"Next time you will be," said Pen, who had returned to his duty.
"As I shall not be master on board ———" replied Shandon.
"Who knows?" said Pen. "John Hatteras is at liberty to go as far north as he thinks proper, but we are not obliged to follow him."
"He need only remember his first voyage to Baffin's Bay, and what came of it," replied Gripper.
"Ay! and his voyage in the Farewell," said Clifton, "when he lost his ship in the Spitzberg seas!"
"And came home alone," added Gripper.
"Alone with his dog," replied Clifton.
"We have no desire to sacrifice ourselves for such a man's good pleasure," put in Pen.
"No, nor to lose our hard-earned prize-money," rejoined the avaricious Clifton. "When we have passed the 78th parallel," he went on, "and we are not far off now, that will be just £375 for each of us!"
"But shan't we forfeit it," asked Gripper, "if we return without the captain?"
"No," answered Clifton; "if it is proved that our return was absolutely necessary."
"But the captain might———"
"Rest easy, Gripper," replied Pen. "We shall have a captain, and a good one, that Mr. Shandon knows. When a commander goes mad, he is displaced, and the power given to another. Isn't it so, Mr. Shandon?"
"My friends," replied Shandon, evasively, "you will always find in me a devoted heart to you; but let us wait the course of events."
It was evident the storm was gathering over the head of Hatteras. But he went boldly on, firm and unshaken as ever, full of energy and confidence. He saw that he would be forced to winter in these regions; but what of it? Had not Sir John Ross and McClure passed three winters in succession here? What they had done, others could do.
On the 31st of August the thermometer stood at 13°. The end of the navigable season had arrived.
Leaving Exmouth Isle on the right, the Forward passed Table Isle, into the middle of the Belcher Channel. There was scarcely an inch depth of water now under her keel;
