I started and looked up.

To my great surprise I saw that the sky had changed since I had last noticed it.

When we left the ship it was clear and blue, but now it was overspread with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and the snow-flakes that had fallen were ominous of evil.

A snow-storm here, in the vicinity of the ice, was too serious a thing to be disregarded.

But one course now remained, and that was an immediate return to the ship.
Each of us seized a seal and dragged it after us to the boat.