se silence.

Gratian was at the helm, ready to give a turn to wheel, whilst his
comrades with their hands on the cleats were preparing to ease off
the sheets.

Dirk Peters remained immovable, leaning against the fore-mast, his
head down, his body bent, and his mouth set firm. Not a word passed
his lips.

But now he turned towards me, and what a look of mingled wrath and
entreaty he gave me!

I don't know what irresistible motive induced me to interfere
personally, and once again to protest! A final argument had just
crossed my mind--an argument whose weight could not be disputed.

So I began to speak, and I did so with such conviction that none
tried to interrupt me.

The substance of what I said was as follows:--

"No! all hope must not be abandoned. Land cannot be far off. The
icebergs which are formed in the open sea by the accumulation of ice
are not before us. These icebergs must have broken off from the
solid base of a continent or an island. Now, since the thaw begins
at this season of the year, the drift will last for only a short
time. Behind them we must meet the coast on which they were formed.
In another twenty-four hours, or forty-eight at the most, if the
land does not appear, Captain Len Guy will steer to the north again!"

Had I convinced the crew, or ought I to take advantage of Hearne's
absence and of the fact that he could not communicate with them to
make them understand that they were being deccived, and to repeat to
them that it would endanger the schooner if our course were now to
be reversed.

The boatswain came to my help, and in a good-humoured voice
exclaimed,--

"Very well reasoned, and for my part I accept Mr. Jeorling's
opinion. Assuredly, land is near! If we seek it beyond those
icebergs, we shall discover it without much hard work, or great
danger! What is one degree farther south, when it is a question of
putting a hundred additional dollars into one's pocket? And let us
not forget that if they are acceptable when they go in, they are
none the less so when they come out!"

Upon this, Endicott, the cook, came to the aid of his friend the
boatswain.

"Yes, very good things indeed are dollars!" cried he, showing
two rows of shining white teeth.

Did the crew intend to yield to Hurliguerly's argument, or would
they try to resist if the _Halbrane_ went on in the direction of the
icebergs?

Captain Len Guy took up his telescope again, and turned it upon
these moving masse