THE DEEDS OF HEROES 195 



thing to think, how often mortality stands on the 

 brink of its grave without any misgiving." 



Suddenly a dark cloud appeared in the north east, 

 with incredible rapidity masses piled themselves 

 together, and then in a moment, from the heart of 

 the black battalions, the tempest leaped in fury, 

 struck the now darkened waters, and converted the 

 bay into a seething, hissing cauldron. The tempera- 

 ture fell forty degrees, and the fierce cold, with the 

 piercing wind, seemed to freeze the very blood in 

 the veins. Gust followed gust, each more furious 

 than the last, driving the angry sea in foam-capped 

 mountains on to the doomed fleet of boats. Now 

 began a desperate struggle for life, enough to appal 

 the stoutest hearts. Two alternatives only were 

 possible first to face the teeth of the gale and row 

 for their homes on the north shore ; or, secondly, run 

 before it, and endeavour to clamber over the ice to 

 the southern side of the bay. Six boats tried the 

 former. The spray, freezing as it fell, drenched the 

 men to their skin, covering both boat s and men with 

 casings of solid ice. Slowly and painfully, in ter- 

 rible danger each moment of being swamped, they 

 lessened the distance between themselves and the 

 shore. Suddenly a cry of despair arose from one of 

 the boats the oars had snapped, and the boat was 

 drifting to certain destruction. Without a thought 

 of the peril of the delay, and from the increased 

 burden they would have to carry, the nearest boat 

 at once went to their aid, and in that terrible sea 



