“Oh, but this is only a night frost that will go away in the sun quite early.”
“Perhaps so, sir; but you can never be sure about the weather at this time of year. It will make some of the walrus boats turn their heads south, many of them perhaps empty, while here they swarm more than ever.”
“Then they should come up here and catch them.”
“How?” said Johannes.
“Sail and steam, as we did.”
“Yes, sir, that sounds easy; but suppose they cannot? Suppose you made up your mind to sail south to-morrow?”
“Well, we couldn’t go for the ice.”
“Exactly, sir; and the walrus boats couldn’t sail up here for the ice.”
“Ugh! it is cold,” said Steve with a shiver. “I wonder what the glass says. Wish I’d looked.”
“It would not have been a fair test, sir; it is warmer down in the cabin. You are not unwell, only you feel the chill just waking up from sleep.”