rdy-looking grey vessel glided away
through the calm waters of the fiord amidst a loud burst of cheers.

Northward ho! for the region of the midnight sun.

CHAPTER THREE.

PREPARATIONS.

"I say," said Steve some hours later, "isn't it getting late?"

"Yes, very," said the captain; "go and turn in."

"But it's so light, sir! It was light enough coming up here, but--what
time is it?"

"Eleven--past."

"What! Why, I thought it could only be about eight."

"I suppose so, boy," said the captain, who was looking ahead for the
opening through which the _Hvalross_ was to thread her way out from the
fiord into the ocean; "but where is your geography?"

"At home."

"Yes, yes; but I don't mean your book, my lad. I mean the geography and
knowledge in your head. Don't you remember that the farther we go north
at this time of year the lighter it becomes, till, not many miles
farther, it will be all daylight?"

"Yes, I remember now," cried Steve; "but it's rather puzzling, all that
about the midnight sun. Doesn't the sun really set at all?"

"No," said Captain Marsham, smiling at the lad's puzzled expression.

"Then what does it do?" said the lad, gazing hard in the direction of
the north-west, where there was still a warm glow.

"Keeps up above the horizon."

"But that's what puzzles me," said Steve.

"Well, I hardly know how to explain it to you, my boy, unless you can
grasp it if I ask you to suppose you are standing on the North Pole."

"Yes, I understand that. Wouldn't the sun set there?"

"No; but at midsummer day it would be at a certain height above the
horizon."

"Yes; but how would it be at midsummer night?"

"Just at the same height in the sky, going apparently round the
heavens."

"And would it keep on like that, always at the same height night and
day?"

"Yes, for one day only. The next day it would be nearly the same
height, then a little lower; and so it would go on becoming a little and
a little lower, and, as it were, screwing slowly down till it was close
to the horizon; then would come the days when it was only half seen,
then not seen at all."

"And after that?"

"Darkness and winter, Steve, till it had gone as far south as it could
go and begun to return. Do you understand now?"

"I think so," said Steve, but rather dubiously. "It's much too big to
get hold of all at once. But just tell me this, and then I'll go to
bed, sir. As we shan't be right at the North Pole,