"I wonder now," Jack finally observed, "if we could eat that bear meat,
supposing something happened to keep us marooned on this ice for weeks at
a stretch? What do you think about it, Tom?"
"It might be possible, if we got in a bad pinch and were almost
starving," came the reply. "But you must remember we'd have to swallow it
raw, because we haven't any means for making a fire; and trying to kindle
a blaze on the ice would be a tough job."
"Then I'm glad to know we don't have to depend on bear meat to keep us
from starving," Jack announced. "Pretty nearly through, Tom?"
"Five minutes more ought to see us ready to start. I'm pretty hungry
though and would like something more to eat. You boys ate a good deal,
but you called it 'a snack,' and not 'supper.'"
"On the whole," Colin suggested, "perhaps we'd better leave the supper
until we get to moving smoothly again. Things ought to taste better if we
feel we've got the bulge on this engine trouble for fair."
Jack did not try to urge any undue haste. Nevertheless he looked several
times in the quarter close by where the big berg raised its cone, as if
his uneasiness now might be wholly concerned with its possibilities for
making fresh trouble.
Was it imagination, or some sort of optical delusion that made the tip
of the huge berg seem to come lower and lower, then draw back again as if
making a ceremonious bow like a dancing-master?
Jack gasped, and opened his lips to cry out, but thinking better of it
restrained the temptation.
Pages:
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144