He fancied that he heard the mate's voice calling down the hatchway, while summoning the crew on deck with the customary cry for all hands.

"What's all the row about--is the vessel taken aback, a mutiny broken loose, or what ?" "Eh ?" said Fritz sleepily, opening his eyes with difficulty and staring round in a puzzled way, unable at first to make out where he was, the place seemed so strange.
"Why, whatever is the matter ?" repeated Eric, springing up from amongst the rugs and blankets, which had made them a very comfortable bed.

"I thought I was on board the _Pilot's Bride_ still, instead of here! Listen to that noise going on outside, Fritz?
It sounds as if there were a lot of people fighting--I wonder if there are any other people here beside ourselves ?" "Nonsense!" said his brother, turning out too, now thoroughly awake.
"There's no chance of a ship coming in during the night; still, there certainly is a most awful row going on!--What can it be ?" "We'll soon see!" ejaculated Eric, unfastening a rude door, which they had made with some broken spars, so as to shut up the entrance to the hut, and rolling away the barrels that had been piled against it, to withstand any shock of the wind from without.

The brothers did not fear any other intruder save some blustering south-easter bursting in upon them unexpectedly.
"Well!" sang out Fritz, as soon as the lad had peered without--"do you see anybody ?" "No," replied Eric, "not a soul! I don't notice, either anything moving about but some penguins down on the beach.

They are waddling about there in droves." "Ah, those are the noisy gentlemen you hear," responded the other, coming to the doorway and looking around.