r mid-summer. Had it been the winter they
could not thus have existed many hours. Every now and then one of the
party ran to the summit of the hillock in the hopes of seeing the ship.
Still the falling snow shut out all but the nearest objects from view,
and here and there alone a tall iceberg could be seen rising dimly amid
the foaming seas. "No hope, no hope," was the mournful cry of one after
the other, as they returned to the hut.

"Don't say there's no hope," observed old Andrew. "God can send us
help, though we can't help ourselves. Oh, lads, I again say, and it may
be for the last time, put your trust in Him. I don't tell you that He
will send us relief. It may be His will that our bodies should perish
on the spot where we are sitting; but I do tell you, that He offers to
rescue your souls, and will certainly, if you put your trust in Him, not
allow them to perish."

Archy sat close to old Andrew, listening attentively to what he said, he
had now learned to distinguish between his real and false friend. How
earnestly he wished that he had not been led astray by the evil counsel
of the latter. The rest of the party sat silent, their countenances
exhibiting the despair which had taken possession of their hearts.
Their fuel was well nigh exhausted, and suffering from hunger they knew
that they could not hold out long against the cold. Andrew proposed
that they should let the fire out for a time, and warm themselves by
exercise.

"We will then light it again, and it will enable us to lie down and rest
without fear of being frozen," he observed.

To this wise advice the men would not agree.

"If die we must, we will keep warm while we can," growled out Max.

"Then, Archy, you and I will try and keep our blood flowing by using our
limbs," said Andrew. "See, the snow has ceased falling, and there's
less wind than there was."

This was said after they had spent many hours on the ice. How many they
could scarcely tell, for no sun appeared to mark the progress of the
day.

Andrew, taking his young companion's hand, rose, and together they went
to the top of the hummock, and gazed around for a minute, though they
could now see much further than before. No sail appeared to cheer their
sight. They quickly descended, and Andrew, with the activity of a young
man, ran backwards and forwards under the lee of the hummock. Archy
felt the benefit of the exercise; but though his hunger had increased,
his bloo