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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
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？〃
〃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
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 soup； and then come back to the cabin。' I got
rid of the soup； and came back to the cabin。 'Cod's
head…and…shoulders；' says the captain； and helps me。 'I can't
stand it； sir；' says I。 'You must；' says the captain； 'because
it's the cure。' I crammed down a mouthful； and turned paler than
ever。 'Go on deck；' says the captain。 'Get rid of the cod's head；
and come back to the cabin。' Off I go； and back I come。 'Boiled
leg of mutton and trimmings；' says the captain； and helps me。 'No
fat； sir；' says I。 'Fat's the cure；' says the captain； and makes
me eat it。 'Lean's the cure；' says the captain； and makes me eat
it。 'Steady？' says the captain。 'Sick；' says I。 'Go on deck；'
says the captain； 'get rid of the boiled leg of mutton and
trimmings and come back to the cabin。' Off I go； staggeringback
I come； more dead than alive。 'Deviled kidneys；' says the
captain。 I shut my eyes； and got 'em down。 'Cure's beginning；'
says the captain。 'Mutton…chop and pickles。' I shut my eyes； and
got _them_ down。 'Broiled ham and cayenne pepper；' says the
captain。 'Glass of stout and cranberry tart。 Want to go on deck
again？' 'No； sir；' says I。 'Cure's done；' says the captain。
'Never you give in to your stomach； and your stomach will end in
giving in to you。'〃
Having stated the moral purpose of his story in those
unanswerable words； John Want took himself and his saucepan into
the kitchen。 A moment later； Crayford returned to the hut and
astonished Frank Aldersley by an unexpected question。
〃Have you anything in your berth； Frank； that you set a value
on？〃
〃Nothing that I set the smallest value onwhen I am out of it；〃
he replied。 〃What does your question mean？〃
〃We are almost as short of fuel as we are of provisions；〃
Crayford proceeded。 〃Your berth will make good firing。 I have
directed Bateson to be here in ten minutes with his ax。〃
〃Very attentive and considerate on your part；〃 said Frank。 〃What
is to become of me； if you please； when Bateson has chopped my
bed into fire…wood？〃
〃Can't you guess？〃
〃I suppose the cold has stupefied me。 The riddle is beyond my
reading。 Suppose you give me a hint？〃
〃Certainly。 There will be beds to spare soonthere is to be a
change at last in our wretched lives here。 Do you see it now？〃
Frank's eyes sparkled。 He sprang out of his berth； and waved his
fur cap in triumph。
〃See it？〃 he exclaimed； 〃of course I do！ The exploring party is
to start at last。 Do I go with the expedition？〃
〃It is not very long since you were in the doctor's hands；
Frank；〃 said Crayford； kindly。 〃I doubt if you are strong enough
yet to make one of the exploring party。〃
〃Strong enough or not；〃 returned Frank； 〃any risk is better than
pining and perishing here。 Put me down； Crayford； among those who
volunteer to go。〃
〃Volunteers will not be accepted； in this case；〃 said Crayford。
〃Captain Helding and Captain Ebsworth see serious objections； as
we are situated； to that method of proceeding。〃
〃Do they mean to keep the appointments in their own hands？〃 asked
Frank。 〃I for one object to that。〃
〃Wait a little；〃 said Crayford。 〃You were playing backgammon the
other day with one of the officers。 Does the board belong to him
or to you？〃
〃It belongs to me。 I have got it in my locker here。 What do you
want with it？〃
〃I want the dice and the box for casting lots。 The captains have
arrangedmost wisely； as I thinkthat Chance shall decide among
us who goes with the expedition and who