and there is no fear of its melting before
winter."

"No," assented West, "that is not to be feared. What it
behoves us to do is, while watching the boat, to keep an eye on the
provisions."

"We are lucky," added Hurllguerly, "to have put our cargo in
safety. Poor, dear _Halbrane_. She will remain in these seas, like the
fane, her elder sister!"

Yes, without doubt, and I thought so for many reasons, the one
destroyed by the savages of Tsalal, the other by one of these
catastrophes that no human power can prevent.

"You are right," replied the captain, "and we must prevent our
men from plundering. We are sure of enough provisions for one year,
without counting what we may get by fishing."

"And it is so much the more necessary, captain, to keep a close
watch, because I have seen some hovering about the spirit casks."

"I will see to that," replied West.

"But," I then asked, "had we not better prepare ourselves for
the fact that we may be compelled to winter on this iceberg."

"May Heaven avert such a terrible probability," replied the
captain.

"After all, if it were necessary, we could get through it, Mr.
Jeorling," said the boatswain. "We could hollow out
sheltering-places in the ice, so as to be able to bear the extreme
cold of the pole, and so long as we had sufficient to appease our
hunger--"

At this moment the horrid recollection of the _Grampus_ came to my
mind--the scenes in which Dirk Peters killed Ned Holt, the brother
of our sailing-master. Should we ever be in such extremity?

Would it not, before we proceed to set up winter quarters for seven
or eight months, be better to leave the iceberg altogether, if such
a thing were possible?

I called the attention of Captain Len Guy and West to this point.

This was a difficult question to answer, and a long silence preceded
the reply.

At last the captain said,--

"Yes, that would be the best resolution to come to; and if our
boat could hold us all, with the provisions necessary for a voyage
that might last three or four weeks, I would not hesitate to put to
sea now and return towards the north."

But I made them observe that we should be obliged to direct our
course contrary to wind and current; our schooner herself could
hardly have succeeded in doing this. Whilst to continue towards the
south--

"Towards the south?" repeated the captain, who looked at me as
though he sought to read my thoughts.

"Why not?" I answered. "If the iceber