On the day referred to, a large party was formed to go to the top of the cliffs at Red-Snow Valley to welcome back the sun.

“There’s scarce a man left behind,” remarked Captain Guy, as they started on this truly joyous expedition.

“Only Mizzle, sir,” said Buzzby, slapping his hands together, for the cold was intense; “he said as how he’d stop and have dinner ready agin our return.”

There was a general laugh from the men, who knew that the worthy cook had other reasons for not going—­namely, his shortness of wind, and his inveterate dislike to ascend hills.

“Come, Fred,” cried Captain Ellice, who had completely recovered from his accident, “I shall be quite jealous of your friend Singleton if you bestow so much of your company on him.  Walk with me, sirrah, I command you, as I wish to have a chat.”

“You are unjust to me,” replied Fred, taking his father’s arm, and falling with him a little to the rear of the party; “Tom complains that I have quite given him up of late.”

“Och! isn’t it a purty sight,” remarked O’Riley to Mivins, “to see us all goin’ out like good little childers to see the sun rise of a beautiful mornin’ like this?”

“So it his,” answered Mivins; “but I wish it wasn’t quite so cold.”

It was indeed cold—­so cold that the men had to beat their hands together, and stamp their feet, and rush about like real children, in order to keep their bodies warm.  This month of February was the coldest they had yet experienced.  Several times the thermometer fell to the unexampled temperature of 75 deg. below zero, or 107 deg. below the freezing-point of water.  When we remind our young readers that the thermometer in England seldom falls so low as zero, except in what we term weather of the utmost severity, they may imagine—­or rather, they may try to imagine—­what 75 deg. below zero must have been.

It was not quite so cold as that upon this occasion, otherwise the men could not have shown face to it.

“Let’s have leap-frog,” shouted Davie; “we can jump along as well as walk along.  Hooray! hup!”

The “hup” was rather an exclamation of necessity than of delight, inasmuch as that it was caused by Davie coming suddenly down flat on the ice in the act of vainly attempting to go leap-frog over Mivins’s head.

“That’s your sort,” cried Amos Parr; “down with you, Buzzby.”

Buzzby obeyed, and Amos, being heavy and past the agile time of life, leaped upon, instead of over, his back, and there stuck.

“Not so high, lads,” cried Captain Guy.  “Come, Mr. Saunders, give us a back.”

“Faix he’d better go on his hands an’ knees.”

“That’s it! over you go! hurrah, lads!”

In five minutes nearly the whole crew were panting from their violent exertions, and those who did not or could not join panted as much from laughter.  The desired result, however, was speedily gained.  They were all soon in a glow of heat, and bade defiance to the frost.