He glanced astern.
The Seal was straining at her cable like a thing of life!
“The current must be strong,” he exclaimed to himself, and walking aft he tried the lashing of the rope.
It was secure, for the American was an adept at knotting. Retracing his steps, Mervyn leaned against the rail and fell into a reverie.
What could there be beyond? he thought. Was there a great island in the midst of this sea, an undiscovered realm whose forests afforded refuge to strange animals, or perhaps stranger men?
The deserted sea around seemed to give little hope of this.
Surely, if there were habitable land within the Arctic circle, within the confines of the barrier ice, some flying creature would be visible; some seafowl would be disporting itself above the waters, or diving for its food beneath the curling crests of the sparkling waves? But no sign was there of bird; not even a seal furrowed the lifeless waters.
Crack!
A pistol-like report startled Mervyn out of his abstraction.
Crack! Again it sounded, from directly overhead, and the Professor looked up quickly.