tting uneasiness; the doctor was putting his voyage notes in
order; one half the crew remained on deck, the other half stayed in
the common cabin. At one moment, when the storm increased in fury,
the Devil's Thumb seemed to rise up out of all proportion in the midst
of the fog.

"Good God!" cried Simpson, drawing back with fright.

"What the devil's that?" said Foker, and exclamations rose up in every
direction.

"It is going to smash us!"

"We are lost!"

"Mr. Wall! Mr. Wall!"

"It's all over with us!"

"Commander! Commander!"

These cries were simultaneously uttered by the men on watch. Wall
fled to the quarter-deck, and Shandon, followed by the doctor, rushed
on deck to look. In the midst of the fog the Devil's Thumb seemed
to have suddenly neared the brig, and seemed to have grown in a most
fantastic manner. At its summit rose up a second cone, turned upside
down and spindled on its point; its enormous mass threatened to crush
the ship, as it was oscillating and ready to fall. It was a most fearful
sight; every one instinctively drew back, and several sailors,
leaping on to the ice, abandoned the ship.

"Let no one move!" cried the commander in a severe voice. "Every one
to his post!"

"How now, my friends? There's nothing to be frightened at!" said the
doctor. "There's no danger! Look, commander, look ahead, Mr. Wall;
it's only an effect of the mirage, nothing else."

"You are quite right, Mr. Clawbonny," answered Johnson; "those fools
were frightened at a shadow."

After the doctor had spoken most of the sailors drew near, and their
fear changed to admiration at the wonderful phenomenon, which shortly
disappeared from sight.

"They call that a mirage?" said Clifton. "Well, you may believe me
that the devil has something to do with it."

"That's certain!" replied Gripper.

But when the fog cleared away it disclosed to the eyes of the commander
an immense free and unexpected passage; it seemed to run away from
the coast, and he therefore determined to seize such a favourable
hazard. Men were placed on each side of the creek, hawsers were lowered
down to them, and they began to tow the vessel in a northerly direction.
During long hours this work was actively executed in silence. Shandon
caused the steam to be got up, in order to take advantage of the
fortunate discovery of this channel.

"This," said he to Johnson, "is a most providential hazard, and if
we can only get a few miles ahead, we sha