Couldn't you and I relieve Mr Lowe here?"

He looked up as he spoke, for they were just below the bridge, and the
mate leaned over and spoke.

"No, thank you, gentlemen," he said. "I can stand it for a couple of
hours longer, and then the captain will wake up and relieve me. You
could not con the vessel through this ice, and there's only one man on
board to whom I'd give up my place--the captain."

"We seem very helpless people here. Let's go and talk to our two Scotch
friends. But look here, my lad, hadn't you better get on a fur coat?"

"I'm not cold," replied Steve; and they went on to the man by the wheel,
where Andrew greeted them with a grin.

"The pipes are a' recht, Meester Steve," he said. "She'll like to hear
them the noo?"

"I don't believe they'd go."

"She ton't pelief they'd go?"

"No. The potatoes were frozen in the cook-house, and I'll be bound to
say they're spoiled."

Andrew McByle's face was a study as he looked from the speaker forward,
and then turned hastily to Hamish.

"She'll mind ta wheel her nainsel," he said huskily, "while she goes to
see aboot her pipes."

He turned to Steve again, and saw the twinkle in the lad's eye.

"She's lairfin'!" he cried. "The pipes are quite safe a' wrapped oop in
her auld plaidie"; and he shook his head and laughed heartily.

"Look!" cried Hamish excitedly, pointing to their right.

"What is it?"

"A seal. Ay, there's twa bonnie laddies. Look at them watching us, and
looking like twa bodies after having a swim."

Steve did not see the animals at once, for a piece of ice intervened.
The next moment, though, they came into sight, where they lay upon the
snow, and raised their round heads to gaze at the ship.

"No wonder that some of the old mariners who first saw these large seals
fancied that there were mermen and mermaids at sea," said the doctor, as
they watched the peculiar semi-human faces of the creatures gazing at
them with their great, soft eyes.

"You might almost fancy, if you saw one of them looking over a rock at
you at a little distance, that it was some kind of savage."

"Yes, but it would have to keep its body out of sight."

"She has never seen the walrus, then?" said Andrew.

"Only a stuffed specimen."

"Nay, she tidn't say a stuff spessaman; she said ta walrus, sir."

"No, I never saw a live walrus," said the doctor, smiling.

"Then she'll just wait a wee till she sees a big bull walrus lift her
het oot o' ta