But boats were sent off, that our heroes, and even the dogs, might have a scamper.
Though too rough for ski, or snow-shoe travelling, the ice-pieces were pretty close together, and it was easy for everybody to leap from one to the other, and so on and on till at long last they reached the berg, and made an attempt to get to the summit. This was much harder than was at first expected, especially for the dogs, but these were determined to follow their leader; and so, often stumbling, sometimes slipping, many down again, they struggled on until they got to the top.
They had their snow-shoes over their backs, and although there was some danger of their going over a cliff or icy precipice, they enjoyed an hour’s really good fun. They would have tarried here much longer, but noticed that the signal for recall had been hoisted; and so, as soon as they had erected a pole, with a round black ball on the top, and the name of the vessel cut in the handle, they started to retrace their steps.
The hoisting of the pole took a longer time than they had reckoned on, for they had to cut the hard surface of the snow first with their Jack-knives, and get the dogs to complete the excavation with their busy fore-feet. This they encouraged them to do by pointing to the hole and saying “Rats!”
Now, I don’t believe that either Nick or Nora expected to find a rat in such a place, but that they merely worked away to please the boys.
None too soon did they reach the boats, for lo! the ice was opening, and the small bergs getting farther and farther apart. As it was, one man received a ducking which he would remember till his dying day.
If a strong current ran under the ice, it would have been easy for it to have carried him away. In Greenland seas there is extra danger in such an immersion, for sharks are always on the watch there when men are on the ice, and no one would care to be made a meal of by these scaly monsters.
Two boats had come on shore, and, as usual in such cases, a race was got up—and oh, there is no race so exciting as that between real sailors with good honest broad-beamed boats. Ingomar offered as a prize a bottle of rum and pound of “baccy” to the winning whaler. So the men must even doff their heavy jackets to the work.
Noticing what was up, all hands on board crowded into the rigging, and small innocent bets were made, such as clay pipes or postage stamps that had only been once in use.
The men in each boat were about equal in weight. Charlie was cox’n of one, Walt of the other, and Hans himself gave the signal.