ul sound that attended the
cracking and rending of the field might have been heard fully a league.
Now it was that each schooner did her best! Yards were braced up, sheets
flattened, and the helm tended. The close proximity of the rocks on the
one side, and the secret presentiment of there being more field-ice on the
other, kept every one wide awake. The two masters, in particular, were all
eyes and ears. It was getting to be very cold; and the sort of shelter
aloft that goes by the quaint name of "crow's-nest," had been fitted up in
each vessel. A mate was now sent into each, to ascertain what might be
discovered to windward. Almost at the same instant, these young seamen
hailed their respective decks, and gave notice that a wide field was
coming in upon them, and must eventually crush them, unless avoided. This
startling intelligence reached the two commanders in the very same moment.
The emergency demanded decision, and each man acted for himself. Roswell
ordered his helm put _down_, and his schooner _tacked_. The water was not
rough enough to prevent the success of the maneuvre. On the other hand,
Daggett kept a rap full, and _stood on_. Roswell manifested the most
judgment and seamanship. He was now far enough from the cape to beat to
windward; and, by going nearer to the enemy, he might always run along its
southern boundary, profit by any opening, and would be by as much as he
could thus gain, to windward of the coast. Daggett had one advantage. By
standing on, in the event of a return becoming necessary, he would gain in
time. In ten minutes the two schooners were a mile asunder. We shall first
follow that, of Roswell Gardiner's, in his attempt to escape.

The first floe, which was ripping and tearing one of its angles into
fragments, as it came grinding down on the cape, soon compelled the vessel
to tack. Making short reaches, Roswell ere long found himself fully a mile
to windward of the rocks, and sufficiently near to the new floe to discern
its shape, drift, and general character. Its eastern end had lodged upon
the field that first came in, and was adding to the vast momentum with
which that enormous floe was pressing down upon the cape. Large as was
that first visiter to the bay, this was of at least twice if not of thrice
its dimensions. What gave Roswell the most concern was the great distance
that this field extended to the westward. He went up into the crow's-nest
himself, and, aided by the light of a mo