"Forward!" exclaimed Hatteras so energetically, that instinctively each one obeyed, and the march was resumed forthwith. The day wore away, but no further sign of the presence of suspected rivals was discovered, and they prepared to encamp for the night. The tent was pitched in a ravine for shelter, as the sky was dark and threatening, and a violent north wind was blowing. "I'm afraid we'll have a bad night," said Johnson. "A pretty noisy one, I expect," replied the Doctor, "but not cold. We had better take every precaution, and fasten down our tent with good big stones." "You are right, Mr. Clawbonny. If the hurricane swept away our tent, I don't know where we should find it again." [Illustration: ] The tent held fast, but sleep was impossible, for the tempest was let loose and raged with tremendous violence. "It seems to me," said the Doctor, during a brief lull in the deafening roar," as if I could hear the sound of collisions between icebergs and ice-fields. If we were near the sea, I could really believe there was a general break-up in the ice." "I can't explain the noises any other way," said Johnson. "Can we have reached the coast, I wonder?" asked Hatteras. "It is not impossible," replied Clawbonny. "Listen! Do you hear that crash? That is certainly the sound of icebergs falling. We cannot be very far from the ocean." "Well, if it turn out to be so, I shall push right on over the ice-fields." "Oh, they'll be all broken up after such a storm as this. We shall see what to-morrow, brings; but all I can say is, if any poor fellows are wandering about in a night like this, I pity them. The storm lasted for ten hours, and the weary travellers anxiously watched for the morning. About daybreak its fury seemed to have spent itself, and Hatteras, accompanied by Bell and Altamont, ventured to leave the tent. They climbed a hill about three hundred feet high, which commanded a wide view. But what a metamorphosed region met their gaze! All the ice had completely vanished, the storm had chased away the winter, and stripped the soil everywhere of its snow covering. [Illustration: Three hours afterwards they arrived at the coast, and shouted simultaneously, "The sea! the sea!"--P.206] But Hatteras scarcely bestowed a glance on surrounding objects; his eager gaze was bent on the northern horizon, which appeared shrouded in black mist. "That may very likely be caused by the ocean," suggested Clawbonny. "You are right. The sea must be there," was the reply. "That tint is what we call the blink of open water," said Johnson. "Come on, then, to the sledge at once, and let us get to this unknown ocean," exclaimed Hatteras. Their few preparations were soon made, and the march resumed. Three hours afterwards they arrived at the coast, and shouted simultaneously, "The sea! the sea!" "Ay, and open sea!" added Hatteras.