“You mean that?” said the captain.
“I do. If a man gets frost-bitten anywhere within range, we can bring him back, and soon take proper steps to save the injured limb or part. On the other hand, suppose we are overtaken by a storm and darkness, and forced to shelter somewhere under the lee of the rocks or ice, how many of us would be able to reach the ship after the storm was over? No; I see nothing for us to do but take what exercise we can in the moonlight, and then come back to our quarters, which we must make as snug as we can.”
“And be thankful that we have such quarters,” said the captain. “What do you say, Steve?”
The lad started at this first appeal, but spoke out.
“I should like to try and search again for the crew of the Ice Blink, sir,” he said.
“What could we do better than we have done, my boy? We could not reach the parts that we journeyed over in the summer, that is certain, and to do any good we ought to go farther. No, my lad, we must wait.”