After daybreak, when most of the ice cave lodgers had appeared, another count was made, and it was found that they had sixty-nine as fine fish as any sportsman could wish to catch. The delight of the hungry castaways would be hard to describe. They almost went wild over the display of finny food. They overwhelmed the two fishers with congratulations and could hardly wait for the cooking of their breakfast.
That was a joyful repast. It put new life into everyone. Those who had shown signs of serious illness seemed to revive, and the general air of cheerfulness was remarkable. Even Gunseyt and his “pals” took a more “possible” and optimistic view of things.
After breakfast, Watson, Prof. Anderson, Burton and Glennon went over to the Eskimo camp to announce their success and to offer them a share of the catch. But the Greenlanders had not been asleep to the opportunity. They also had discovered the school and had caught a supply greater than their needs for as long a time as the iceberg could remain habitable.
The fish continued to bite fairly well during the day and by nightfall the number “in cold storage” was seventy-five, after everybody had had as much as he could eat. Early in the day the professor declared that if the temperature would only remain below freezing and the iceberg did not drift into warm water, there was little reason why they could not live on their floating island for several days yet. This must mean that they surely would be rescued.
But these apprehended possibilities were just what happened. On the afternoon following the big catch they did drift into warmer water and the temperature did rise. Tiny streams were soon running down the sides of the mountain of ice. Everybody was alive to the peril and the lookout for vessels was maintained more keenly and nervously. Three ships were sighted, and frantic efforts were made to attract attention, but without happy result. Only one vessel approached within five miles of the iceberg, and that was a liner, which plowed past as grandly as if it disdained even to take notice of so insignificant a thing as a mass of ice half a mile long and several hundred feet high in places.
“They’d never see us unless someone aboard happened to be looking this way with glasses,” observed Glennon. “I’m afraid our chances are pretty slim.”
And to make matters worse, on the next day the temperature rose still higher and the water became still warmer. Watson and Guy slept a few hours that day and on the succeeding night they took up their watch with set lines again. They caught thirty fish; but the atmosphere became scarcely any cooler before sunrise, a fact that made it seem foolish to angle for more than were needed for a very few meals.
“This means we’ve got to attract somebody’s attention mighty quick,” Watson declared as day was breaking. “No doubt the water has already undermined this berg to a dangerous extent and a little more will finish the business.”
The operative was not given to making forecasts of trouble unless there was imminent danger ahead. But Guy resolved as on several other occasions not to become panic stricken. They still possessed their life jackets, and in a mild atmosphere and temperate sea, they could hope still to live some hours.
Although it did not become as warm that day as had been anticipated, they all put on their life jackets and continued to wear them. The women who had been ill showed signs of physical improvement, and the men by virtue of plenty to eat, retained most of their normal strength. This was a fortunate condition of affairs, as it was hardly to be expected that so many persons could withstand such exposure so successfully.