Steve Young | Page 5

we shall hoist sail, save
our coal, and pass round the North Cape at midnight, and then we shall
have a good three months' sunshine in which to load our tanks with oil,
have plenty of sport, and I hope--best of all--find our friends alive and
little the worse for passing through an arctic winter in the snow. Now
that's quite enough for you to think of for one night. Down below."
Stephen Young left the deck after giving a longing look round at the
lovely sky, and feeling as if he had more to think of than he could well
manage. Ten minutes later he was lying in his comfortable berth,
listening to the gliding motion of the water as it lapped against the
vessel's side. Then he began to wonder why the constant sunshine did
not melt all the ice and snow in the arctic circle; and lastly he did not
wonder at all, for he was fast asleep, just as the vessel passed through
the piled-up masses of rock which guarded the northern entrance to the
fiord, and acted as breakwaters to keep the inner straits so lake-like and
still. For directly the Hvalross had passed the last rocks there was a
disagreeable heaving, and soon after the vessel had little waves
splashing against her bows, and within an hour she was careening over
to the full breeze, and making her way north at a rate which promised
well for Stephen seeing the midnight sun twelve hours sooner than he
had been told.
The swilling and scrubbing of the planks roused Steve the next
morning, and, hurriedly dressing, he went on deck to find the sun
shining brightly, the blue sea sparkling, and a dim line that might have
been cloud away to the right. The breeze was just such a one as a sailor
would like to continue, and the Hvalross, though not fast, being built

for strength and resistance to the ice, was making good progress, thanks
to the height of her spars and the grand spread of canvas she could bear.
The new men were all very busy with bucket and swab, just as if they
had been on board a month; and the last traces of the coal dust, which
had worried Captain Marsham in his desire for perfect cleanliness, had
been sent down the scuppers.
"Morning," said the first of the new men Steve encountered, giving him
a friendly nod. "Nice breeze."
Steve stared, for he did not expect to find the new men able to converse
in English; but in five minutes he found that they were well acquainted
with his tongue, and also that they had visited Aberdeen and Hull
several times in whalers.
About that time the captain came on deck, had a short conversation
with Mr Lowe, the mate, who then went below to rest, just as Steve
was noticing the smoke which rose from the galley fire and thinking
about breakfast. That came in due time, and when they went on deck
again the wind had died out and the vessel hardly had steering way.
There being no immediate need of progress recourse was not had to
steam, and a question asked by one of the Nordoe men resulted in
Captain Marsham giving orders for the tackle to be brought on deck
and overhauled before being re-stowed for immediate use when
wanted.
Steve, with a boy's interest in this fishing tackle on a large scale,
eagerly watched the unlashing and laying out of the coils of new, soft,
strong, tarred line, the walrus harpoons, lances with their long, thin,
smooth, white pine poles, the white whale harpoon, and the harpoon
gun. Every one of these implements was full of suggestive thoughts of
exciting adventure; so, too, were the ice anchors and picks; and as all
were carefully examined in turn the Norway men talked to each other,
making plenty of comments as they ran the new line through their
fingers and balanced the lances in their hands, till in imagination Steve
saw the great ivory-tusked walrus rising out of the sea and the men in
the boats ready to strike.

He was not alone in his intense interest, for the shock-headed boy was
staring hard too, with his mouth half open and his forehead wrinkled
into furrows, till he saw Captain Marsham approach from the wheel,
when he hurried forward to commence altering the coil of a rope which
needed no touching and whose neatness he disturbed.
"Well, my men," said the captain, "what do you say to the tackle?"
"Very good, sir," said one, who seemed to be the eldest of the party.
"Only wants using well."
"Exactly. But you will manage that."
"Yes, sir; we'll try," said the man, and the others nodded and smiled.
"What about