new, sir. It's a very fine, tasteless oil, and supposed
to be very good for sick people. They make cod-liver oil of it."

Captain Marsham burst into a hearty fit of laughter at the puzzlement
and chagrin in his friend's countenance.

"Stop a moment!" cried the doctor angrily. "Do you mean to tell me that
this shark oil is used for--I mean, is sold for cod-liver oil?"

"Yes, sir, I believe so," said the Norwegian.

"Disgusting! Shameful!" cried the doctor. "What a miserable piece of
trickery! The people who do it ought to be exposed."

"Nonsense!" said the captain. "As Jakobsen says, it is very good for
sick people. Why, my dear sir, the good effects of cod-liver oil do not
depend upon its being extracted from a cod, but upon its being a rich
fish oil, strongly impregnated with the peculiar salts, or whatever you
call them, found in sea water. I daresay the oil of any fish liver
would be as good."

"And quite as nasty," suggested Steve. "Right, my lad, quite as nasty,
and would do for doctors to trim the wick of the lamp of life when it is
burning low."

"Humph! perhaps you are right," said the doctor thoughtfully.

"Can't we have some shark-fishing, Jakobsen?" cried Steve eagerly.

"Why, you don't want your lamp trimmed, Steve?" said the captain.

"No, sir; but Mr Handscombe might like some of the oil," replied Steve,
with a laughing look at the frowning doctor, who was evidently thinking
deeply.

"Eh? No, my lad, I don't want any. But I've been thinking that perhaps
this shark oil may be good."

"Couldn't catch sharks here, sir, unless we found a bank."

"Wait a little longer, Steve," said the captain, "and I daresay we shall
find you something better than fishing for sharks."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE LAND OF PEAKS.

"Here, Steve! Hi, my lad, wake up!"

"Eh? Yes! What is it, whales?" cried the boy, hurrying into his
clothes.

"Come and look. You wanted something fresh." It was the captain who
roused him up the very next morning, and on reaching the deck he was
perfectly astounded at the scene before him. There was no more monotony
in the view, for there before him and spreading to right and left was as
lovely a land as the human mind could conceive. It was twenty or thirty
miles away, and as Steve Young gazed it was at peak after peak rising up
toward the skies, all dazzling with ice and snow, and dyed by the
distance, of the most lovely tints of amethyst and sapphire blue, w