all a fire as can be made to burn. Look here
now; this log will last us all night if we chop it into chips, and just
put on three or four at a time."

Andrew's plan was found to answer perfectly. The fire was sufficient to
melt the snow in a saucepan, and to enable them to enjoy some hot tea,
and the hut soon became so warm that they were glad to throw off their
great coats. Their only regret was that Andrew had not thought before
of building a snow-hut.

"Better late than never. It will not be the last by many that we shall
have to build," he answered.

They were all so comfortable that Andrew had great difficulty in rousing
them in the morning to encounter the biting wind blowing across the
floe. Having enjoyed a warm breakfast, and put on their outer clothing,
they cut their way out of their burrow, and once more proceeded
eastward. They did not fail to look out for their companions, but not a
moving object was to be discerned in any direction across the wide
ice-field.

After travelling all day, they were convinced that they saw the land
ahead, though it appeared no nearer than before.

"May be it will not appear nearer to-morrow or next day," said Andrew.
"But that must not disappoint us. It will be nearer notwithstanding.
That we know for a certainty, and if we persevere we shall reach it at
last."

As they advanced, several cracks and broad fissures were found in the
ice, and in one place there was a wide pool or lake only thinly covered
over, to avoid which they had to make a circuit.

"We are not far off the open water, mates," said Andrew, "and we may be
thankful that we have the boat, though I fear our poor shipmates will be
in a sad plight."

Making their way onwards, the ice being tolerably smooth, they arrived
sooner than Andrew had expected at the edge of the floe. The channel
which divided it from the opposite floe was upwards of a couple of miles
wide, a long distance to traverse in their battered boat. The wind had
gone down, and the sea was tolerably calm, it was therefore important to
cross while it remained so. Andrew, however, was very unwilling to
cross without waiting for their missing shipmates.

"Just think, mates, how we should feel if we had been with the sledges
had they crossed and left us to our fate on the floe?"

"But they deserted us, and we may lose our lives if we wait for them,"
argued the other men.

At last Andrew persuaded them to remain, while he and Archy