'One's the young lady,' said the mate.
Cliffe spun round and stretched his hand to me.
'I do congratulate you,' he cried, convulsing his countenance. 'It's a noble errand nobly rounded off. Hurrah!' and in a sudden ecstasy he pulled off his hat and whirled it three or four times over his head. He then cried, 'But two only? The third ain't dead, I hope?'
'Captain Burke and his wife are not there,' said I.
He grimaced at me, and said, 'Who's the man, then? But asking questions won't get them out of it. What d'ye propose?'
As he spoke he whipped out his watch: as it lay in his hand I saw the hour; the time was two, we had therefore a long afternoon of daylight before us.
'We must take the mortar in the boat and communicate with it,' answered Bland. 'There's a big piece of ice to anchor the boat to,' said he, pointing to the lump I had observed him look at. 'We shall want a cradle.'
'A cask 'll answer,' said Cliffe.
'Better have both boats in the water,' said Bland.