nd Vasling, overlook the
men."

These floating masses, more than fifty of which now appeared at
the horizon, came nearer and nearer to the brig. Penellan took
the helm, and Jean Cornbutte, mounted on the gallant, indicated
the route to take.

Towards evening the brig was entirely surrounded by these moving
rocks, the crushing force of which is irresistible. It was
necessary, then, to cross this fleet of mountains, for prudence
prompted them to keep straight ahead. Another difficulty was
added to these perils. The direction of the ship could not be
accurately determined, as all the surrounding points constantly
changed position, and thus failed to afford a fixed perspective.
The darkness soon increased with the fog. Marie descended to her
cabin, and the whole crew, by the captain's orders, remained on
deck. They were armed with long boat-poles, with iron spikes, to
preserve the ship from collision with the ice.

The ship soon entered a strait so narrow that often the ends of
her yards were grazed by the drifting mountains, and her booms
seemed about to be driven in. They were even forced to trim the
mainyard so as to touch the shrouds. Happily these precautions
did not deprive, the vessel of any of its speed, for the wind
could only reach the upper sails, and these sufficed to carry her
forward rapidly. Thanks to her slender hull, she passed through
these valleys, which were filled with whirlpools of rain, whilst
the icebergs crushed against each other with sharp cracking and
splitting.

Jean Cornbutte returned to the deck. His eyes could not penetrate
the surrounding darkness. It became necessary to furl the upper
sails, for the ship threatened to ground, and if she did so she
was lost.

"Cursed voyage!" growled Andre Vasling among the sailors, who,
forward, were avoiding the most menacing ice-blocks with their
boat-hooks.

"Truly, if we escape we shall owe a fine candle to Our Lady of
the Ice!" replied Aupic.

"Who knows how many floating mountains we have got to pass
through yet?" added the mate.

"And who can guess what we shall find beyond them?" replied the
sailor.

"Don't talk so much, prattler," said Gervique, "and look out on
your side. When we have got by them, it'll be time to grumble.
Look out for your boat-hook!"

At this moment an enormous block of ice, in the narrow strait
through which the brig was passing, came rapidly down upon her,
and it seemed impossible to avoid it, for it barred t