rose and was dragged panting into the boat, his first glance
was upwards,--but not in thankfulness for his preservation!

"Gone!" he groaned, rising to his feet.

But the kite was not gone. The word had barely left his lips when it
rose half its length out of the water, and then fell, in melancholy
inaptitude for further mischief, flat upon the sea.

"Anything damaged?" asked the Captain, as he and Leo rowed their boats
towards the _Charity_.

"Nothing," replied Alf with a guilty look, "the stick and things seem to
be all right, but it has got _awfully_ wet."

"No matter," said the Captain, laughing at Alf's forlorn look, "the sun
will soon dry it. So long as nothing is broken or torn, we'll get on
very well. But now, boys, we must go to work with oars. There must be
no flagging in this dash for the Pole. It's a neck-or-nothing business.
Now, mark my orders. Although we've got four oars apiece, we must only
work two at a time. I know that young bloods like you are prone to go
straining yourselves at first, an' then bein' fit for nothing
afterwards. We must keep it up steadily. Two in each boat will pull at
a time for one hour, while the other two rest or sleep, and so on, shift
about; till another breeze springs up. Don't fold it up tight, Alf.
Leave it pretty slack till it is dry, and then put on its belt."

"Don't you think we might have supper before taking to the oars?"
suggested Leo.

"I second that motion," cried Benjy.

"And I support it," said Alf.

"Very good, get out the prog; an' we'll lay ourselves alongside, three
abreast, as Nelson did at the Battle o' the Nile," said the Captain.

Their food was simple but sufficient. Pemmican--a solid greasy
nutricious compound--was the foundation. Hard biscuit, chocolate, and
sugar formed the superstructure. In default of fire, these articles
could be eaten cold, but while their supply of spirits of wine lasted, a
patent Vesuvian of the most complete and almost miraculous nature could
provide a hot meal in ten minutes. Of fresh water they had a two-weeks'
supply in casks, but this was economised by means of excellent water
procured from a pond in a passing berg--from which also a lump of clear
ice had been hewn, wrapped in a blanket, and carried into the Captain's
boat as a supply of fresh water in solid form.

Laying the oars across the boats to keep them together, they floated
thus pleasantly on the glassy sea, bathed in midnight sunshine. A