“‘Pon my soul,” he said, “the conceit is a good one. I see that you and I, sir, are united, anyhow—just as the British and the Americans should ever be.”
Then the agreement was drawn up and signed by both, and so this memorable interview came to a close.
“I feel so happy now, captain,” said young Ingomar, “that—that I could cry.”
“Rather an original method of showing happiness, isn’t it?”
“Rather effeminate, anyhow. But now I feel at home here; and within the last four and twenty hours my prospects in life have brightened, and my sky is clear; the star of hope is shining as brightly as the Pole star yonder. I’m young, you see, sir, and—— Well, I can’t help that, can I, Captain Brace? But I don’t mean to fail, anyhow.”
“No; and you have nothing to be ashamed of, Ingomar. As to failure—
‘In the lexicon of youth which fate reserves
For a bright manhood, there is no such word
As Fail.’”
* * * * *
True to time—in fact, a little before it—the Yak-Yaks were seen returning to the barque, yelling and whooping, the dogs stretched out, and apparently hugging the snow as they sped onwards like a hairy hurricane across the level stretch of bay.
It was arranged that Nick and Nora both should accompany this tour inland, but as they could not be expected to keep pace with these trained Arctic dogs, one was taken up into Captain Brace’s sledge, and the other with the boys themselves in Ingomar’s.