No one spoke, though a strange silence gathered round them, the roar of the ice-floes upon the cliffs of this unknown land sounding hushed and strange. Every eye was fixed upon the dazzling white wall which, with its thousands of tons of ice, had been built in a few minutes right across the opening by which they had entered the now fast calming fiord. For that piled-up mass was indescribably grand as it glistened in the sunshine, every crack and depression being of the most lovely blue, from the palest sapphire to the deepest amethyst. It was magnificent, it was grand; and all started at something which was terribly incongruous; for a great flock of the northern gulls suddenly came sweeping down over the ice into the narrow fiord, shrieking, crying, and uttering sounds which were like mocking laughter, to break the solemnity of the scene.
Worse still, his duties having been interfered with in no way, and too busy to take any note of the fresh peril, the cook suddenly appeared from the galley, whose fire had been roaring away for the past two hours, and, walking under the bridge, he looked up to the captain and said loudly:
“Capital haunch of venison, roasted to a turn, sir. If you are at liberty, you can have the dinner in now.”
The grandeur, the solemnity, the thoughts of this fresh miraculous escape, all passed away on the instant. The men made a movement toward the forecastle, looking inquiringly at the mate, for they knew that their meal would be ready too, and Steve turned to the doctor so comically perplexed a face that the latter smiled.
“Hungry, Steve?” he said.
“I—I didn’t know it before, sir,” he replied; “but I suppose I am.”
“Well, il faut manger, as the French say. Come along.”
He led the way to the bridge, where the cook was still waiting, for the captain had not spoken.
“Can you come down, Marsham?” said the doctor. “It is many hours since we have broken our fast.”
“Eh?” came back. “Yes. Ahoy, there, Johannes! that will do. Come down, Handscombe?” said the captain thoughtfully. “Yes, we may as well have something to eat, for we shall have plenty of time.”