The breakfast bugle went at seven, “Too—too—tootitty—tootitty—too.” Taffy had splendid lungs.
Every one was hungry, and the food was satisfying, if not over-refined.
After a rest, the day’s work was begun. At first the packing and surveying of the sledge contents and baggage generally were almost exercise enough till dinner-time. They were kept hard at this every forenoon till every one knew the duty perfectly, and could have told where everything was packed and how to get at it without the slightest confusion.
This was the drill for three or four days, and once a week after this.
The dogs and bears were very tractable, and evinced no inclination at present to go far from camp. But Gruff and his ursine companions soon came to think penguin food the best they ever tasted. They stalked the birds and they stalked seals just as they did in their own Northern home.
The boys and Ingomar did pretty much as they pleased all the afternoon, and Curtis was busy almost from morn till night with his studies.
The ponies did not at all object to go on a “cruise” with Charlie, Walt, and the pet Newfoundlands and Collie, away up through the rough ice in the glen or valley, up and up to a smooth, white, all-too-breezy tableland which stretched in a westerly and southerly direction as far as they could see.
Oh, the delightfulness of their first bareback ride across this snowy plain! Blue, blue the sky, and speckled with fleecelets and feathers; bright the sun at one moment, clouded the next; to the left, Ben-Murchison; far, far to the left, Ben-Sabine, sullenly smoking, his black, bare head silhouetted against the sky. Keen the air. Had to ride with gloves and masks. Cared nothing for that. Knapsacks crammed with biscuits for dogs and ponies, and pork sandwiches for themselves. I don’t think boys were ever more happy, and I’m sure they didn’t draw rein till they had cantered and galloped nine good miles.
“Make a note of this, Walt, old man. We’ve forgotten to bring our compasses.”
So they had.