of that gallant crew, who lately trod the deck of the beautiful ship
which was now, fathoms down beneath our feet, we four were the only
beings left alive.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

I can scarcely picture the horrors of that night. I would fain, indeed,
forget them, but that is impossible. We had preserved our lives for the
present moment; but what could we expect beyond, but starvation in its
worst form? We had also read and heard enough of icebergs to know that,
as they are driven to the southern latitudes, their bases, immersed in
water much above the freezing-point, rapidly melt, and huge fragments
being dislodged, they are suddenly reversed, creating a tumult as if a
huge mountain were plunged into the ocean.

"If we have to stay here long, we shall be frozen to death," said poor
Stokes, his teeth chattering with cold and fear. He was the only one of
us who had got wet. "Trust in Providence, lad," said Andrew solemnly.
"He has wonderfully preserved us thus far. He will not desert us,
unless it be His good pleasure that we should die; and then we must:
meet our fate like reasoning men, thanking Him for His especial mercy
that He has given us time to repent of our sins, and has not hurried us,
as He has our shipmates, into eternity without a moment's warning."

"Should I never have another opportunity, I thank you now, Andrew, for
making me think of such things in the way you have done," exclaimed
Terence, from the fulness of his heart. "Had it not been for you,
shipmate, I should not have seen the finger of God in the various ways
in which He has been pleased to preserve me, and I should have died the
ungrateful, unthinking wretch I had hitherto lived."

"I have been but an humble instrument in His hand, Terence," answered
Andrew, in his usual calm, humble tone. "You see, I should be very
wrong, and very wicked indeed, if, knowing what is right, I did not take
every opportunity, when there was no fear of discrediting religion, to
teach my shipmates."

"You spoke to me at a proper time, Andrew; and your words had, I hope, a
right effect," I observed.

"And to me also," said Tom; "and I thank you."

"Well, shipmates, bad as we are off, and worse as we may be, I don't
feel unhappy when I hear you say those words; that I can tell you,"
exclaimed Andrew. "It's a joyful thing for a man, when he has seen the
sun rise for the last time, to feel that there is a chance of some few
things being scored in his