rings and chills, with which intense cold consents even to
abandon the human frame; and, by their number and force, Roswell was made
to understand how near he and his companions had been to death. As the
young man saw the fire slowly kindle to a cheerful blaze, a glow of
gratitude flowed towards his heart, and mentally he returned thanks to
God. The cabin was so small, had been made so tight by artificial means,
and the camboose was so large, that a sensible influence was produced on
the temperature, as soon as the wood began to burn a little freely. As
none of the heat was lost, the effect was not only apparent, but most
grateful, Roswell had looked into the vessels of the camboose while the
fire was gathering head. One, the largest, was filled, or nearly so, with
coffee frozen to a solid mass! In the other, beef and pork had been set
over to boil, and there the pieces now were, embedded in ice, and frozen
to blocks. It was when these two distinct masses of ice began to melt,
that it was known the fire was beginning to prevail, and hope revived in
the bosoms of the Oyster Ponders. On taking another look at the
thermometer, it was found that the mercury had so far expanded as to be
leaving the ball. It soon after ascended so high as to denote only forty
degrees below zero!

Every thing, even to life, depending on maintaining and increasing the
power of the fire, the men now looked about them for more fuel. There was
an ample stock in the cabin, however, the fire having become extinguished,
not for want of wood, but in the usual way. It were needless to describe
the manner in which those who stood around the stove watched the flames,
or how profound was their satisfaction when they saw that Stimson had
finally succeeded.

"God be praised for this and for all his mercies!" exclaimed Stephen,
laying aside the bellows, at last. "I can feel warmth from the fire, and
that will save such of us as have not yet been taken away." He then lifted
the lids, and looked into the different vessels that were on. The ice was
melting fast, and the steams of coffee became apparent to the senses. It
was at this instant that a feeble voice was heard issuing from beneath the
coverings of a berth.

"Gar'ner," it said, imploringly, "if you have any feelin' for a
fellow-creatur' in distress, warm me up with one swallow of that coffee!
Oh! how pleasantly it smells, and how good it must be for the stomach! For
three days have I tasted nothing--n