“A fig for the danger, boy. We’ll never be out of that, but we came to find the South Pole, or get somewhere near it.”
Ingomar smiled.
“Well, then, Hans, we have come to make a big record.”
“That will beat all creation, captain.”
“Yes, beat all creation, and it would have been misfortune, to say the least of it, to have got beset. That’s all. Yes, thanks, steward, I’ll have another slice.”
* * * * *
The two ships stood steadily onwards now, day after day, sailing whenever they could, steaming only when obliged to, for the economy of coal had to be studied, and that, too, most carefully.
Captain Bell, of the Sea Elephant, came now to be recognized as head of the expedition, though on every occasion that was deemed important a council was called and the opinions of all officers taken.
He was now always called The Admiral, but not to his face. He was none too fond of fine titles.
And the Sea Elephant was called the Flag Ship, for short.