looha, (who _would_ not remain under cover),
into the comparatively still water on the lee, or northern side of the
berg.

"Hurrah!" shouted Benjy in a tone that was too energetic and peculiar to
have been called forth by the mere fact of his own escape from danger.

Captain Vane looked in the direction indicated by the boy's glistening
eyes--glistening with the salt tears of joy as well as with salt sea
spray--and there beheld the other two boats coming dancing in like wild
things on the crests of the heaving waves. They had seen the signal of
the handkerchief, understood and followed it, and, in a few minutes
more, were under the lee of the ice-cliffs, thanking God and
congratulating each other on their deliverance.

A sheltered cove was soon found, far enough removed from cliffs and
pinnacles to insure moderate safety. Into this they ran, and there they
spent the night, serenaded by the roaring gale, and lullabied by the
crash of falling spires and the groans of rending ice.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

RECORDS A WONDERFUL APPARITION BUT A FURIOUS NIGHT.

When the storm had passed, a profound calm once more settled down on the
face of nature, as if the elements had been utterly exhausted by the
conflict. Once more the sea became like a sheet of undulating glass, in
which clouds and sun and boats were reflected vividly, and once again
our voyagers found themselves advancing towards the north, abreast of
each other, and rowing sociably together at the rate of about four miles
an hour.

When advancing under oars they went thus abreast so as to converse
freely, but when proceeding under kites they kept in single file, so as
to give scope for swerving, in the event of sudden change of wind, and
to prevent the risk of the entanglement of lines.

"What is that?" exclaimed Benjy, pointing suddenly to an object ahead
which appeared at regular intervals on the surface of the water.

"A whale, I think," said Leo.

"A whale usually spouts on coming up, doesn't it?" said Alf.

Chingatok uttered an unpronounceable Eskimo word which did not throw
light on the subject.

"What is it, Anders?" shouted the Captain.

"What you say?" asked the interpreter from Alf's boat, which was on the
other side of the _Hope_.

"If these squawkin' things would hold their noise, you'd hear better,"
growled the Captain before repeating the question.

His uncourteous remark had reference to a cloud of gulls which circled
round and follo