ss? Yes, that must be it," I thought, for now I was through
the mist, and speeding on to what looked like the hole of the great
funnel, down which I was hurried.

The sensation was not unpleasant, but for the heat, and, moved now by
curiosity, I struggled into a sitting position; then, feet first, I
skimmed on, and on, and on, till right before me there seemed to be an
edge, over which I slid into intense darkness; ever going on down, down,
down, with the noise of wind rushing by me as I fell, till my head spun
round; then there was a strange sensation of giddy drowsiness; and,
lastly, all was blank.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yes, he'll do now," said a familiar voice. "He's getting on. Head
beautifully cool."

"Eh?" I said, staring at the speaker.

"Well, skipper, that was a narrow touch for you, I thought once you were
gone."

"So did I," was my reply; "but how did you and Bostock get out?"

"Wandering a little still," said the doctor, in a whisper to Bostock.
"Get out?" he said aloud. "Oh, easily enough."

"But, but," I said, faintly, holding my hand to my head--"that horrible
crater!"

"Lie still, my dear captain," he said, "and don't worry. You'll be
stronger in a day or two."

"But tell me!" I said, appealingly.

"Well, there's little to tell," he said, smiling. "Only that you
pitched head first twenty feet down the slope of that iceberg three
weeks ago, and you've been in a raging fever ever since."

"Then the overturning of the iceberg--the dive of the steamer--the seven
frozen sailors--the crater?"

"My dear fellow," he said, gently, "you've been delirious, and your head
evidently is not quite right yet. There, drink that."

I took what he gave me, and sank into a deep sleep, from which I awoke
much refreshed, and by degrees I learned that I had slipped while we
were on the beautiful iceberg, and had a very narrow escape of my life;
that, far from walking back to the steamer, and sitting on the deck to
hear a scraping noise, I had been carried carefully on board by Bostock
and Scudds. Imagination did the rest.

I need not continue our adventures in our real voyage, for they were
very uneventful. The doctor got some nice specimens and thoroughly
enjoyed his trip; but we were stopped on all sides by the ice, and at
last had to return, loaded with oil and preserved natural history
matters, after what the doctor called the pleasantest tr