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other side discloses a broad doorway （closed by a canvas screen）； which
serves as a means of communication with an inner apartment； devoted to
the superior officers。 A hammock is slung to the rough raftered roof of the
main room； as an extra bed。 A man； completely hidden by his bedclothes；
is sleeping in the hammock。 By the fireside there is a second man
supposed to be on the watchfast asleep； poor wretch！ at the present
moment。 Behind the sleeper stands an old cask； which serves for a table。
The objects at present on the table are； a pestle and mortar； and a
saucepanful of the dry bones of animalsin plain words； the dinner for the
day。 By way of ornament to the dull brown walls； icicles appear in the
crevices of the timber； gleaming at intervals in the red fire…light。 No wind
whistles outside the lonely dwellingno cry of bird or beast is heard。
Indoors； and out…of…doors； the awful silence of the Polar desert reigns； for
the moment； undisturbed。
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THE FROZEN DEEP
Chapter 7。
The first sound that broke the silence came from the inner apartment。
An officer lifted the canvas screen in the hut of the _Sea…mew_ and
entered the main room。 Cold and privation had badly thinned the ranks。
The commander of the shipCaptain Ebsworthwas dangerously ill。 The
first lieutenant was dead。 An officer of the _Wanderer_ filled their places
for the time； with Captain Helding's permission。 The officer so employed
wasLieutenant Crayford。
He approached the man at the fireside； and awakened him。
〃Jump up； Bateson！ It's your turn to be relieved。〃
The relief appeared； rising from a heap of old sails at the back of the
hut。 Bateson vanished； yawning； to his bed。 Lieutenant Crayford walked
backward and forward briskly； trying what exercise would do toward
warming his blood。
The pestle and mortar on the cask attracted his attention。 He stopped
and looked up at the man in the hammock。
〃I must rouse the cook；〃 he said to himself； with a smile。 〃That fellow
little thinks how useful he is in keeping up my spirits。 The most inveterate
croaker and grumbler in the worldand yet； according to his own account；
the only cheerful man in the whole ship's company。 John Want！ John Want！
Rouse up； there！〃
A head rose slowly out of the bedclothes； covered with a red night…cap。
A melancholy nose rested itself on the edge of the hammock。 A voice；
worthy of the nose； expressed its opinion of the Arctic climate； in these
words：
〃Lord！ Lord！ here's all my breath on my blanket。 Icicles； if you please；
sir； all round my mouth and all over my blanket。 Every time I have snored；
I've frozen something。 When a man gets the cold into him to that extent
that he ices his own bed； it can't last much longer。 Never mind！ _I_ don't
grumble。〃
Crayford tapped the saucepan of bones impatiently。 John Want
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THE FROZEN DEEP
lowered himself to the floorgrumbling all the wayby a rope attached to
the rafters at his bed head。 Instead of approaching his superior officer and
his saucepan； he hobbled； shivering； to the fire…place； and held his chin as
close as he possibly could over the fire。 Crayford looked after him。
〃Halloo！ what are you doing there？〃
〃Thawing my beard； sir。〃
〃Come here directly； and set to work on these bones。〃
John Want remained immovably attached to the fire…place； holding
something else over the fire。 Crayford began to lose his temper。
〃What the devil are you about now？〃
〃Thawing my watch； sir。 It's been under my pillow all night； and the
cold has stopped it。 Cheerful； wholesome； bracing sort of climate to live in；
isn't it； sir？ Never mind！ _I_ don't grumble。〃
〃No； we all know that。 Look here！ Are these bones pounded small
enough？〃
John Want suddenly approached the lieutenant； and looked at him with
an appearance of the deepest interest。
〃You'll excuse me； sir；〃 he said； 〃how very hollow your voice sounds
this morning！〃
〃Never mind my voice。 The bones！ the bones！〃
〃Yes； sirthe bones。 They'll take a trifle more pounding。 I'll do my best
with them； sir； for your sake。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
John Want shook his head； and looked at Crayford with a dreary smile。
〃I don't think I shall have the honor of making much more bone soup
for you； sir。 Do you think yourself you'll last long； sir？ I don't； saving your
presence。 I think about another week or ten days will do for us all。 Never
mind！ _I_ don't grumble。〃
He poured the bones into the mortar； and began to pound themunder
protest。 At the same moment a sailor appeared； entering from the inner
hut。
〃A message from Captain Ebsworth； sir。〃
〃Well？〃
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THE FROZEN DEEP
〃The captain is worse than ever with his freezing pains； sir。 He wants
to see you immediately。〃
〃I will go at once。 Rouse the doctor。〃
Answering in those terms； Crayford returned to the inner hut； followed
by the sailor。 John Want shook his head again； and smiled more drearily
than ever。
〃Rouse the doctor？〃 he repeated。 〃Suppose the doctor should be frozen？
He hadn't a ha'porth of warmth in him last night； and his voice sounded
like a whisper in a speaking…trumpet。 Will the bones do now？ Yes； the
bones will do now。 Into the saucepan with you；〃 cried John Want； suiting
the action to the word； 〃and flavor the hot water if you can！ When I
remember that I was once an apprentice at a pastry…cook'swhen I think of
the gallons of turtle…soup that this hand has stirred up in a jolly hot
kitchenand when I find myself mixing bones and hot water for soup； and
turning into ice as fast as I can； if I wasn't of a cheerful disposition I
should feel inclined to grumble。 John Want！ John Want！ whatever had you
done with your natural senses when you made up your mind to go to sea？〃
A new voice hailed the cook； speaking from one of the bed…places in
the side of the hut。 It was the voice of Francis Aldersley。
〃Who's that croaking over the fire？〃
〃Croaking？〃 repeated John Want； with the air of a man who considered
himself the object of a gratuitous insult。 〃Croaking？ You don't find your
own voice at all altered for the worsedo you； Mr。 Frank？ I don't give
_him_；〃 John proceeded； speaking confidentially to himself； 〃more than
six hours to last。 He's one of your grumblers。〃
〃What are you doing there？〃 asked Frank。
〃I'm making bone soup； sir； and wondering why I ever went to sea。〃
〃Well； and why did you go to sea？〃
〃I'm not certain； Mr。 Frank。 Sometimes I think it was natural perversity；
sometimes I think it was false pride at getting over sea…sickness；
sometimes I think it was reading 'Robinson Crusoe；' and books warning of
me _not_ to go to sea。〃
Frank laughed。 〃You're an odd fellow。 What do you mean by false
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pride at getting over sea…sickness？ Did you get over sea…sickness in some
new way？〃
John Want's dismal face brightened in spite of himself。 Frank had
recalled to the cook's memory one of the noteworthy passages in the
cook's life。
〃That's it； sir！〃 he said。 〃If ever a man cured sea…sickness in a new way
yet； I am that manI got over it； Mr。 Frank； by dint of hard eating。 I was a
passenger on board a packet…boat； sir； when first I saw blue water。 A nasty
lopp of a sea came on at dinner…time； and I began to feel queer the moment
the soup was put on the table。 'Sick？' says the captain。 'Rather； sir；' says I。
'Will you try my cure？' says the captain。 'Certainly； sir；' says I。 'Is your
heart in your mouth yet？' says the captain。 'Not quite； sir；' says I。 'Mock…
turtle soup？' says the captain； and helps me。 I swallow a couple of
spoonfuls； and turn as white as a sheet。 The captain cocks his eye at me。
'Go on deck； sir；' says he； 'get rid of the