ar drew it from the ice,
and looked searchingly at flag and shaft; the pennon was of crimson,
without lettering or private signal, but on the pole was scorched in
deep, black characters, the legend "Str. Mercedes."

"Here has been a good day's work, probably by that steamer whose smoke
we saw the other day," said La Salle; "doubtless she was afraid of being
nipped by this ice in the last southerly gale, and made off in time to
avoid it. If so, she will be back again after her cargo, when the ice
gets south of the islands."

"Is that a seal, Charley?"

The words were simple, but the tone was so unlike the usual voice of the
speaker, so tinged with awe and doubt, that La Salle felt a chill
traverse his frame as he turned to see what had provoked the question.

Regnar stood on the brink of the only pool of open water in sight,
gazing earnestly at a floating object in the centre, which appeared at
first sight like a dead seal, but a second glance at the shape and size
of the body revealed the corpse of a man clad in a seal-skin coat, and
floating on its face.

"It is some poor fellow who has been drowned in passing from one cake to
another," said La Salle, gravely. "Let us examine the body; perhaps
there are papers or valuables on it, which will identify it, or be of
value to its friends. At all events, we can give it a more Christian
sepulture to-morrow."

Regnar gave no answer, but stood motionless as if turned into stone.

"Come, Regnar! wake up, man! Surely you are not afraid of a poor
lifeless body. Bear a hand with that boat-hook, or, if you don't care to
touch it, hand it to me."

[Illustration:]

Starting as if from a trance, Regnar extended the long boat-hook and
gently drew the body to the shore, where La Salle, making a loop of the
rope they carried, dropped it over the head and shoulders, and drawing
it tightly under the arm-pits, gave one end to Regnar.

"His pockets are turned inside out," said La Salle.

"The man has been murdered," almost whispered the lad. "See what a
terrible wound there is in the skull."

"Let us land him, any way, Regnar. We will get him upon the ice, and
to-morrow we can come down here and look into the matter. Gently, now;
that's right. Great Heavens! Regnie, lad, are you mad?"

As the body was landed, turning slowly over on its back, exposing a face
handsome even in death, Regnar started, glanced curiously at the
features, and dropping the line, raised the boat-hook, a