direction, then shudder and turn
pale.

"What is the matter, Vasling?" he asked.

"Nothing," replied the other. "Let us go down and urge the
captain to leave these parts, where we ought never to have come,
at once!"

Instead of obeying, Penellan ascended again, and looked in the
direction which had drawn the mate's attention. A very different
effect was produced on him, for he uttered a shout of joy, and
cried,--

"Blessed be God!"

A light smoke was rising in the north-east. There was no
possibility of deception. It indicated the presence of human
beings. Penellan's cries of joy reached the rest below, and all
were able to convince themselves with their eyes that he was not
mistaken.

Without thinking of their want of provisions or the severity of
the temperature, wrapped in their hoods, they were all soon
advancing towards the spot whence the smoke arose in the north-east.
This was evidently five or six miles off, and it was very
difficult to take exactly the right direction. The smoke now
disappeared, and no elevation served as a guiding mark, for the
ice-plain was one united level. It was important, nevertheless,
not to diverge from a straight line.

"Since we cannot guide ourselves by distant objects," said Jean
Cornbutte, "we must use this method. Penellan will go ahead,
Vasling twenty steps behind him, and I twenty steps behind
Vasling. I can then judge whether or not Penellan diverges from
the straight line."

They had gone on thus for half an hour, when Penellan suddenly
stopped and listened. The party hurried up to him.

"Did you hear nothing?" he asked.

"Nothing!" replied Misonne.

"It is strange," said Penellan. "It seemed to me I heard cries
from this direction."

"Cries?" replied Marie. "Perhaps we are near our destination,
then."

"That is no reason," said Andre Vasling. "In these high latitudes
and cold regions sounds may be heard to a great distance."

"However that may be," replied Jean Cornbutte, "let us go
forward, or we shall be frozen."

"No!" cried Penellan. "Listen!"

Some feeble sounds--quite perceptible, however--were heard. They
seemed to be cries of distress. They were twice repeated. They
seemed like cries for help. Then all became silent again.

"I was not mistaken," said Penellan. "Forward!"

He began to run in the direction whence the cries had proceeded.
He went thus two miles, when, to his utter stupefaction, he saw a
man lying on the ice. He went up to hi