he mountains
was suddenly changed, as by an earthquake; a dense white smoke rose
high in the air, and long cracks appeared in the side of the iceberg,
of which the upper part was hurled to a great distance, and fell in
fragments about the _Forward_.

But the way was by no means free yet; huge lumps of ice were suspended
upon the neighboring icebergs, and their fall threatened to close the
exit.

Hatteras saw their situation in a flash of the eye.

"Wolston!" he shouted.

The gunner hastened to him.

"Captain!" he said.

"Put a triple charge in the forward gun, and ram it in as hard as
possible!"

"Are we going to batter the iceberg down with cannon-balls?" asked the
doctor.

"No," answered Hatteras. "That would do no good. No balls, Wolston,
but a triple charge of powder. Be quick!"

In a few moments the gun was loaded.

"What is he going to do without a ball?" muttered Shandon between his
teeth.

"We'll soon see," answered the doctor.

"We are all ready, Captain," cried Wolston.

"Well," answered Hatteras. "Brunton!" he shouted to the engineer,
"make ready! Forward a little!"

Brunton opened the valves, and the screw began to move; the _Forward_
drew near the blown-up iceberg.

"Aim carefully at the passage!" cried the captain to the gunner.

He obeyed; when the brig was only half a cable-length distant,
Hatteras gave the order,--

"Fire!"

A loud report followed, and the fragments of ice, detached by the
commotion of the air, fell suddenly into the sea. The simple
concussion had been enough.

[Illustration]

"Put on full steam, Brunton!" shouted Hatteras. "Straight for the
passage, Johnson!"

Johnson was at the helm; the brig, driven by the screw, which tossed
the water freely, entered easily the open passage. It was time. The
_Forward_ had hardly passed through the opening, before it closed
behind it.

It was an exciting moment, and the only calm and collected man on
board was the captain. So the crew, amazed at the success of this
device, could not help shouting,--

"Hurrah for John Hatteras!"

CHAPTER XIV.
THE EXPEDITIONS IN SEARCH OF FRANKLIN.

Wednesday, the 21st of May, the _Forward_ resumed her perilous voyage,
making her way dexterously through the packs and icebergs, thanks to
steam, which is seldom used by explorers in polar seas; she seemed to
sport among the moving masses; one would have said she felt the hand
of a skilled master, and that, like a horse under