126 The Life Worth Living 



We had to knock up the small boats, tear 

 the shelving out of the forecastle, and split 



* 



up our decoys for wood with which to cook 

 two short meals a day. It was fifteen days 

 before the ice field thawed under the South- 

 ern sun and rain and began to move out to 

 sea. The rain had at last rotted it enough 

 for our big anchor chain to cut it. So we 

 dropped old "Sleep Easy," and his chain 

 cut the 4,ooo-acre field in two and it passed 

 harmlessly by. 



It was a rough experience, but was worth 

 more than it cost. We had met the ice 

 king clad in his white robes of omnipotent 

 power. We had seen the miracle his breath 

 could work on the face of beautiful waters. 

 In a night he had given to the tide gleaming 

 teeth that could bite an anchor chain in two 

 as though it were a straw. We had seen both 

 anchors on the Dixie's catheads with her 

 sails rolled up. How helpless she looked in 

 this abject surrender! 



