responded Ben in acquiescence; while the Norwegian
nodded his head and said, "Ja! ja!"

"Come away from there, my men," presently said the captain after a long
silence, as if he were thinking to himself what should be done; "it's no
use your stopping there any longer. But, stay, it is best not to alarm
the crew too soon. You stop, Norwegee," calling that sailor by the name
the men had dubbed him; "and you, carpenter, go and sound the well to
see what water we have taken in. Mind and do it quietly, now, so as not
to be seen; and you need not tell any of the hands about the loss of the
rudder, you know."

"Aye, aye, sir, I twig," said Ben, going forwards and then down the main
hatchway, slipping off the cover for the purpose.

Presently he returned aft, looking very serious.

"There's four feet water in the hold, sir," said he.

"Only four feet?" replied Captain Dinks, pretending to treat the matter
with great unconcern; "why, I thought she would have had ever so much
more in her, with all the straining she has gone through in the last
twenty-four hours, besides the lot of seas she took in before we had the
hatches battened. Still we'd better get rid of it, carpenter, as
there's no use our carrying more cargo than we are obliged, eh?"

"No, sir," said Ben somewhat dubiously, not taken in by the captain's
manner.

"Just what I think," said Captain Dinks. "Here, McCarthy," he cried out
to the first mate, who, ever intent on duty, was busily engaged in
trimming matters amidships, having the lashings of the longboat and
spare spars overhauled in readiness for the next sea that might flood
the decks--for nothing could be done about the wreck of the foremast
till the gale moderated, as to loose it now would be to lose their
sheet-anchor. "McCarthy, just have the chain-pumps rigged and pump out
the hold to get rid of all that water we have taken on board."

"Aye, aye, sorr," was the hearty response, and the "cling, clang" of the
pumps was soon heard resounding with a will through the ship, the men
encouraged by the mate to do their best.

Still, it was a bad look-out.

The ship had first been scudding due east, and then to the northward,
goodness only knew how many miles off her course; and now, here she was,
drifting southwards, dismasted and rudderless, a hopeless wreck in
unknown waters, at the mercy of the elements!

CHAPTER TWELVE.

ICE AHEAD!

Although the wind and sea had being doing their utmos