smoke.
He would have been there by now."

"He has chosen some corner out of the wind," suggested the doctor, as he
watched the great bird circling about the face of the cliff, but from
their distance looking less than a pigeon.

"We ought to have a specimen of those owls," said the captain as they
trudged on, rather wearily now, their pieces seeming to have grown
wonderfully heavy.

"Marsham, my good friend," said the doctor, "there is only one specimen
in natural history that interests me now, and that is the fleshy tissue
known as steak or collops, frizzled over a good clear fire. After I
have exhibited, as we doctors say, a dose of that to myself, I shall be
quite ready to talk about owls; not before."

"See him, Johannes?" said the captain, dropping back to take hold of one
of the tracking lines, and helping to pull the sledge and ease the men.

"No, sir. He has been troubled to get the fire to burn. Maybe he has
no matches. For there was plenty of rough coal lying about, and dry
stuff that would soon catch alight. But it will be something to find
the fire ready to burn; and we can soon get some bits of meat to roast."

"I don't see any signs of that, my lad," said the captain, after they
had gone a little farther. "Of course that was why he ran on. Did he
say anything to you about it?"

"Not a word, sir. He made a sudden dart off and was gone."

"Perhaps he has a fire where we cannot see it," said the captain; "and
it tells well for the coal that it burns with so little smoke. It will
be capital for the engines."

They trudged on, quite satisfied that they had not the other deer to
drag as well, for the ground was very rugged, and Captain Marsham
suggested to the doctor that if they had had the bear-skin the task
would not have been much lighter. Still, every one was cheerful, and
tugged heartily at his track rope; but there was no sign of the lad when
they reached the foot of the coal cliff.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

LOST.

"Ahoy, there! Ahoy!" shouted the doctor again and again, startling the
great owl from its eagle-like eerie and making the rocks echo the cry.
But there was no response, and the party looked at each other for an
explanation of the position.

"He has not been here," said the captain, "and we must go back and
search. How tiresome, when we are so weary!"

"I wish you had not brought him," grumbled the doctor. "I say, isn't
anybody going to make a fire?"

"Look here,