at; and he knew that there
was One all-powerful watching over him, who would carry him safely
through the danger, if He thought fit.

Nearer and nearer the "Ranger" drew to the iceberg--the bravest held
their breath as they saw that she must inevitably strike. Then came a
fearful crash. So perpendicular was the side of the berg that the stern
davits drove right against it. The stern boat was crushed in, a portion
of the taffrail and the upper part of the spar-deck bulwarks wrenched
off. It seemed as if the whole stern of the ship was about to be
carried away. Her larboard quarter next came in contact with the ice,
but the severity of the shock saved her; for after the damage which has
been described was received, she again bounded off with a cant to
starboard. The jib was instantly run up, and it and the other headsails
catching the wind, away she glided from the berg. Those who had their
eyes turned aft, however, could not refrain from uttering a cry of
horror, for at that instant the berg, shaken by the concussion,
threatened to fall over and crush them. From its summit down came
rushing an avalanche of ice and snow, a portion of the mass even
striking the poop. Still the ship glided on; the after-sails were
trimmed, and again she was clear of another threatened danger. Yet,
with the rudder gone, her stern crushed in, with numberless rents in her
side, and two of her masts carried away, the "Ranger" was indeed in a
perilous condition.

The first thing to be done was to get the rudder repaired. The breeze
had increased, and rendered the operation difficult. The weather, too,
had far from a satisfactory appearance. Whatever Commander Newcombe
thought of the prospect of ultimately saving the ship, he was not the
man to relax in his efforts till the last. It was no easy matter to
steer the ship while the rudder was being repaired; the only means of
doing so was by keeping the yards swinging to and fro, in order to
direct the ship's head towards the opening between the bergs.

Mrs Rumbelow insisted on lending a hand in pulling and hauling. "Why,
boys," she exclaimed, "I can do it as well as any of you, and I don't
see why a woman should be idle because she is a woman." She well knew
that by acting thus she should assist in keeping up the men's spirits.

At length the rudder was shipped, but even then it could be only worked
by relieving tackles, which required a number of hands for the purpose.

The ca