"I knew it!" cried Steve. "I do wish you people wouldn't treat me as if I were a baby." "Yes, I did ask him to let me come, sir," said the Norseman; "for it's more dangerous than even he thinks. I saw you make that slip when you started, though he did not; and I felt that if you made a slip higher up I might be handy to help you." "Yes, but--" began Steve. "And he gave me leave to come up." "Then you'd better go and make the observations, and I'll go down," said Steve sulkily. Johannes looked pained. "You shall not do that," he said gravely. "Why not?" "Because it would not be like what I, a Norseman, would expect to see in an English gentleman's son." "Oh, I say," cried Steve, "that's hitting foul. But it's too bad, Johannes, and I hate it. I might just as well be pulled up by the halyards." "When you have been as long at sea as I have," said Johannes, with a calm, grave smile lighting up his fine, manly face, "you will not think it a hardship in a dangerous task to have a man at your side whom you can trust, and whom you can feel is ready to help you as long as he has a bit of strength." "Come along," said Steve quickly; "the captain will be wondering why I don't go up, and thinking I am afraid." "Oh no," said the Norseman, smiling, "he will not think that of you, sir. There, I'm glad to be with you, Mr Steve; for it is bad climbing, and a slip up here would be very, very risky." "Yes, it is bad climbing," said Steve, as he slowly mounted higher and higher, warning his companion, who kept close below him, when he was going to kick down some of the ice which encrusted the ropes. And so the top-mast was passed, and with the main topgallant mast they came to the ice-covered cross-spells, which had been lashed on, and directly after Steve was beneath the cask raising his hand to push open the hinged bottom; but, to his surprise, it did not yield. "It's frozen!" he cried; and he made effort after effort to move the trap, but in vain. "You'll have to let me come, sir," said Johannes quietly. "I'm thinking that the nest is full of snow." Steve moved off the spell on which he stood, and held on to the shrouds upon the other side, leaving room for the Norseman to take his place. "Well?" said Steve, as the man exerted his huge strength without effect. "More than I can do, sir," said Johannes quietly. "Let's try it a little at a time." And, taking tightly hold, he began to thrust with one shoulder up and up, until the trap began to crack and give way little by little. Then a little powdery snow began to crumble out, and the Norseman paused to rest. "You see I am useful," he said, smiling. "I don't think you could have moved that." "Aloft there! Can't you get in?" came from below. "Crow's-nest full of ice and snow!" cried Steve. "Knock up the bottom, and let it fall through."