“We have been thinking that, as soon as this storm has blown over, we may have three or four days’ fine, clear weather. The moon is getting toward the full, and if the captain would start an expedition, it would not be so dangerous now.”
“Which way would you go?”
“Inland, sir. I don’t expect it, but we might find deer or a bear; but whether we did or no, we should have something to do.”
The storm had given place to fine clear moonshine, and there was not a breath of air, but no expedition was started; for, to the despair and misery of all, the captain broke down, worn out by mental care; and after three or four days Steve sat by his cot listening to his hurried breathing, and asking himself what was to become of them all if their brave leader died. The boy had to divide his attention between watching and keeping up the temperature of the cabin; but the glowing stove and constantly burning lamp had a hard fight with the cold, which seemed to pierce through everything; and though curtains of sailcloth had been nailed up outside the cabin door, they did little in those piercing hours of the long arctic night.
The boy had just resumed his seat, after rearranging the fur coat which he had thrown over the captain, when Mr Handscombe entered, the sailcloth curtains crackling loudly as he moved them to pass, for the moisture from the breath froze them stiff, and the thickness was constantly being added to.
“How does he seem?” said the doctor, going closer to the fire to thaw the frozen rime from his beard, which was quite a bush of ice from the chin downward, before taking off his heavy fur coat and hood.
“Just the same, sir,” said Steve despondently.
“Ah!” exclaimed the doctor sharply; “none of that. Don’t you take that tone.”
“I—I can’t help it!” cried Steve piteously, as he now broke down completely. “I—I have tried so hard, Mr Handscombe. I have done everything till now, and it’s of no use. I must lie down now like the rest, and give up, for we shall never see the day again.”
A pair of frozen mittens was thrown down, and Steve’s hand was grasped.