this signal. Am I right in
supposing that this is the name of your vessel?" and so saying he drew
from his pocket the tiny pennon.

"It is ours, and we have been trying for a week to recover our skins, as
well as the body of Captain Randall, whom we lost eight days ago."

Not a muscle of La Salle's face betrayed any emotion save that of
interest, as he asked,--

"Lost your captain! And how, pray?"

At that moment a noise was heard in the inner cabin, as if several men
were struggling; all at once the door flew open, and, with difficulty
restrained by the utmost efforts of two powerful men, a pale, unshorn
face, surmounting a wild and scantily-dressed figure, appeared to the
party, none of whom started save La Salle, who almost fancied that the
dead man, sealed up in the caverns of the ice, had come back again to
his quarters on board the Mercedes. Crying out, "I couldn't save him! I
couldn't save him!" the intruder was dragged, struggling and raving,
back to his berth.

"Poor George! he takes the death of his brother sadly to heart. He was
mate, and the other day they left the floe together, to ascend a large
berg at some distance from our whaling-ground. We saw them on the top,
after which they disappeared, going to the opposite side by which they
had ascended. Shortly after we heard several rifle shots fired in quick
succession, and then George came running towards us, shouting that his
brother had fallen between the floes, and was drowning.

"We ran to the spot, and found a place between two floes where the ice
was much broken up, as if some one had tried to catch something with a
boat-hook; and Randall told us that his brother had fallen through and
been carried under the ice before he could get to him. We broke the ice
all around, but to no purpose; and then our lookouts discovered that we
were in danger of getting nipped on the other side of the Magdalens. So
we returned to the ship with George, sadly enough."

"Why were the rifle-shots fired? to call for assistance?" asked La
Salle.

"Yes. None of our men have the rifle, although many are supplied with
the old sealing-gun. We therefore agreed among the officers that three
shots, fired in rapid succession, should call assistance in case of
danger, or trouble with the men. Our rifles are all breech-loading
carbines, and we can fire with great rapidity."

"Do you find them of service among the seals?"

"Yes, especially with the 'old hoods;' and poor Cap