In the Later Days 401 



got up the anchors and set such sail as was needed 

 to keep the vessels ahead of the ice. In some 

 cases the danger was so imminent that it was 

 necessary to slip the cable. Only those who 

 have seen Arctic ice can fully appreciate the 

 scene or the hardships endured by the crews 

 as they worked upon and in front of the irre- 

 sistible ice-field. 



In time, of course, the pack grounded, for 

 field ice reaches down from three to five fathoms 

 below the surface of the water; and because the 

 ships were of shoal draft, and the gale was mod- 

 erate (by the Arctic standard), the fleet was for 

 the time safe. But the open water in which they 

 were imprisoned was in no place more than half 

 a mile wide, while the breadth was in places two 

 hundred yards. Worse yet, it was certain that 

 if the gale should increase, the ice would be driven 

 to the beach. 



Nevertheless, no sooner did the ice cease its 

 advance than every crew set lookouts once more, 

 and every man was alert to respond to the old 

 cry of: " Blow ! blow ! Thar she blows ! " 



For two weeks the crews worked the narrow 



2D 



