"Ay, she'd never get roond the cape this weather," grunted Andrew. "Look ahint ye, my lad. She's hat some ferry douce weather lately; now she's coing to have some ferry pad weather. But she's a coot poat, and she can ride oot the gale if she ton't go to ta pottom." "Well, you're a pretty sort of a Job's comforter, Andra," said Steve, trying to be cheerful under depressing circumstances. "But I say, if we do take to the boats, mind and not forget the pipes." "Ta pipes, Meester Steve, sir? She needna have anny fear apoot tat. They shan't pe trooned." "What do you say, Johannes?" cried Steve, laughing. "The captain knows his business, sir," said the man gravely, "and he has a good crew. He is having the steam got up so that we can get right away from the ice. With plenty of room the _Hvalross_ will not hurt." Every one was busy now save the doctor and Steve, who, being the non-combatants in the fight about to take place with the coming storm, felt both of them rather in the way; and as birds of a feather are said to flock together, they, after their fashion, flocked; in other words, they naturally joined company to talk about the outlook. "Glad you and the captain are all right again, Steve," said the former. "Matters look too serious now for petty troubles, eh?" "It did not seem to be a petty trouble to me, sir," replied Steve quietly. "No, no, of course not; but that's all over now. I'm afraid we are going to have a bad storm." "Think so, sir?" "Look at the captain. He does; or he would not be taking all these precautions. I suppose we can do nothing?" "Only get out of the way," replied Steve. "Every one looks as if he wishes we would go below." "Then every one will be disappointed," said the doctor shortly. "If I'm to be drowned, it shall be from the deck. I'm not going to be battened down under hatches, nor you neither, eh?" "No, I shall stop on deck," said Steve stoutly. "How dark it's getting!" "Yes, my lad. It looks very beautiful in the bright sunshine, with the ice and snow glittering; but Nature certainly seems to have drawn her line up here in the north, to show us that this part of the world was never meant for ordinary human habitation. If ever the North Pole is reached it will only be a scientific feat, and no valuable result can follow for enterprising man. Whew!" he added with a shiver; "did you feel that?" For an icy puff of wind struck them suddenly and then passed on, leaving the air as calm as it was before its coming. "No one could help feeling it," said Steve, buttoning his mackintosh tightly. "Part of the advance-guard of the storm, my lad. Yes, we're going to have it soon. Let's see, you thought one day that it was horribly hot down below, didn't you?" Steve nodded. "I'm thinking that we shall be glad to go down and visit the engine-room, and not be above turning stokers."