he lee-beam, and it
looked as if they could weather it; when, suddenly, there came on a
thick snowstorm, mingled with showers of hail, and the same kind of mist
which had risen almost at a precisely similar hour on the previous day
again enveloped them in its folds, shutting out all view of the water at
even a short distance from the vessel's side.

The _Nancy Bell_ was then steering nor'-nor'-east and some ten miles off
the land, with the wind coming from the northward and westward in
squalls. Presently, it blew so fresh that the lately set mainsail had
to be taken in again, and next the mizzen, for the ship heeled over so
much that it was thought at one time she would not recover her
stability; but, even under the reefed fore staysail, which was still
retained to enable her to weather the land, she tore through the water
at such a rate, that, in spite of the continual watch, it was most
difficult to avoid the heavy masses of floating ice that seemed to
spring up on all sides again, and which she had appeared to have been
leaving behind her in the morning.

"Sure and it's a worse look-out than last night, sorr," said the first
mate to Mr Meldrum, who was peering out anxiously to windward, the gale
veering round just at the most critical time to the northward. "Faix,
and I don't think we can weather them islands now, with all this ice
about too."

"Nor do I," replied Mr Meldrum. "Captain Dinks, we'll have to run for
it. Do you think you can wear her?"

"If your rudder holds out," said the captain.

"I'll guarantee the rudder," answered Mr Meldrum. "The only thing is,
I fear the spars will go."

"We must risk those, my friend. It's a case of neck or nothing now.
Listen! Can you hear anything?" and the captain bent his ear to
leeward.

Yes, Mr Meldrum could hear something. They all could hear something
above the shrieking of the wind, and the roar of the waves, and the
crash of the cakes and bergs of ice tumbling against each other. It was
something that sounded like the death-knell of the _Nancy Bell_, and
made their faces blanch with fear. It was the noise of breakers,
distant yet, but still as plainly distinguishable as if quite near--
breakers breaking on a lee-shore, the most terrible sound of all sounds
to a sailor's ear!

"Stand by to wear ship!" shouted Captain Dinks, and he himself took hold
of the spokes of the wheel as he uttered the words, easing it round,
while the mate rushed forwards, c