“And do you know what for?”
“Discovery of some kind, sir, I suppose.”
“You are right, Captain; I mean to discover the North Pole.”
“With all my heart, sir,” I said.
“At least,” he said, “I mean to try. If I fail, I shall still be able to make a good many scientific discoveries, so that the voyage won’t be for nothing.”
“No, sir,” I said.
“It has been one of the dreams of my life to go upon a scientific voyage up in the North; but the Admiralty wouldn’t listen to me. They had the notion that I was not a suitable man for the expedition; when all the while Nature has expressly designed me for the purpose. See how she has clothed me with adipose tissue.”
“With what, sir?”
“Fat, man—fat! like she does the bears, and whales, and Eskimo. While you men will be shivering in your fur coats, I shall be quite warm without. Well, what we have to do is to take advantage of every open channel when we reach the ice, and push forward due North. If the men get discontented, we will keep promising them extra pay, and—What’s the matter?”
“Skipper, sir!” growled Scudds, who had just thrust his head in at the cabin door. “Wanted on deck, sir—reg’lar mutinee. Tom Brown’s come up from below, and says as there’s a ghost in the hold!”