"There's another!" added the delighted youth.
"I guess we've struck a school of 'em," remarked Rob, who was using his eyes as best he could; "I thought we'd bring up the average before reaching Greenland."
"It's a sight worth seeing," commented Fred, handing the glass to his friend, whose pleasure was fully as great as his own.
The instrument was passed back and forth, and, in the course of a half-hour, the vast masses of ice could be plainly discerned with the unaided eye.
"That proves they are coming toward us, or we are going toward them," said Rob.
"Both," replied Captain McAlpine; "we shall pass within a mile of the larger one."
"Suppose we run into it?"
The old sea-dog smiled grimly, as he replied:
"I tried it once, when whaling with the 'Mary Jane.' I don't mean to say I did it on purpose, but there was no moon that night, and when the iceberg, half as big as a whole town, loomed up in the darkness, we hadn't time to get out of its path. Well, I guess I've said enough," he remarked, abruptly.
"Why, you've broken off in the most interesting part of the story," said the deeply interested Fred.