THE WORLD OF ICE. 213

walking off with his tail, literally as well as figura-
tively, between his legs.

“Now, Buzzby, now; it’s your time. When you
hear the word ‘misery, come on and fight like a
Trojan with the bears. The doctor will remind you.”

Fred was remarkably patient and painstaking, and
his pupils, though not apt scholars, were willing, so
that the morning rehearsal was gone through with
fewer mistakes than might have been expected; and
when the crew came back to dinner about mid-day,
which, however, was as dark as midnight, their parts
were sufficiently well got up, and nothing remained
to be done but to arrange the stage and scenery for
the evening’s entertainment—it having been resolved
that the performance should commence after supper.
The stage was at the after part of the cabin, and
raised about a foot above the deck; and its manage-
ment had been intrusted to the doctor, who, assisted
by Peter Grim, transformed that portion of the ship
into a scene so romantically beautiful that the first
sight of it petrified the erew with surprise. But
until the curtain should rise all arrangements were
carefully concealed from every one except the dramatis
persone. Even the captain and officers were for-
bidden to peep behind the sail that formed a curtain
to the stage ; and this secrecy, besides being necessary,
was extremely useful, inasmuch as it excited the
curiosity of the men, and afforded them food for con-
verse and speculation for a week before the great day
arrived,