It was Harry Shafto's morning watch; he had just relieved the second-lieutenant. Willy was for'ard. It was blowing somewhat fresh, and the ship had a reef in her topsails and her courses set. The night was very dark. Willy having just been aroused from a midshipman's sound sleep, was rubbing his eyes to get them clear. Now he peered out ahead into the darkness, now he rubbed them again, and shut and opened them, to satisfy himself that they were in good order. He could not distinguish who was on the forecastle, but he knew by the voice that one of the best men in the ship, Paul Lizard, was by his side. "I have seen many a dark night, Mr Dicey, but this pretty well beats them all," observed Paul. "It's not one I should like to be caught in on a lee-shore or a strange coast; though out here, in the open sea, there is nothing to fear, as the highway is a pretty wide one, and we are not likely to fall in with any other craft crossing our course." "Very true," answered Willy; "but there is one thing I have been told to do, and that is to keep a bright look-out, though it may be difficult enough to see an object; even should one be ahead." "On course, sir," said Paul, "what is our duty must be done, though it would be a hard matter to see the `David Dunn' of Dover, even if our jibboom were over her taffrail." "What ship is that?" asked Willy. "I never heard of her." "The biggest ship that ever was or ever will be, sir," answered Paul, who was fond of a joke. "When she went about going up Channel once, her spanker pretty nigh swept away one of the towers of Calais, while her jibboom run right into Dover Castle." "She must have been a big ship, then," said Willy. The voice of the officer of the watch hailing the forecastle put a stop to Paul's wit. "Ay, ay, sir," he answered, in his usual stentorian voice; then he added, "It seems to be growing darker than ever." So Willy thought, but still he tried his best with his sharp young eyes to penetrate the gloom. "I wish it would clear," observed Willy. "It is dark." "It couldn't well be darker, sir," said Paul; "to my mind it would be wise to shorten sail, or heave the ship to. The captain knows best, though." "It is getting very cold, though," said Dicey. "I can feel the difference since the last five minutes." "I can't say I feel it," said Paul; "but hark, sir; I fancy I heard the sound of breakers." Willy listened, bending forward in his eagerness. "Yes," he thought he heard a sound, and it seemed to be almost ahead, but yet it seemed to come from a long way off. "It is only fancy after all," observed Paul. The other men for'ard could hear nothing. A few minutes passed. "What is that?" exclaimed Willy, with startling energy. "There seems to be a great white wall rising up before us." "Iceberg ahead!" shouted Paul, and he never hallooed louder in his life, "a little on the starboard bow."