This was full of ice.
But by using the Explorer’s ram, very good progress was made.
Immense blocks of ice were shattered and fields of ice broken by the wonderful ram of the Explorer.
No incident of thrilling sort occurred until one day when they were besieged by ice off a small island.
Frank had thought of lowering the Explorer and going under the ice field, when an incident caused him to change his mind.
Upon the shores of the island a strange object was seen.
It was a barrel mounted upon a long pole.
At once Frank was interested.
He concluded at once that it must mark a cairn where some former Arctic travelers had visited.
The young explorer was at once possessed of a desire to investigate.