ld out before
us, and as to seeing across the deck, that was impossible. We had three
reefs in our topsails, and though it was not blowing very hard--that is
to say, a man might open his mouth without fear of having his teeth
blown down his throat--we were running at the rate of nearly eight knots
an hour through the water. By the way the stern of the ship lifted, and
then by the feeling that she was gliding away downward into the depths
of some watery valley, we knew that huge mountainous seas were rolling
up astern of us. I frequently looked astern to try and make them out,
but I could only hear their loud surge or slush (I must coin a word), as
they broke close to our taffrail. Now and then, by keeping my eye on
the sky, a vast ominous darkness came up between me and it, and that I
knew from experience was a giant billow, big enough, if it once broke
over us, to swallow up us, or a ship ten times as large. My watch was
nearly out. I was thinking that I should not be sorry to get below, and
go fast asleep. Now, `you gentlefolks of England, who stay at home at
ease,' will, I dare say, fancy that no one could go to sleep under such
circumstances; but for us sailors it would never do if we allowed a gale
of wind or any such trifle to keep us awake when it was not our watch on
deck. The officer of the watch had just ordered eight bells to be
struck, that is to say, it was the end of the first watch, or twelve
o'clock at night, when a voice from forward shrieked out--for it was not
an ordinary hail, but a cry which showed that life or death depended on
the words being heard.

"`Iceberg ahead! Port the helm!--port--port--luff--luff! Ease away the
weather braces--haul taut the lee braces!'

"I recognised the voice as that of Jim Holdfast. I do not think the
second-lieutenant, who had the watch, was aware who was speaking, but he
was a sensible fellow, and instead of being angry, as some officers
would have been at finding anybody venturing to give an order instead of
themselves, he repeated it, and discovering that it was obeyed, hurried
forward to ascertain more clearly if possible the state of things. I
looked out to leeward. There rising, as it were, out of the ocean was
an indistinct mass of luminous matter (I can call it by no other name),
out of which proceeded a cold chilling air, piercing to our very marrow.
High, high above us it seemed to tower. The seas roared against its
base. Not a man on deck bu