the midnight sun
suggested Steve . `` Why , Steve ! '' cried the captain , clapping him on the shoulder , `` do n't you know where we are ? This is the land of the midnight sun . '' The boy stared at him in astonishment , then due north at the sun , which was shining with a softer and less piercing light than usual , while the captain and his friend the doctor exchanged glances and looked amused at the boy 's confusion . He now looked round him , toward the ship and the ice ; and then , as if struck by a happy thought , he thrust his hand into his pocket and took out a little compass , which he carefully placed level on a block of stone , watching it till the needle had ceased to vibrate . `` Well ? ''