about one to three
It did not take them long to traverse that space , and ere long , like the eagle and the sun , the whole party had retired to rest -- the younger members , doubtless , to dreamless slumber ; the Professor and the Captain , probably , to visions of theodolites and ice . Although , however , these worthies must needs await the coming day to have their scientific hopes realised , it would be cruel to keep our patient reader in suspense . We may therefore note here that when , on the following day , the theodolite was re-fixed , and the man of science and his amateur friend had applied their respective eyes to the telescope , they were assured beyond a doubt that the stakes _ had moved _ , some more and some less , while the `` Dook 's nose , '' of course , remained hard and fast as the rock of which it was composed . The stakes had descended from about one to three feet during the twenty-four hours -- those near the edge having moved least and those near the centre of the ice-river 's flow having moved farthest . Of course there was a great deal of observing with the theodolite , and careful measuring as well as scrambling on the ice , similar to that of the previous day ; but the end of the whole was that the glacier was ascertained to have flowed , definitely and observably down its channel , there could be no doubt whatever about that ; the thing had been clearly proved , therefore the Professor was triumphant and the Captain , being a reasonable man , was convinced . `` Susan , '' said Gillie , one morning , entering the private apartment of Mrs Stoutley 's maid with the confidence of a privileged friend , flinging himself languidly into a chair and stretching out his little legs with the air of a rather used-up , though by no means discontented , man , `` Susan , this is a coorious world -- wery coorious -- the most coorious I may say that I ever come across . '' `` I wo n't speak a word to you , Gillie , '' said Susan , firmly , `` unless you throw that cigar out of the window . ''