d indeed go to sleep at their
proper bed-time, which, by the way, they must have ascertained by
instinct, for the sun could be no certain guide, seeing that he shone
all night as well as all day, and it would be too much to expect that
gulls had sufficient powers of observation to note the great luminary's
exact relation to the horizon. Polar bears, like the Eskimo, had
forsaken the spot. All nature, indeed, animate and inanimate, favoured
the idea of repose when the explorers lay down to sleep on a mossy couch
that was quite as soft as a feather bed, and much more springy.

The cause of disturbance was the prolonged absence of Alf Vandervell.
That enthusiastic naturalist's failure to appear at supper was nothing
uncommon. His non-appearance when they lay down did indeed cause some
surprise, but little or no anxiety, and they all dropped into a sound
sleep which lasted till considerably beyond midnight. Then the Captain
awoke with a feeling of uneasiness, started up on one elbow, yawned, and
gazed dreamily around. The sun, which had just kissed his hand to the
disappointed horizon and begun to re-ascend the sky, blinded the Captain
with his beams, but did not prevent him from observing that Alf's place
was still vacant.

"Very odd," he muttered, "Alf didn't use to--to--w'at's 'is name in--
this--way--"

The Captain's head dropped, his elbow relaxed, and he returned to the
land of Nod for another half-hour.

Again he awoke with a start, and sat upright.

"This'll never do," he exclaimed, with a fierce yawn, "something _must_
be wrong. Ho! Benjy!"

"Umph!" replied the boy, who, though personally light, was a heavy
sleeper.

"Rouse up, Ben, Alf's not come back. Where did you leave him?"

"Don' know, Burrerface saw 'im las'--." Benjy dropped off with a sigh,
but was re-aroused by a rough shake from his father, who lay close to
him.

"Come, Ben, stir up Butterface! We must go look for Alf."

Butterface lay on the other side of Benjy, who, only half alive to what
he was doing, raised his hand and let it fall heavily on the negro's
nose, by way of stirring him up.

"Hallo! massa Benjamin! You's dreamin' drefful strong dis mornin'."

"Yer up, ol' ebony!" groaned the boy.

In a few minutes the whole camp was roused; sleep was quickly banished
by anxiety about the missing one; guns and rifles were loaded, and a
regular search-expedition was hastily organised. They started off in
groups in different di