"By the great horned spoon, I knowed it."
"What have you discovered, Jack?"
"You chaps just come this way," he said, crooking his stubby forefinger toward them, "and put yourself alongside of me and take the sharpest squint you can right over yonder."
Doing as directed, they finally agreed, after some hard looking, that they saw what seemed to be a long, low, white cloud in the horizon.
"That's Greenland," was the astonishing reply; "I don't know what part, but it's solid airth with snow on it."
This was interesting, indeed, though it was still difficult to understand what special hope the fact held out to them.
It seemed to grow slightly more distinct as the afternoon advanced. Since it was hardly to be supposed that the iceberg was approaching land, this was undoubtedly caused by the contour of the coast.
When night began closing in the party fired their guns repeatedly, thinking possibly the reports might attract notice from some of the natives fishing in the vicinity. The chance, however, was so exceedingly slight that they made preparations for spending the night as before—that is, huddled together against the projecting ice. There was hardly a breath of air stirring, though the temperature continued falling.
"I hear it!" exclaimed Fred, starting to his feet, within five minutes after seating themselves as described.
"What's that?" asked the amazed Rob; "are you crazy?"