rself as is at once the bottom an'
the top av it. 'Wot's he here for?' says half av 'em, while the other
half, which is the majority, they says, 'When's the old 'un a-sending
him to Europe to cut our throats?' they says; and there's the divil
among 'em--more divil than I ever seed."

"It must be dull work wintering here," I said at hazard; and he took up
the words mighty eagerly.

"Ay, an' ye've put yer finger on it; sure, it's just then that there's
work to do combing ov 'em down, young 'un. If I was the skipper, I
wudn't sit here with my feet in my pockets as it was, but I'd up an'
run for it. Why, look you, we're short av victuals already; and we turn
fifty av the hands in the mine ashore to-morrow!"

"Turn them ashore--how's that?"

"Why, giv' 'em their liberty, I'm thinking: poor divils, they'll die in
the snow, every one av them."

I made some poor excuse for cutting short the conversation, and left
him, excited beyond anything by the thought which his words gave me. If
fifty men were to be turned free, then surely I could count on fifty
allies; and fifty-one strong hands could at least make some show even
against the ruffians of the rock-house. Give them arms, and a chance of
surprise, and who knows? I said. But it was evident beyond doubt that
the initiative must be with me, and that, if arms and a leader were to
be found, I must find them.

It might have been a mad hope, but yet it was a hope; and I argued: Is
it better to clutch at the veriest shadow of a chance, or to sit down
and end my life amongst scoundrels and assassins? Unless the man
"Four-Eyes" deliberately deceived me, Black would connive at the murder
of fifty British seamen before another twenty-four hours had sped.
These men would have all the anger of desperation to drive them to the
attack; and I felt sure that if I could get some arms into their hands,
and help them to wise strategy, the attempt would at the least be
justifiable. It remained only to ascertain the probability of getting
weapons, and of joining the crew without molestation; and to this task
I set myself with an energy and expectation which caused me to forget
for the time my rascally environment, and the peril of my very
existence in the ice-haven.

During the remaining hours of the day I engaged myself in searching the
houses on the beach; but, although I looked into many of them, I found
no sign of armoury, or, indeed, of anything but plain accommodation for
living. He