Steve Young Part 60

"What we call the summer, sir; but it seems to me that the winter is always here. It rises a little when the sun comes back and a part of the snow melts; but if we climb up into the mountains a little way, it freezes every night, and the winter is always there. And now the sun rises a little less high every day, and there is real night which grows longer as the days grow shorter."

"Yes, I noticed that the days grew shorter," said Steve, as he looked up at the realm of eternal winter with aching eyes.

"Much, sir; and if we measured we should soon see that the snow up yonder was creeping down toward us week by week."

Steve was silent for a few minutes, as he tried to familiarise himself with these wonderful facts about nature in the arctic circle.

"I say, Johannes," he said at last, "what about the ice down at the opening of the fiord--will it give way this year?"

"No, sir," said the man quietly.

"Then for certain we shall not be able to get out?"

"For certain you will not be able to get out, sir."

"Then there is no doubt about it whatever; we shall have to spend the winter here, frozen up?"

"Yes, sir. I have had no doubt about it for weeks; neither has the captain, as you have seen by the great store of food he has buried in the ice."

"Well, it will be a change," said Steve after a pause. "I suppose it will not be so very cold?"

The Norseman laughed.

"Colder than you think for, sir; but not too cold to bear if you take care. You must not go away into the mountains by yourself."

"Couldn't help it if a bear were after me," said Steve, laughing. "But I shall take care. I say, though, tell me about the darkness: does the sun go right out of sight?"

"Yes, sir, for weeks."

"And it is quite dark--black darkness?"

"It is about the same as it is in England, sir. There are light nights when the sky is clear, and you can see the moon and stars, and there are dark nights when it is cloudy or a mist hangs low."

"Seems queer," said Steve thoughtfully.

"But you had the constant day, sir, when the sun never set."

"Well, I daresay I shall get used to it," said Steve; and he went to get his gun and ammunition ready, so as to be prepared for a little exploring expedition which the captain was going to lead along the sh.o.r.e.

And now for the rest of the open time trips were made north and south along the coast, efforts being directed to going farther in each direction before the frost made progress in the boats impossible. Of these trips many were made, each being pushed farther north or south; for the ice had opened more and more away from the sh.o.r.e, increasing the length and width of the channel in the incomprehensible, unexpected manner in which such changes do take place amongst the ice.

But it was always the same: not a trace of human being having been there before; no post or cairn erected; no sign of the rough hut that sailors who had come so far north would build up as a protection while hunting the walrus and the seal.

"It seems to me," the captain said, "that we are the first visitors without doubt. Would that we were the second, and could find our friends were the first!"

"If this is the first time the country has been reached," said Steve, "oughtn't we to christen it by some name? How would Walrus Land do?"

"As well as any other name," said the captain; "but, whatever we call it, there is no doubt but that it will be many more years before it is reached again. It is hardly likely that another expedition will meet with such an accident as that which brought us here. Walrus Land be it then, for the huge, unwieldy creatures are plentiful enough. How soon are you going to let your pet go? It grows very fast."

"Let it go!" cried Steve wonderingly. "Why, I meant to take it back to England."

"For the Zoological Gardens? You can't keep it, like a dog, in the back yard."

"No," said Steve thoughtfully; "it would want a kennel."

"Kennel? It would want an elephant house. No, my lad, it will not do; you will have to set our friend at liberty, or let me tell Johannes to turn it into oil."

That was one day at the end of August, when at midday the sun shone quite hot, and they knew that harvest must be in full progress at home.

They had been so great a distance to the south that it was all the men could do to pull back; and, as it was, they did not reach the mouth of the narrow waterway until close upon ten o'clock, and the _Hvalross_ till they were so utterly tired out that, after s.n.a.t.c.hing a hasty meal, all were eager to throw themselves down to sleep.

Safely anch.o.r.ed as they were, shut in from storms, right out where no bears, even if they swam out, could a.s.sail them, the keeping of a watch seemed very unnecessary, and Steve never thought it more so than that night, when he found that it was his turn to take the second watch in company with Johannes; for he was regularly f.a.gged. However, his was only the watch to come, so that he was able to get a good sleep before he was called, and then arose with his eyes half closed and a general desire to quarrel with everything and everybody.

"It does seem so stupid!" he grumbled. "What's the good of it?"

"Being under a first-rate captain, sir, one who never lets discipline grow slack."

"Oh, bother!" said Steve testily. "It seems such a nuisance when one is so tired and sleepy. It does no good now."

"Yes, sir, a great deal," replied the Norseman. "Makes every one feel confident that he is being watched over, and may sleep in peace."

"Wish I was being watched over and could sleep in peace," groaned out Steve. "No, I don't," he hastened to add; "it would be so precious selfish. But I'm not well, Johannes; I'm chilly. Got a bad cold, I think."

"Then go and get your sheep-skin coat."

"Would you? Well, I think I will."

He went back to the cabin, and returned, putting on the thick coat, with its closely-cut pile of wool, shorn so regularly that it looked like velvet in the light of the glistening stars.

"I don't like this watching in the dark," said Steve. "And how strange it is! Only the other day it was quite light at this time. Ugh! how cold I feel!"

"You'll be better soon," said Johannes. "You have not had time yet to feel the good of your coat."

"What good can that do me when I'm not well?" grumbled Steve. "Hullo!

you've got on yours."

"Yes, sir; and it's very welcome. The air is very cold to-night."

"Freezing?"

"Yes, sir, hard. I daresay we shall find the fiord covered with ice in the morning. Winter is coming, sir, you see."

"Oh, but this is only a night frost that will go away in the sun quite early."

"Perhaps so, sir; but you can never be sure about the weather at this time of year. It will make some of the walrus boats turn their heads south, many of them perhaps empty, while here they swarm more than ever."

"Then they should come up here and catch them."

"How?" said Johannes.