n, and a scene of indescribable grandeur, with
the almost eternal glacier of Greenland--the great Humboldt glacier--
shedding its bergs into the dark blue sea, the waters of which had by
that time been partially cleared to the northward. On the left was the
weird pack and its thousand grotesque forms, with the wreck in its iron
grasp; on the right the perpendicular cliffs, and the bright sky over
all, with the smoke of the campfires rising into it from the foreground.

"Now, my friends," said Captain Vane to the crew when assembled after
supper, "I am no longer your commander, for my vessel is a wreck, but as
I suppose you still regard me as your leader, I assemble you here for
the purpose of considering our position, and deciding on what is best to
be done."

Here the Captain said, among other things, it was his opinion that the
_Whitebear_ was damaged beyond the possibility of repair, that their
only chance of escape lay in the boats, and that the distance between
the place on which they stood and Upernavik, although great, was not
beyond the reach of resolute men.

"Before going further, or expressing a decided opinion," he added, "I
would hear what the officers have to say on this subject. Let the first
mate speak."

"It's my opinion," said the mate, "that there's only one thing to be
done, namely, to start for home as soon and as fast as we can. We have
good boats, plenty of provisions, and are all stout and healthy,
excepting our doctor, whom we will take good care of, and expect to do
no rough work."

"Thanks, mate," said the doctor with a laugh, "I think that, at all
events, I shall keep well enough to physic you if you get ill."

"Are you willing to take charge of the party in the event of my deciding
to remain here?" asked the Captain of the mate.

"Certainly, sir," he replied, with a look of slight surprise. "You know
I am quite able to do so. The second mate, too, is as able as I am.
For that matter, most of the men, I think, would find little difficulty
in navigating a boat to Upernavik."

"That is well," returned the Captain, "because I do not intend to return
with you."

"Not return!" exclaimed the doctor; "surely you don't mean to winter
here."

"No, not here, but further north," replied the Captain, with a smile
which most of the party returned, for they thought he was jesting.

Benjy Vane, however, did not think so. A gleeful look of triumph caused
his face, as it were, to sparkle,