“A body can never calcilate on a nigger,” answered Stephen, who had the popular American prejudice against the caste that has so long been held in servitude in the land.  “They call out easily, and shut up oncommon quick, if there’s nothin’ gained by yelling.  Black blood won’t stand cold like white blood, Captain Gar’ner, any more than white blood will stand heat like black blood.”

“I have heard this before, Stephen; and it has surprised me that Captain Daggett’s cook should be the only one of that party who seems to have had any voice to-night.”

Stimson had a good deal to say now, as the two picked their way across the field of snow, always walking on the crust, which in most places would have upheld a loaded vehicle; the subject of his remarks being the difference between the two races as respects their ability to endure hardships.  The worthy boat-steerer had several tales to relate of cases in which he had known negroes freeze when whites have escaped.  As the fact is one pretty well established, Roswell listened complacently enough, being much too earnest in pressing forward toward his object, to debate any of his companion’s theories just then.  It was while thus employed that Roswell fancied he heard one more cry, resembling those which had brought him on this dangerous undertaking, on a night so fearful.  This time, however, the cry was quite faint; and what was not so easily explained, it did not appear to come from the precise direction in which the wreck was known to lie, but from one that diverged considerably from that particular quarter.  Of course, the officer mentioned this circumstance to the boat-steerer; and the extraordinary part of the information caused some particular discussion between them.

“To me that last call seemed to come from up yonder, nearer to the cliffs than the place where we are, and not at all from down there, near to the sea, where the wrack is,” said Stimson, in the course of his remarks.  “So sartain am I of this, that I feel anxious to change our course a little, to see if it be not possible that one of the Vineyarders has got into some difficulty in trying to come across to us.”

Roswell had the same desire, for he had made the same conjecture; though he did not believe the black would be the person chosen to be the messenger on such an occasion.

“I think Captain Daggett would have come himself, or have sent one of his best men,” he observed, “in preference to trusting a negro with a duty so important.”

“We do not know, sir, that it was the nigger we heard, Misery makes much the same cries, whether it comes from the throat of white or black.  Let us work upward, nearer to the cliffs, sir; I see something dark on the snow, hereaway, as it might be on our larboard bow.”

Roswell caught a glimpse of the same object, and thither our adventurers now bent their steps, walking on the crust without any difficulty, so long as they kept out of the drifts.  One does not find it as easy to make any physical effort in an intensely cold atmosphere, as he does when the weather is more moderate.  This prevented Roswell and his companion from moving as fast as they otherwise might have done; but they got along with sufficient rapidity to reach the dark spot on the snow in less than five minutes after they had changed their course.