“For my part, I was determined that you should not fall into the detective’s hands,” replied the inventor, “for I was anxious to have you go with me on this cruise.”
They shook out the sails, as the Ranger was going with the wind, and as the white duck bellied out, speed was added to the boat.
“Do you think we will meet the Red Eric?” asked Vaneyke.
“She has considerable start, but we may be able to overhaul her, as we can make very rapid headway,” Frank replied. “I owe Captain Ben Bolt a grudge for the scalp wound he gave me, and I’ll avenge myself by wresting Walter Grey from his power.”
“The Kara Sea and the island of Nova Zembla.”
“Well, the boat is well heated, and we have warm fur clothing on board,” said Frank. “If there is ice on the island, we can travel over it on the boat’s runners, to examine the remains of the mammoth you say you wish to get for the institute you represent.”
“Yes. A gentleman of known veracity saw the body of a huge beast buried on Nova Zembla, and sent word to that effect to the Smithsonian, with directions how to find it. This, of course, is why I was so anxious to go with you, for I have orders to get part of the remains.”
The barometer showed a height of 2,000 feet.
Below them lay the north Atlantic, and a number of ships were seen dotting the surface in different places.
A constant watch with telescopes was maintained by those on duty for some sign of the Red Eric.
Having reached the British isles the ice ship crossed the North Sea and sailed along the western coast of Norway.
From there she passed over the Barentz Sea at the north of Russia.
Nothing was seen of the whaling ship, and the island of Nova Zembla finally appeared in the distance.
Every day that passed by found the temperature decreasing.
Our friends were obliged to put on fur clothing, and the electric heating apparatus was put in operation.
It made the interior of the Ranger warm and comfortable, and rendered its inmates quite cozy.
The mercury in the thermometer had gone down to within two degrees of zero, and the upper regions of the air became filled with fine needles of ice that stung the skin of our friends when exposed to it.
But little sunlight was seen each day owing to the winter season.