THE WORLD OF ICH. 101

then, consider the immense amount of animal life all
round us. They might have laid up provisions for
many months long before winter set in.”

“T know all that,” replied Fred, with a shake of
his head; “but think of yon brig that we saw go
down in about ten minutes,”

“Well, so I do think of it. No doubt the brig was
lost very suddenly, but there was ample time, had
there been any one on board, to have leaped upon the
ice, and they might have got to land by jumping from
one piece to another. Such things have happened be-
fore frequently. To say truth, at every point of land
we turn, I feel a sort of expectation amounting almost
to certainty that we shall find your father and his
party travelling southward on their way to the Danish
settlements.”

“Perhaps you are right. God grant that it may
be so!”

As he spoke, they reached the fixed ice which ran
along the foot of the precipices for some distance like
a road of hard white marble. Many large rocks lay
scattered over it, some of them several tons in weight,
and one or two balanced in a very remarkable way
on the edge of the cliffs.

“There's a curious-looking eull I should like to
shoot,” exclaimed Fred, pointing to a bird that
hovered over his head, and throwing forward the
niuzzle of his gun.

“Fire away, then,” said his friend, stepping back a
pace,