At this moment Captain Gould was joined by Jenny, Dolly, and by Susan Wolston, who was holding her child’s hand.
The albatross fluttered to and fro, hopped from rock to rock, and sometimes went quite far off to the northward, as if it were pointing out the way.
“It looks as if he were showing us where to go,” said Jenny.
“We must follow him!” Dolly exclaimed.
“Not until we have had breakfast,” Captain Gould replied. “We may have several hours’ marching in front of us, and we must keep up our strength.”
They shared the provisions hurriedly, so impatient were they to be off, and before seven o’clock they were moving towards the north.
It was most difficult walking among the rocks. Captain Gould and the boatswain, in advance, pointed out the practicable paths. Then Fritz came helping Jenny, Frank helping Dolly, and James helping Susan and little Bob.
Nowhere did the foot encounter grass or sand. It was all a chaotic accumulation of stones, what might have been a vast field of scattered rocks or moraines. Over it birds were flying, frigate-birds, sea-mews, and sea-swallows, in whose flight the albatross sometimes joined.
They marched for an hour, at the cost of immense fatigue, and had accomplished little more than two miles, steadily up hill. There was no change in the appearance of the nature of the plateau.
It was absolutely necessary to call a halt in order to get a little rest.