COLLAY, A RELIGIOUS OLD MAN, ENCOURAGES HIS SHIPMATES IN THEIR
FEARFUL POSITION, WITHOUT FOOD, FIRE, OR SHELTER.--ARCHY DISTINGUISHES
BETWEEN HIS FALSE AND REAL FRIEND.--HE TAKES A RUN OVER THE ICE WITH
ANDREW, WHEN A SAIL IS SEEN, AND AT LAST A BOAT APPROACHES.

Hour after hour passed by, and still there was no abatement of the
storm. Loud noises meantime were heard around, denoting the breaking up
of the floe on which they floated, and they could not tell how soon the
portion on which they had taken refuge might be rent from the main body
and floated away. Often did Archy wish that he had remained on board,
and not exposed himself to the fearful danger in which he was placed.
At length old Andrew spoke to him.

"Are you happy, boy?" he asked. "But you need not tell me--I know you
are not. I am sorry to find you placed in this fearful position, but it
was through your own fault--you chose to come against orders. It is bad
for us, but then we came because it was our duty."

"I am sure I am very sorry I did come," answered Archy. "But I didn't
think this would happen."

"People never know what will happen when they do what is wrong," said
Andrew. "Satan tempts them to sin, and then leaves them to take the
consequences. Lads, I speak to you all as I speak to this boy. Are you
prepared to meet your God?"

"Why do you say that?" said Max, in a husky voice.

"Because I think, before many hours are over our heads, the summons will
come," said Andrew, solemnly. "Any moment the ice may break up, and the
sea may wash over us, or we may sit here till we die of cold and
hunger."

"You are croaking," said Max. "Our captain is not the man to desert
us."

"I am speaking the solemn truth," said Andrew. "The captain will do his
best to search for us, but the gale will have driven the ship miles away
by this time, and before she can get up to us we may be dead. I don't
speak thus to frighten you, lads, but because I wish to see your souls
saved. You may say that you are such sinners that there is no hope of
that. I wish you did know that you are sinners. You heard the captain
read to you the other day the account of the thief on the cross. He
knew that he was a sinner, but he found the Saviour even at the last
moment of his life. He trusted to Jesus, who saved him; and he had the
assurance from the lips of that loving One, that he was saved. Jesus
will say to you what He said to the thief on the cross, if you