“Oh no!” cried the captain; “the time was too short. There, my mind is made up.”
The others looked at him; but he said no more till he had turned back to the fire.
“Look here, my lads,” he said; “make a meal as quickly as you can, and then hurry on to the place where we landed. Of course you will keep a sharp look-out for Mr Steve as you go, in case he may be on the road. If you do not pass him, question the boat-keepers; and if they have not seen him, you, Jakobsen, will come back to us here.” The Norseman nodded.
“I shall depend upon your making all the haste you can back to us,” continued the captain. “We may want you to help explore the place around; but I am in hopes that you will find him waiting by the boat.”
Ten minutes later the men sprang up, harnessed themselves to the sledge and prepared to start, only waiting for the captain to give the word, “Go!”
Just then Watty sidled up to where the captain was standing.
“She’ll chust let her stay?” said the boy insinuatingly.
“Stay? You stay, my lad? What for?”
“She thenks she can help find him.”
“Why, what makes you think that?”