ander.

"Commander!" said he in a trembling voice, "we can't go any further."

"What do you say?" replied Shandon, whose consciousness of
disregarded authority made the blood rise to the roots of his hair.

"Commander," replied Bolton, "we say that we've done enough for that
invisible captain, and we are decided to go no further ahead."

"You are decided?" cried Shandon. "You talk thus, Bolton? Take care!"

"Your threats are all the same to us," brutally replied Pen; "we won't
go an inch further."

Shandon advanced towards the mutineers; at the same time the mate
came up and said in a whisper: "Commander, if you wish to get out
of here we haven't a minute to lose; there's an iceberg drifting up
the pass, and it is very likely to cork up all issue and keep us
prisoners."

Shandon examined the situation.

"You will give an account of your conduct later on, you fellows,"
said he. "Now heave aboard!"

The sailors rushed to their posts, and the _Forward_ quickly veered
round; the fires were stuffed with coals; the great question was to
outrun the floating mountain. It was a struggle between the brig and
the iceberg. The former, in order to get through, was running south;
the latter was drifting north, ready to close up every passage.

"Steam up! steam up!" cried Shandon. "Do you hear, Brunton?"

The _Forward_ glided like a bird amidst the struggling icebergs, which
her prow sent to the right-about; the brig's hull shivered under the
action of the screw, and the manometer indicated a prodigious tension
of steam, for it whistled with a deafening noise.

"Load the valves!" cried Shandon, and the engineer obeyed at the risk
of blowing up the ship; but his despairing efforts were in vain. The
iceberg, caught up by an undercurrent, rapidly approached the pass.
The brig was still about three cables' length from it, when the
mountain, entering like a corner-stone into the open space, strongly
adhered to its neighbours and closed up all issue.

"We are lost!" cried Shandon, who could not retain the imprudent
words.

"Lost!" repeated the crew.

"Let them escape who can!" said some.

"Lower the shore boats!" said others.

"To the steward's room!" cried Pen and several of his band, "and if
we are to be drowned, let's drown ourselves in gin!"

Disorder among the men was at its height. Shandon felt himself
overcome; when he wished to command, he stammered and hesitated. His
thought was unable to make way through his