About two o'clock in the morning
He took Mr. Hersebom 's hand and pressed it with both his own . `` Father , '' said he , in a grave voice , `` you are one of those to whom I can only speak the truth . Well , the fact is that this ice-field has split ; it has broken away from that which surrounded the ` Alaska , ' and we are on an island of ice hundreds of yards long , and carried along by the waters , and at the mercy of the storm . '' About two o'clock in the morning Erik and Mr. Hersebom , exhausted with fatigue , laid down side by side between two casks , under the canvas that protected their provisions . Kaas , also , was close to them and kept them warm with his thick fur . They were not long in falling asleep . When they awoke the sun was already high in the heavens , the sky was blue and the sea calm .