he rigging
above. _Chuck-chock, chock-chuck_, went the waves under the stern;
while every few minutes a heavy jarring _bump_, followed by a long
raspy _grind_ along the side, told of the icy processions floating
past. Those were our lullabies that night. Truly it required a sharp
summoning of our fortitude not to feel a little home-sick. But we went
to sleep; at least I did, and slept a number of hours.

Voices roused me. The captain was standing beside our mattresses.

"Wake up!" he was saying. "Get up, and come on deck!"

At the same moment I heard, indistinctly, a strange, rumbling sound.

"What is it? what's the matter?" cried Kit, starting up.

"Oh! don't be scared; we've been hearing it for some time," replied
the captain. "Put on your rubber coats."

We did so, and followed him up the stairway. The rain and snow still
came fast and thick. The deck was soppy. Hobbs was at the wheel.
Donovan and Weymouth were forward. I could just make them out,
standing wrapped up against the bulwarks.

"Now hark!" said the captain.

We all listened. A heavy noise, like that of some huge flouring-mill
in full operation, could be plainly heard above the swash of the waves
and the drive and patter of the storm.

"Thunder?--no, it isn't thunder," muttered Raed.

"Breakers!" exclaimed Kit. "It's the sea on the rocks,--those
cliffs,--isn't it?"

"Trull," said the captain to that old worthy, who was just poking his
head up out of the forecastle,--"Trull, is that noise the surf?"

The veteran turned an experienced ear aport, listened a moment, and
then replied,--

"No, sir," promptly.

"Well, what in the world is it, then?"

The old salt listened again attentively. The steady rumble continued
without intermission.

"Don't know, sir," replied Trull, shaking his head. "Never heard any
thing like it."

"Are you sure it's not breakers?" demanded Kit. "I'm afraid we're
drifting on the rocks. It's dead ahead too!"

But neither the captain nor Trull nor Donovan could believe it was the
surf.

"We began to hear it over an hour ago," remarked the captain. "It
sounded low then; we could just hear it: but it grows louder. It's
either coming towards us, or else we are going towards it. I presume
the storm drives us with it considerably."

"I tell you that it is some dangerous reef!" exclaimed Kit; "some hole
or cavern which the water is playing through."

"It may be," muttered the captain. "Starboard the helm, Hobbs!"