"Yes, sir. I have had no doubt about it for weeks; neither has the captain, as you have seen by the great store of food he has buried in the ice." "Well, it will be a change," said Steve after a pause. "I suppose it will not be so very cold?" The Norseman laughed. "Colder than you think for, sir; but not too cold to bear if you take care. You must not go away into the mountains by yourself." "Couldn't help it if a bear were after me," said Steve, laughing. "But I shall take care. I say, though, tell me about the darkness: does the sun go right out of sight?" "Yes, sir, for weeks." "And it is quite dark--black darkness?" "It is about the same as it is in England, sir. There are light nights when the sky is clear, and you can see the moon and stars, and there are dark nights when it is cloudy or a mist hangs low." "Seems queer," said Steve thoughtfully. "But you had the constant day, sir, when the sun never set." "Well, I daresay I shall get used to it," said Steve; and he went to get his gun and ammunition ready, so as to be prepared for a little exploring expedition which the captain was going to lead along the shore. And now for the rest of the open time trips were made north and south along the coast, efforts being directed to going farther in each direction before the frost made progress in the boats impossible. Of these trips many were made, each being pushed farther north or south; for the ice had opened more and more away from the shore, increasing the length and width of the channel in the incomprehensible, unexpected manner in which such changes do take place amongst the ice. But it was always the same: not a trace of human being having been there before; no post or cairn erected; no sign of the rough hut that sailors who had come so far north would build up as a protection while hunting the walrus and the seal. "It seems to me," the captain said, "that we are the first visitors without doubt. Would that we were the second, and could find our friends were the first!" "If this is the first time the country has been reached," said Steve, "oughtn't we to christen it by some name? How would Walrus Land do?" "As well as any other name," said the captain; "but, whatever we call it, there is no doubt but that it will be many more years before it is reached again. It is hardly likely that another expedition will meet with such an accident as that which brought us here. Walrus Land be it then, for the huge, unwieldy creatures are plentiful enough. How soon are you going to let your pet go? It grows very fast." "Let it go!" cried Steve wonderingly. "Why, I meant to take it back to England." "For the Zoological Gardens? You can't keep it, like a dog, in the back yard." "No," said Steve thoughtfully; "it would want a kennel." "Kennel? It would want an elephant house. No, my lad, it will not do; you will have to set our friend at liberty, or let me tell Johannes to turn it into oil."