es, our signal-gun," replied the captain.

A faint cheer like the distant echo of that from the boat was now heard,
the men bent to their oars with renewed vigour, and ten minutes later,
guided by shout after shout, the boat suddenly glided under the counter
of the vessel.

"Why, we thought we had lost you!" cried the doctor, leaning over from
the gangway.

"Then you got back?"

"Yes, hours ago. The ship came right upon us, nearly running us down.
But what a fog!"

"Yes," said Captain Marsham drily, "what a fog! You seem to have been
more fortunate than we were. Save your fish?"

"Oh yes; they've got it towing alongside. And you, did you cut yours
adrift?"

"No; it is alongside, too."

All were too tired to make an attack upon the whales that day, and after
a good meal the watch was set, and those at liberty sought relief from
their weariness in sleep, leaving the ship lying to and with the fires
going sufficiently to enable the engineer to get up steam at a very
short notice and take the ship out of danger if any came near.

Steve awoke after many hours' sleep to find that a light breeze had
swept away the mist, and that they were lying about ten miles away from
the ice, toward which they had partly drifted, partly steamed, during
the heavy mist. It was another example of the difficulties of
navigation in the north, another of the risks to which sailors are
exposed. But now that the trouble had passed it was almost forgotten,
the men being eagerly at work cutting up the two whales and transferring
their thick blubber to the caldron, from which a clear, sweet oil was
soon after being drawn off and emptied into one of the tanks that
henceforth would be reserved for this particular kind of oil.

The trouble of the past day was forgotten, and the men were ready to
make light of it all, save the Norwegian sailors, who shook their heads
when the others laughed and bantered them about getting lost; they knew
the reality of the danger better, and said nothing either to make much
or light of it.

The rendering down of the bear's fat and the boiling of the whale
blubber into oil rather disgusted Steve; but he contented himself with
making a face when the doctor talked about it.

"Must take the rough with the smooth," he said. "The bear-hunt was very
exciting and the whale-fishing grand. I think I shall get Johannes to
let me try harpooning."

"You mean," said the doctor, "that you must take the smooth wi