'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 on--when 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.