"The Nor'west wind is a spirit brave, And he cometh from afar; He is cradled far down in the depths that yawn Beneath the polar star.
"Where no mortal foot hath been, he maketh His track o'er the snowy plain; And listens the tread of phantoms dread, With banner and spear and flame.
"Where the billows are booming on frozen shore, O there right kingly is he! His pinnacled throne the iceberg lone, His empire the boundless sea.
"He rideth aloft on the mountain-tops,-- Rare sport doth he meet with there; He spinneth the snow in lightning flow, Till it gleams like a witch's hair."
"O the Nor'west wind is a spirit brave, A conquering hero is he; And his fierce battle song, as he marcheth along, Is the shout of victory."
"O, how beautiful and appropriate!" exclaimed the children.
"But," said William, "how did you get to the island?"
"Without any other accident," replied the Captain, "than with two frozen noses, which were sore for a long time afterwards. But, after it was all over, we would not have missed the sight for anything, it was so grand; yet, had we been caught out on the sea a little farther from the hut, we should never have got back, but both of us must have perished.
"Thus you see how Providence continued to watch over the two poor castaways."
Covers a Long Period of Time, and shows, among other Things, how a Race may be lost at Both Ends.
"I must now tell you," continued the Captain, "that, while all these adventures were happening, the winter was passing steadily away; and, from what I have before told you about the Arctic seasons, you will know that when the winter came finally to an end the darkness came to an end too,--that is, to be more particular, first there was a little flush of light at noon, to see which made us very glad, you may be sure; after this, from day to day, the light grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost broad daylight, as it is here just before the sun has risen in the morning; then the sun came up a few days afterward only a little way above the horizon (of course right in the south); and then, next day, it was a little higher, and the next day a little higher still; and then, by and by, it was (as it had been in the summer-time before) circling round and round us, shining all the while; and now our hut was at midnight in the shadow of the cliff; at noon the sun was blazing down upon us, softening the snow, and making our hearts, O, how happy and thankful!--more so than I can tell you.