A VOYAGE IN THE NORTH SEAS. 261 



at this critical moment, and twisted it round one of his hands, when 

 the sudden jerk and the tightening of the rope, which had unfor- 

 tunately become jammed in some way about the ship, dragged him 

 overboard. However, with the other hand, he retained hold of the 

 boat's gunwale, and for a moment remained in this dreadful position, 

 his arms being almost drawn from their sockets by the strain upon 

 them. " Clear away the rope for God's sake !" cried a dozen voices 

 in the vessel. But it was too late j Frank had instantly ceased to 

 retain his hold of it, and the seamen with a universal cry of horror 

 saw the boat dash away into the fog to leeward, Arundel hanging 

 with a convulsive grasp by the gunwale, and the helmsman unable 

 to leave his position lest the boat should be immediately swamped. 



With extreme difficulty, and catching an opportunity when the 

 boat dipped down her bows into the hollow of a wave, Arundel suc- 

 ceeded in clambering over the side, and for some time sat gasping 

 upon a thoft, his brain reeling with the horrors of the last minute, 

 and his frame utterly relaxed. When at length he was able to go aft 

 and take the helm, leaving the smuggler to the more arduous opera- 

 tion of taking in the sail, every chance of assistance from the ship 

 was gone. Ere they had been driven a cable's length from her, she 

 had been lost in the fog, and the cries of the men and the report of 

 guns died away before the slightest attempt could be made by Arun- 

 del or Bill to lower away the sail, and stop the fearful rapidity with 

 which they were flying from their friends. They were as far re- 

 moved from succour as though their comrades had been a hundred 

 miles., instead of as many yards distant from them, and thus they 

 the more 



" Bitter felt it still to die, 



Deserted and their friends so nigh." 



" What can be done, or can any thing be done, save commit our- 

 selves to the mercy of God?" said Arundel to the mariner as he 

 stumbled aft. " You must take the helm and a double tot of grog, 

 doctor," replied Bill, in the careless tone which such men familiar 

 with death and danger use in the midst of them ; " as to the ducking, 

 it will do you no harm, for salt water hurts no man's body." JJe put 

 the tiller into Frank's hand, and was stepping over the after thoft, 

 when a short cross-sea striking the boat, drove her head round several 

 points from their course, and nearly pitched him overboard. " Keep 

 her before it, Sir, keep her right before it/' said he, still clutching 

 the seat which had saved him, "and as you were saying, a bit of 

 scripture could do us no harm just now, and if so be as you could 

 jam in a word for the young woman and me, I'll do as much for you 

 another time." He had succeeded, though with difficulty, in taking 

 in a double reef in the sail, leaving just as much canvas set as was 

 sufficient to keep the boat in command, and was busy at the forelocker 

 getting out some brandy, which, with a quantity of beef and biscuit 

 had been deposited there, when the harsh and horrible sound which 

 struck on his ears, and the succession of short seas that dashed against 

 the boat, warned him that they were approaching the ice. In a 

 moment he cut away the halyards with his knife; the yard fell 



