What price North Poles now ?' Alice said, 'Ah, but think of ices! I expect Oswald wishes it HAD been the Pole, anyway.' Oswald is naturally the leader, especially when following up what is his own idea, but he knows that leaders have other duties besides just leading.

One is to assist weak or wounded members of the expedition, whether Polar or Equatorish.
So the others had got a bit ahead through Oswald lending the tottering Denny a hand over the rough places.

Denny's feet hurt him, because when he was a beaver his stockings had dropped out of his pocket, and boots without stockings are not a bed of luxuriousness.

And he is often unlucky with his feet.
Presently we came to a pond, and Denny said-- 'Let's paddle.' Oswald likes Denny to have ideas; he knows it is healthy for the boy, and generally he backs him up, but just now it was getting late and the others were ahead, so he said-- 'Oh, rot! come on.' Generally the Dentist would have; but even worms will turn if they are hot enough, and if their feet are hurting them.

'I don't care, I shall!' he said.
Oswald overlooked the mutiny and did not say who was leader.