows, and a decent substantial floor of planed plank. All this had been
well put together, rather more attention than is often bestowed on such
structures having been paid by the carpenter to the cracks and joints on
account of the known sharpness of the climate, even in the warm months.
Still, all this made a mere shell. The marrow-freezing winds which would
soon come--had indeed come--might be arrested by such a covering, it is
true; but the little needle-like particles of the frost would penetrate
such a shelter, as their counterparts of steel pierce cloth. It was a
matter of life and death, therefore, to devise means to exclude the cold,
in order that the vital heat might be kept in circulation during the
tremendous season that was known to be approaching.

Stimson had much to say on the subject of the arrangements taken. He was
the oldest man in the two crews, and the most experienced sealer. It
happened that he had once passed a winter at Orange Ha