mewhat anxious night for most of them, but a breeze that
drove the haze aside got up with the sun, and Dampier expected to reach
the creek before darkness fell.

He might have done it but for the glistening streak on the horizon,
which presently crept in on them, and resolved itself into detached
grey-white masses, with openings of various sizes in and out between
them. The breeze was freshening, and the _Selache_ going through it at
some six knots, when Dampier came aft to Wyllard, who was standing
rather grim in face at the wheel. There was a moderately wide opening
in the floating barrier close ahead of him. The rest of the crew stood
silent watching the skipper, for they were by this time more or less
acquainted with Wyllard's temperament.

"You can't get through that," said Dampier, pointing to the ice.

Wyllard looked at him sourly, and the white men, at least, understood
what he was feeling. So far, he had had everything against him--calm,
and fog, and sudden gale--and now, when he was almost within sight of
the end of the first stage of his journey, they had met the ice.

"You're sure of that?" he said.

Dampier smiled. "It would cost too much, or I'd let you try." He
called to the man perched high in the foremast shrouds, and the answer
came down:

"Packed right solid a couple of miles ahead."

Wyllard lifted one hand, and let it suddenly fall again.

"Lee, oh! We'll have her round," he said, and spun the wheel.

The rest of them breathed more easily as they jumped for the sheets,
and with a great banging and thrashing of sailcloth she shot up to
windward, and turned as on a pivot. Then, as she gathered way on the
other tack, they glanced at their leader, for her bows were pointing to
the south-east again. They felt that was not the way he was going.

In the meanwhile, Wyllard turned to. Dampier with a little wry smile.

"Baulked again!" he said. "It would have been a relief to have rammed
her in. With this breeze we'd have picked that creek up in the next
six hours."

"Sure!" said Dampier, who glanced at the swirling wake.

"Then, if we can't get through it we can work her round. Stand by to
flatten all sheets in, boys."

They did it cheerfully, though they knew it meant a thrash to windward
along the perilous edge of the ice, and, for the sea was getting up,
she flung the spray all over her forward half as she smashed the
growing combers with her bows. Soon the windlass was caked