88 NEAREST THE POLE 



new note in its complaint, entirely different from the 

 usual accompaniment of the running of the spring 

 tides. I stepped out upon the quarter-deck and could 

 not only hear but feel the ice humming and cracking, 

 not loudly but viciously under intense pressure. I 

 called the Captain, stepped inside to put on my coat, 

 extinguished my fire and the one in the adjoining 

 workroom with a dipper of water, blew out my lamp, 

 and passed forward through the house to the main 

 deck. 



When I reached there the ice had separated from 

 the ice-foot, and the heavy floe which had squeezed 

 us last September was moving off carrying with it 

 our starboard ice-wall and leaving the starboard 

 side of the ship completely exposed, with the black 

 water lapping against the planking. 



In a surprisingly short time the ice had disappeared 

 completely in the inky darkness, and the black water 

 stretched apparently limitless, giving back the image 

 of every star. There was no cause for instant appre- 

 hension, the trouble would come when the ice came 

 back with the turn of the tide, with nothing between 

 the ship and it to break its momentum or cushion its 

 blow. 



The Eskimos were running about in great excitement, 

 bringing up their children and household goods from 

 the 'tweendecks; and not caring to have a lot of women 

 and children to fall over in case of trouble, I had the 

 stove in the big box house fired up and sent them all 

 ashore to that shelter with their bedding and clothing. 

 One of the crew and one of the Eskimo men who were 

 temporarily on the sick list were likewise sent ashore. 



