The captain took out his little binocular glass and swept the shore, to make out the second bear away in the distance, walking slowly along on the top of the ice-floe which shut them in to the north. It was raising its head on high, and evidently on the look-out for its mate.
“What do you say, Handscombe?” said the captain; “shall we tackle it? There is a good chance if we can approach the animal unobserved.”
“For my part, I say no,” replied the doctor, as the Norwegians, who had been ridding themselves of the traces of their unpleasant task, picked up their spears. “I have had enough bear for one day, and should like some beef. It’s past twelve.”
“Oh, it must be later than that!” cried Steve. “Why, we’ve been hours and hours ashore. I should have thought it was six o’clock.”
“No,” said the doctor, smiling. “My watch keeps good time. I say a quarter to twelve.”
“Then we’ll go on board,” said the captain. “I, too, had no idea it was so late.”
“Early?” suggested Steve.
“Why, Steve!” cried the captain, clapping him on the shoulder, “don’t you know where we are? This is the land of the midnight sun.”
The boy stared at him in astonishment, then due north at the sun, which was shining with a softer and less piercing light than usual, while the captain and his friend the doctor exchanged glances and looked amused at the boy’s confusion.
He now looked round him, toward the ship and the ice; and then, as if struck by a happy thought, he thrust his hand into his pocket and took out a little compass, which he carefully placed level on a block of stone, watching it till the needle had ceased to vibrate.