But at daybreak the captain himself went aloft, and noticing that the open water was visible at least a dozen miles ahead, and that the lane grew wider towards the north, he had the main-yard hauled aback. The boats were then hoisted, and all the crew bore a hand in shipping the rudder once more.
The breeze still held, and a splendid day's record was made nor was there at night any reason to fear danger.
The pieces of ice, however, lay about in all directions, and sometimes three or four appeared ahead, suddenly too. As these could not always be avoided, the plan was to select the largest and steer straight stem-on to that. It is better to do so than to be struck on the broadside by a heavy piece.
But as she sailed through streams of smaller pieces the noise of the cannonading, as heard down below, was sometimes quite deafening.
It would have been very nice for all on board had this lane of water conducted the ship right out into the open northern ocean.
It did not, however, for by and by the wind fell, and slowly, but surely, the sides of the great natural canal came closer and closer together, and finally the good ship _Flora M'Vayne_ was again completely beset, with no signs of water even from the mast-head.
Only all around was the white and dazzling pack. For a whole fortnight, or over, the frost continued, and never a cloud was seen.
One day, however, the active and busy little Frank Trelawney discovered, from the crow's-nest--a barrel high up on the main truck--a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, away down on the southern horizon.
It slowly increased, and before many hours was a huge and rolling mass of cumulus.
Other clouds also were rolling up, and it was evident they were bringing the wind with them.
About the same time the temperature rose, but the glass fell considerably, so that the skipper and Morgan shook their heads ominously.
"We're going to have a big blow, sir," said the latter.
"That is so, mate, and we are not in a very enviable situation."
There was a succession of loud reports almost alongside, and the screeching and caterwauling sounds that followed, showed that the ship was being nipped.
"We're in for it, mate; but she has a nicely-rounded bottom, and will rise twenty feet rather than be staved in.