CLOSE QUARTERS WITH ICE 105 



a moment later an extra puff of black smoke would 

 rise from the stack, and I knew the steam pressure 

 was going up. 



During the worst parts of the journey, Bartlett 

 spent most of his time in the crow's nest, the barrel 

 lookout at the top of the main mast. I would climb 

 up into the rigging just below the crow's nest, where 

 I could see ahead and talk to Bartlett, backing up 

 his opinion with my own, when necessary, to relieve 

 him, in the more dangerous places, of too great a weight 

 of responsibility. 



Clinging with Bartlett, high up in the vibrating 

 rigging, peering far ahead for a streak of open water, 

 studying the movement of the floes which pressed 

 against us, I would hear him shouting to the ship 

 below us as if coaxing her, encouraging her, commanding 

 her to hammer a way for us through the adamantine 

 floes: 



"Rip 'em, Teddy! Bite 'em in two! Go it! 

 That's fine, my beauty ! Now — again ! Once more ! " 



At such a time the long generations of ice and ocean 

 fighters behind this brave, indomitable young New- 

 foundland captain seemed to be re-living in him the 

 strenuous days that carried the flag of England 'round 

 the world. 



