Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/91

Rh standing his watch at the wheel. All sail was spread that the little ship would stand, but the Laeso was slipping away.

"If you and Latham"—Jerry McNeal already had dropped the misters—"have assigned yourselves to run that gas engine when we need it, we need it now. Get busy below, either one of you or both of you. Get the engine going; then stand by below for signals."

Geoff returned to his bunk. Latham had finished changing his sea clothes. The two went upon the slippery deck, staggered aft to the engine-room hatchway, dropped down to the engine-room and set to work.

The gale soon blew out, and with the sea encumbered only by floating icebergs and no pack ice the work of the Viborg for the following days was easy and simple, as it followed the course of the Laeso up the West Greenland coast. Crossing the Arctic Circle in the middle of July, the sun now was shining continuously when the sky was clear, only grazing the horizon at midnight.

The coast which they skirted was still spotted with small, scattered settlements of