Only one thought was common to all, and that was to reach the ice. The provisions which had been hastily brought on deck lay where they had been placed amongst the remains of the powdery snow which had not melted in the sun's rays; and even then in those terrible moments--so strangely are little petty things mixed up with the most momentous in our lives-- Steve thought to himself that when the two sides of their rapidly narrowing canal did come together, crushing the ship, not a man would stop to pick up anything to help keep himself alive. "Mr Steve--doctor!" said Johannes suddenly, "there will be a rush for the shrouds when the nip comes, and it will be every man for himself." "Yes, of course," said Mr Handscombe. "Let them go that way; you both follow me." "Where?" said Steve huskily. "For that boat;" and he nodded toward the one swinging from the davits on the port side. "What for, man?" said the doctor coldly. "The boat must be crushed, like the ship." "Not before I have had time to reach the top of the ice from it. I have been measuring the distance, and I can do it and reach down to lend you both a hand up." "Hah! Yes!" exclaimed Steve, forgetting the cold and numbness now in the excitement of seeing a way to escape. "But the captain--tell him." "There is no need," said the Norseman; "he is cleverer than I, and will know what to do. Besides, he will not stir till every man is safe; an English captain never does." "But--" began Steve. "Don't talk, sir; do as I say," said the Norseman sternly. "You will be helping the captain to escape if you leave him free to act by saving yourself." "I will do as you say," replied Steve; but even as he spoke he felt as if it would be cowardly to leave Captain Marsham alone in the wreck. Every man was now on deck, the engineer and his fireman having come up, leaving the steam blowing off with a shriek which minute by minute grew more horrible as it was confined between the two walls of ice, now not fifty yards apart. The water looked wilder than ever where it was not covered with small fragments of ice, which came rushing up as if driven by the current beneath the towering masses on their right; and as they literally darted up they rushed on to hit against the cliff on their left, some of them striking the sides of the _Hvalross_ blows which made her jar, and shook the ice and snow from the rigging, to come rattling down upon the deck. "It can't be long now," thought Steve; and he glanced up at the boat, and then at the captain, who stood perfectly calm upon the bridge; and just then there was a sharp, whimpering bark from by the bowsprit, followed by a perfect roulade, the dog catching sight of a seal. "Oh, poor old Skeny! We must not leave him," muttered Steve; and he called the dog loudly. The collie came with a rush, and crouched at his master's feet. "Johannes," whispered the lad. "My poor dog,--I can't leave him. He could not get up to the boat."