“No, sir,” said the man quietly.
“Then for certain we shall not be able to get out?”
“For certain you will not be able to get out, sir.”
“Then there is no doubt about it whatever; we shall have to spend the winter here, frozen up?”
“Yes, sir. I have had no doubt about it for weeks; neither has the captain, as you have seen by the great store of food he has buried in the ice.”
“Well, it will be a change,” said Steve after a pause. “I suppose it will not be so very cold?”
The Norseman laughed.
“Colder than you think for, sir; but not too cold to bear if you take care. You must not go away into the mountains by yourself.”
“Couldn’t help it if a bear were after me,” said Steve, laughing. “But I shall take care. I say, though, tell me about the darkness: does the sun go right out of sight?”
“Yes, sir, for weeks.”