Steve Young | Page 4

late
for them?"
"All right, Lowe," said the captain. "Four of the best men in port
promised."
"Old Hendal promise them, sir?"
"Yes."
"Then it is all right," said the new comer on the scene, to wit, Mr James
Lowe, the chief officer, an experienced sailor in the Northern Seas,
who had applied to Captain Marsham for a post on the vessel while it
was fitting out at Birkenhead, joined it at Oban, and proved himself a
thoroughly good navigator in bringing them round by the many islands
and fast currents of the west coast of Scotland, and then across to
Norway and up through the fiords to Nordoe.
A couple of hours later, as the occupants of the Hvalross lounged about
enjoying the delicious sunshine of the short northern summer, and
those fresh to the coast gazed admiringly at the towering cliffs,
snow-capped mountains, and thundering waterfalls which plunged
headlong into the pure waters of the fiord, which reflected all like a
mirror, a heavy boat pushed off from the wharf, and Captain Hendal
climbed on deck. He was followed by four sturdy-looking descendants

of the Vikings, clear-eyed, fair-haired, massive-headed men, who
looked ready and willing to go through any danger, and who one and
all declared themselves eager to start, on one condition--that they
should not be expected to stoke the engine fire. This was conceded
instantly. A few questions were then asked by Captain Hendal as to the
stores and materiel on board the vessel; and it being found that
everything likely to be wanted had been thought of and provided, and
that every possible place beside the bunkers was crammed with coal,
the Norwegian captain took his leave with the new recruits.
That evening the men were back on board with their kits; quite a crowd
of people were about the wharf, consequent upon the new interest for
them which the vessel possessed, and an hour later, steam being up, the
anchor was raised, and the sturdy-looking grey vessel glided away
through the calm waters of the fiord amidst a loud burst of cheers.
Northward ho! for the region of the midnight sun.
CHAPTER THREE.
PREPARATIONS.
"I say," said Steve some hours later, "isn't it getting late?"
"Yes, very," said the captain; "go and turn in."
"But it's so light, sir! It was light enough coming up here, but--what
time is it?"
"Eleven--past."
"What! Why, I thought it could only be about eight."
"I suppose so, boy," said the captain, who was looking ahead for the
opening through which the Hvalross was to thread her way out from
the fiord into the ocean; "but where is your geography?"
"At home."

"Yes, yes; but I don't mean your book, my lad. I mean the geography
and knowledge in your head. Don't you remember that the farther we
go north at this time of year the lighter it becomes, till, not many miles
farther, it will be all daylight?"
"Yes, I remember now," cried Steve; "but it's rather puzzling, all that
about the midnight sun. Doesn't the sun really set at all?"
"No," said Captain Marsham, smiling at the lad's puzzled expression.
"Then what does it do?" said the lad, gazing hard in the direction of the
north-west, where there was still a warm glow.
"Keeps up above the horizon."
"But that's what puzzles me," said Steve.
"Well, I hardly know how to explain it to you, my boy, unless you can
grasp it if I ask you to suppose you are standing on the North Pole."
"Yes, I understand that. Wouldn't the sun set there?"
"No; but at midsummer day it would be at a certain height above the
horizon."
"Yes; but how would it be at midsummer night?"
"Just at the same height in the sky, going apparently round the
heavens."
"And would it keep on like that, always at the same height night and
day?"
"Yes, for one day only. The next day it would be nearly the same height,
then a little lower; and so it would go on becoming a little and a little
lower, and, as it were, screwing slowly down till it was close to the
horizon; then would come the days when it was only half seen, then not
seen at all."

"And after that?"
"Darkness and winter, Steve, till it had gone as far south as it could go
and begun to return. Do you understand now?"
"I think so," said Steve, but rather dubiously. "It's much too big to get
hold of all at once. But just tell me this, and then I'll go to bed, sir. As
we shan't be right at the North Pole, how long will it be before we see
the sun in the middle of the night?"
"That depends, my lad. If this breeze keeps up,