The World of Ice

r novel circumstances-Remarkable appearanc

ble wag-in every sense of the term. Moreover, although they had an occasional fi

y will act a conspicuous part in the history of the Dolphin's adventur

hite, with a lively expression of countenance, a large shaggy body, two erect, sharp-pointed ears, and a short projection that once had been a tail. Owing to some cause unknown, however, his tail had been cut or bitten off, and nothing save the stump remained. But this stump did as much duty as if it had been fifty tails in one. It was never at rest for a moment, and its owner evidently believed that wag

mped either, being old, but he sat and allowed his friend Poker to romp round him with a sort of sulky satisfaction, as if he experienced the greatest enjoyment his nature was capable of in witnessing the antics of his youthful companion-for Poker was young. The prevailing colour of Dumps's shaggy hide was a dirty brown, with black spots, two of which had fixed

cuppers, calmly sleeping off the effects of a surfeit produced by the eating of a large piece of pork, for which the cook had sea

e surveyed the bone. "If I could only find out, now, which of ye it was

" said Peter Grim, as he sat on the end of the windl

men sat round him engaged in mending sails, or stitching canvas slippers, etc.-"not a bit of it, Grim; Dumps is too honest by half

right eye, but did not move. Dumps, on the contrary, la

mmers, who passed at the moment with a dish of some sor

, I will, if you don't mind

th a grin. "It's as much as your situ

the men, while the boy confronted his superior, taking

u young rascal?" crie

I'll resign office; and if I do that, you'll have to g

e, "if you were asked to say, 'Hold on hard to this h

ould," remarked one of the men, throwing a ball of yarn at Dav

to leap, as the cook expressed it, nearly out of his own skin. Dogs are by nature extremely sympathetic and remarkably inquisitive; and no sooner was Dumps's yell

had been pacing the quarter-deck with slow giant strides, ar

," said Mivins, as he hurried

ward. "Weel, lads, you've had a lot o' hard work

school, sprang up, tumbled over the side, a

ed. In a second the ball was tossed over the

aking fast to a large berg or a field. They were compelled to proceed north, however, in consequence of the pack having become fixed towards, the south, and thus rendering retreat impossible in that direction until the ice should be again set in motion. Captain Guy, however, saw, by the steady advance of the larger bergs, that

faces of which extended north and south to the horizon, while on the east the cliffs rose in

the pools of clear water which shone like crystals in their hollows, while the beautiful beryl blue of the larger bergs gave a delicate colouring to the dazzling scene. Words cannot describe the intense glitter that characterized everything. Every point seemed a diamond, every edge sent forth a gleam of light, and many of the masses reflected the rich prismatic colours of the rainbow. It seemed as if the sun himself had been multiplied in order to add to the excessive brilliancy, for he w

, ceaseless-cries of sea-birds, added to the merry shouts and laughter of the men as they followe

ed in a headlong race beside one of his comrades, while the ball was kicke

ntirely, it does," replied O'Riley, wi

. He was a short man, and a broad man, and a particularly rugged man-so to speak. He was all angles and corners. His hair stuck about his head in violently rigid and entangled tufts, rendering it a matter of wonder how anything in the shape of a hat could stick on. His brow was a countless mass of ever-varying wrinkles, which

ef again to his pate "If it warn't for the ice we stand on, w

t it?" said Davie seating himself o

bjiction I have agin it is, that it makes ye

right leg, then, stupid, like

ttle o' the Nile, and I've sometimes thought that had somethin' to do wid it. But then me mother was l

med Summers, starting u

s the spot on which they stood, with about thirty of the me

him up! Hallo! Buzzby, you bluff-bowed Dutchman, luff! luff! or I'll stave in your ribs! Mind your eye, Mizzle! there's Green, he'll

f each man; and so long as he could get a kick at it that caused it to fly from the ground like a cannon-shot, little regard was had by any one to the direction in which it was propelled. But, of course, in this effort to get a kick, the men soon became scattered over the field, and ever and anon the ball would fall between two men, who rushed at it simultaneously from opposite directions. The inevitable result was a collision, by which both men were suddenly and violently arrested in their career. But

as not always the case, however, and few ventured to come into collision with Peter Grim, whose activity was on a par with his immense size. Buzzby contented himself with galloping on the outskirts of the fight, and putting in a kick when fortune sent the ball in his way. In this species of warfare he was supported by the fat co

e carpenter's mate; "there's a sail

e boy's head, and followed it up like an antelope. Mivins depended for success on his almost superhuman activity. His tall, slight frame could not stand the shocks of his comrades, but no one could equal or come

Davie Summers, as he obse

allowed Grim to pass. Grim knew his man, however, and had held himself in

for a time looked on at the general mêlée that ensued. It seemed as though the ball must inevitably be crushed among them as they struggled and kicked hither and thither for five minutes, in

streaming with perspiration and beaming with glee, as h

it went directly over Mizzle's head. Before he could wink he went down before them, and

y between O'Riley and Grim, who chanced to be far ahead of the others. Grim dashed at it. "Och! ye big villain,"

been steering rather wildly over the field of ice. Buzzby, on being brought thus unexpectedly within reach of the ball, braced up his energies for a kick; but seeing O'Riley coming down towards him

n like a deer to reach it first. A pool of water lay in his path, however, and the necessity of going round it enabled the Irish

moment to watch the result of the race. "Mind your timbers

h a shock that would annihilate both, when Mivins bounded to one side like an indiarubber ball. O'

ghter and consternation as they hastened in a body to the spot; but before they reached it, O'Riley's head an

ng the water from his garments. "Och! where's the

sent it high into the air. He was too wet and heavy to follow it up, however, so he ambled o