“Certainly. I expect we shall find the open sheet of water along the shore frozen from side to side.”
“Then there’ll be no walrus?”
“Not one.”
“Nor seals?”
“I don’t expect we shall see anything now for months but bears, wolves, and foxes. Beside them, we shall be the only occupants of the place. I have not seen a bird for days.”
It proved as the captain had said, for as soon as they were well through the narrow passage there lay the ice to right and left, and not a patch of open water was to be seen. Winter had set in indeed, and after a long tramp without seeing a single animal the party retraced their steps, and returned to the ship light enough, but in excellent spirits, the inevitable being accepted; and as there was an abundant supply of food in store, the absence of game in boat and sleigh, though it made Mr Lowe smile, was deemed to be of not the slightest consequence.
The next day the coaling began, the men being divided into four parties, one to hew down the coal on the mountain-side, another to collect and pass it down to the sledges, and the other two parties to draw the loaded and empty sledges to and fro. The mineral fuel was abundant, and the men worked so well that very soon the beaten track through the snow was blackened with dust and small fragments of coal; while, after this had been kept on for a week, the men treating the dirty job as quite a frolic, Steve felt that the sooner another fall of snow came down the better for the face of nature. He was not kept long waiting, for the second night after the captain had been satisfied that no more coal could be stored with any convenience down came the storm again, lasting a couple of days, and the last hope of the weather becoming open that season departed.
“No, sir,” said Johannes; “the winter has come, and means to stay.”
“Right on through the long, black darkness when there is no sun,” said Steve with a slight shiver, and he went and looked at the glass.
The doctor saw him go, and joined him. “Down to zero, my lad,” he said. “That would make people at home stare. But it’s only the mercury that’s down to zero; our spirits must be up to a thoroughly genial height.”