"Hold on!" was shouted. "Make fast!" and the cask became stationary. Then the second of the two sailors stood on the newly-made ladder, and held the cask while the first passed a rope round it and secured it to the slight mast; after which there was a little lashing above to steady it, and the crow's-nest hung there high above the deck, ready for use. "There you are, sir," said Johannes. "As you've been helping you ought to have first try. Up with you." "Think it's safe?" said Steve, hesitating; and a curious sensation of shrinking came over him. "Shouldn't ask you to try her if she warn't fast, sir," replied the man bluntly; and without further ado the lad loosened his grasp of the shrouds, and stepped on to the wooden ladder, looking up at the bottom of the cask. "Now, sir, just one word of warning," said the second Norseman. "That ladder's to step on from the shrouds, not to go down on deck." "Of course not," replied Steve; "I know that." "Yes, sir, and so do all of those who come up; but same time, a poor fellow don't think, and when he lowers himself out of the tub, he goes on stepping down without going off on to the shrouds, and I've known men fall and be killed." "I say, don't talk about falling," said Steve, with a shiver; "it makes one feel creepy." "Only good advice, sir," said Johannes. "Now, then, up you go." The lad mounted three of the steps, and his head touched the bottom of the tub. "It isn't opened!" he cried. "Never mind, sir; go on, push up." Steve obeyed, thrust hard with his head, and the bottom gave way, turning upon its hinges till it was vertical, and he passed up inside the tub, stepped on to the narrow ledge at the side, and the bottom dropped down into its place, forming a firm flooring, with a ring at the edge ready for lifting it up. The next moment Steve was standing upright, peering round in all directions, finding that he was in a wonderfully commanding position for sweeping the sea, and now, with his eyes already a little educated, making out the ice to the north plainly enough. There was the seat ready for resting upon; the iron rail all round for a rest for a telescope, and attached to this rail the broad piece of board which could be run round in any direction to act as a screen from the wind when it blew hard and was perhaps cold enough to give frost-bite to the unfortunate watcher up aloft. A hail from the deck put an end to Steve's sea sweeping, just as he fancied he made out something dark to the south, which might have been a boat or some large fish. So, stooping down in his narrow cell, he raised the bottom, and began to lower himself down, till his feet, which sought for a resting-place, touched the second rail of the ladder they had made, and he thoroughly grasped now how necessary their work had been. "Steady, sir!" cried Johannes, as he stepped lower. "Keep the door resting upon your head, so that it don't come down with a bang; it might hurt you."