Late that afternoon the steamer came in sight of a large flock of wild geese. Professor Jeffer calculated that there must be thousands of them, and ran for his camera, to take some snap-shots. "Can't we do a little shooting?" asked Chet, of Mr. Dawson. "They are heading this way." Permission was granted, and both boys rushed below for shotguns. When they came up, the geese were flying almost directly over the _Ice King_, uttering their strange cries as they did so. It did not take Andy and Chet long to get into action, and both shotguns spoke up at almost the same time. Each youth fired twice in rapid succession. The geese were so thick they could not help but strike some of them, and three came fluttering down on the deck of the vessel. "Not a bad haul," was Barwell Dawson's comment. "Now you can have roast goose stuffed with onions for tomorrow's dinner." "And we'll invite all hands to join us," answered Chet, gaily. "I guess there will be enough to go around." "I don't know about this shooting birds from the ship," said Captain Williamson, in a low voice. "Some of the sailors don't believe in that sort of thing. They think it brings bad luck." "What do you think?" asked Chet. "Oh, I am not superstitious," responded the commander. The master of the vessel was right--some of his hands were very superstitious--and these deplored the killing of the geese, and refused to touch any of the meat when it was cooked. "We'll have trouble, see if we don't," said one sailor. "Maybe it will sink us," said another, with a serious shake of his head. Then they muttered among themselves, and cast ugly glances at Andy and Chet. "Too bad," whispered Chet to his chum. "If I had known the sailors would take it so seriously, I'd not have shot those geese." "Oh, the affair will soon blow over," was Andy's answer. But his surmise did not prove correct. In the morning the boys heard that the _Ice King_ had sprung several leaks. The captain had had the well-hole sounded, and had ordered the pumps started. "The icebergs and the floating cakes did it," said Barwell Dawson. "I was hopeful we would escape, but it seems not." "What are you going to do?" asked Andy. "I don't know yet--we'll see how bad the leaks are." The ship's carpenter was below, examining the seams, and now Captain Williamson and Barwell Dawson joined him. A thorough examination was effected, and when the party came on deck again they were talking earnestly. "It's pretty bad, I guess," said Andy to Chet. A consultation took place in the cabin, between the captain and the explorer, and at the conclusion the course of the vessel was changed. "Instead of heading for Upernivik we are going to put in at Holstenborg for repairs," explained Barwell Dawson to Professor Jeffer and the others. "I am sorry for the delay, but it cannot be helped. The ice must have hit us harder than we thought."