and so do all of those who come up; but same time, a poor
fellow don't think, and when he lowers himself out of the tub, he goes
on stepping down without going off on to the shrouds, and I've known men
fall and be killed."

"I say, don't talk about falling," said Steve, with a shiver; "it makes
one feel creepy."

"Only good advice, sir," said Johannes. "Now, then, up you go."

The lad mounted three of the steps, and his head touched the bottom of
the tub.

"It isn't opened!" he cried.

"Never mind, sir; go on, push up."

Steve obeyed, thrust hard with his head, and the bottom gave way,
turning upon its hinges till it was vertical, and he passed up inside
the tub, stepped on to the narrow ledge at the side, and the bottom
dropped down into its place, forming a firm flooring, with a ring at the
edge ready for lifting it up.

The next moment Steve was standing upright, peering round in all
directions, finding that he was in a wonderfully commanding position for
sweeping the sea, and now, with his eyes already a little educated,
making out the ice to the north plainly enough.

There was the seat ready for resting upon; the iron rail all round for a
rest for a telescope, and attached to this rail the broad piece of board
which could be run round in any direction to act as a screen from the
wind when it blew hard and was perhaps cold enough to give frost-bite to
the unfortunate watcher up aloft.

A hail from the deck put an end to Steve's sea sweeping, just as he
fancied he made out something dark to the south, which might have been a
boat or some large fish. So, stooping down in his narrow cell, he
raised the bottom, and began to lower himself down, till his feet, which
sought for a resting-place, touched the second rail of the ladder they
had made, and he thoroughly grasped now how necessary their work had
been.

"Steady, sir!" cried Johannes, as he stepped lower. "Keep the door
resting upon your head, so that it don't come down with a bang; it might
hurt you."

"All right," said the lad, obeying the instructions to the letter, while
the two men who stood on the shrouds to starboard and port watched him
carefully. "That's it, isn't it?" he continued, as he stepped lower,
and the trap-door bottom closed with a gentle tap.

"Make anything out?" cried Captain Marsham from the deck.

"Yes, sir!" cried Steve eagerly. "Three pieces of ice to the north, and
there's something dark right away south that looks l