n idea, however, that
they resulted from the splitting off of large fragments of ice."

On the whole, it was deemed most prudent to let the schooner lay where
she was,--till daylight at least. Planks were got up from below, and
thrust down between the side and the ice to keep her from chafing
against the sharp angles.

By this time it was near six o'clock, morning, and had begun to grow
tolerably light. The rain still continued, however, as did also the
bellowings inside the iceberg. Old Trull and Weymouth were set to
watch the ice, and the rest of us went down to breakfast. The schooner
lay so still, that it seemed like being on shore again. We had got as
far as our second cup of coffee, I recollect, when we were startled by
another of the same heavy explosions we had heard a few hours
previous. It was followed instantly by a second. Then we heard old
Trull sing out,--

"Avast from under!"

And, a moment later, there was a tremendous crash on deck, accompanied
by a hollow, rattling sound. Dropping our knives and forks, we sprang
up the companionway.

"What was that, Trull?" demanded Capt. Mazard.

"A chunk of ice, sir, as big as my old sea-chest!"

"How came that aboard?"

"Rained down, sir. Went up from the top o' the barg, sir, at that
thunder-clap, and came plumb down on deck."

The deck-planks were shattered and split where it had struck, and
pieces of ice the size of a quart measure lay all about.

"Did you see it fly up from the top of the berg, Weymouth?" Raed
asked.

"Yes, sir. It didn't go up till the second pop. I was looking then. It
went up like as if it had been shot from a gun; went up thirty or
forty feet, then turned in the air, and came down on us. Thought
'twould sink us, sir, sure. There were streams of water in the air at
the same time; and water by the hogshead came sloshing over the side
of the ice."

"I don't understand that at all," said the captain.

"We must investigate it," said Raed, "if we can. But let's make sure
of our breakfast first. I suppose there will be no great danger in
letting down the boat as soon as it gets fairly light, will there,
captain? This iceberg seems to be a rather mysterious chap. I propose
that we circumnavigate it in the boat. Perhaps we may find a chance to
climb on to it."

It was already light; and, by the time breakfast was over, the rain
had subsided to a drizzly mist: but the fog was still too thick to see
far in any direction. The sea con