nd the channel through which they had rowed, in the morning, over a
glassy expanse of nearly a mile in width, narrowed, until, with a shock
which was wholly unexpected, so gradual and gentle seemed the motion,
the opposing borders were again united, and the waves of the sea were no
longer accessible.

That evening the party supped off fried seal liver and heart, and found
them fully up to the standard of excellence expressed by Regnar, who
said,--

"Reindeer steak good beef, ptarmigan good beef, brent good beef, seal
liver best beef of all."

Before going to bed La Salle cut into the ice-hole, which had been
filled some days before with salt water. After much cutting, he came to
about two quarts of water, which seemed thick and heavy. Baling this,
with a rude spoon, into their only iron utensil, it was placed amid the
embers, and left to boil away for the evening, while the adventurers,
gathering around their fire took counsel as to what step was to be taken
next.

"Let us make a tent," said Waring. "First thing we know this old floe
will split in two in a storm, and we shall have no house."

"Spose 'em lose house, we want clo'es. Need good boots too," said Peter,
who was indeed but poorly provided in this respect, compared with the
rest of the four adventurers.

"If we have a good boat, we have shelter on land or water," said Regnar,
sententiously.

"Regnar is right, and we must enlarge the capacity of our boat. She has
too little standing room, and we four should have little chance in her
in a heavy storm at sea. To-morrow we will make her into a life-boat at
once, for this pleasant weather cannot last long."

All agreed with La Salle in this decision, and accordingly the evening
was spent in preparing the seal-sinews, and in cutting thongs of
seal-hide from one of the largest skins. These, when soaked in water,
were capable of considerable extension, but in drying contracted, making
a lashing of the hardness and nearly the strength of iron.

The sinews were, many of them, a yard in length, and at least the
diameter of a large goose-quill. These split readily into threads of any
required firmness, and before the party retired, quite a bundle of large
and small thread was prepared. For the first time they worked by the
glare of their Esquimaux lamp, which, besides its shallow bowl of
soapstone, consisted of a top of thin sheet-iron pierced for six wicks,
each of which was flat, about one sixteenth of an inch