t deluge of hot coffee. Fred and the
young surgeon, too, worked like the rest, with their coats off,
handkerchiefs bound round their heads, and shirt-sleeves tucked up to
their shoulders.

At last the tide rose--inch by inch, and slowly, as if it grudged to
give them even a chance of escape.

Mivins grew impatient and unbelieving under it. "I don't think it'll
rise another hinch," he remarked to O'Riley, who stood near him.

"Niver fear, boy. The capting knows a sight better than you do, and
_he_ says it'll rise a fut yit."

"Does he?" asked Grim, who was also beginning to despond.

"Ov coorse he does. Sure he towld me in a confidential way, just before
he wint to turn in last night--if it wasn't yisturday forenoon, for it's
meself as niver knows an hour o' the day since the sun became
dissipated, and tuck to sittin' up all night in this fashion."

"Shut up yer tatie trap and open yer weather eye," muttered Buzzby, who
had charge of the gang, "there'll be time enough to speak after we're
off."

Gradually, as the tide rose, the ice and the ship moved, and it became
evident that the latter was almost afloat though the former seemed to be
only partly raised from the ground. The men were at their several posts
ready for instant action, and gazing in anxious expectation at the
captain, who stood, watch in hand, ready to give the word.

"Now, then, fire!" he said in a low voice.

In a moment the ice round the ship was rent and upheaved, as if some
leviathan of the deep were rising from beneath it and the vessel swung
slowly round. A loud cheer burst from the men.

"Now, lads, heave with a will!" roared the captain.

Round went the capstan, the windlass clanked, and the ship forged slowly
ahead as the warps and hawsers became rigid. At that moment a heavy
block of ice, which had been overbalanced by the motion of the vessel,
fell with a crash on the rudder, splitting off a large portion of it,
and drawing the iron bolts that held it completely out of the
stern-post.

"Never mind; heave away--for your lives!" cried the captain. "Jump on
board all of you!"

The few men who had until now remained on the ice scrambled up the side.
There was a sheet of ice right ahead which the ship could not clear,
but which she was pushing out to sea in advance of her. Suddenly this
took the ground and remained motionless.

"Out there with ice-chisels. Sink a hole like lightning. Prepare a
canister, Mr Bolton; quick!"