As the day advanced, though the weather remained thick and lowering, the wind began to abate; yet the sea ran still very high, and the ship laboured greatly. The seamen were making preparations, however, to set up jury-masts, the carpenter and his crew were busy in lashing the spars together for the purpose, and the boatswain and his party in preparing the rigging; but while the ship continued pitching and rolling as she was then doing, it would be impossible to set up the masts. "I often wished to encounter a gale of wind," observed Peter Patch to Willy; "but, to confess the honest truth, now I know what it is, especially in these cold regions, I would rather have been excused." CHAPTER SIX. MORE ICE. HOPES OF ESCAPE--HARRY'S ADVICE TO WILLY--AMONG ICEBERGS--WONDERFUL APPEARANCE OF ICE ISLANDS--GETTING UP JURY-MASTS--DRIFTING TOWARDS AN ICEBERG--THE ICEBERGS MOVING--THE SHIP STRIKES A BERG--CONSTERNATION OF PASSENGERS--THE SOLDIERS AT THE PUMPS--SHIP DRIVEN STERN-ON TO A BERG-- FEARFUL DAMAGE RECEIVED--A SLANT OF WIND TAKES HER OFF--THE LEAKS INCREASING--STORES HOVE OVERBOARD--JURY-MASTS CARRIED AWAY--ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE LEAKS--MATTERS BECOME WORSE--AN ANXIOUS NIGHT--THE WATER GAINS ON THE LEAKS. The "Ranger" had been running on for another night. Though the wind had fallen, there was too much sea to attempt rigging jury-masts, or heaving her to. The weather had been tolerably clear, and a bright look-out being kept, it was hoped that, should icebergs appear ahead, they might be seen in sufficient time to steer clear of them. During the whole time the commander had not gone below; indeed none of the officers had turned in, and a few only of the men had taken short snatches of sleep. Not for a moment had the clanging pumps ceased to work. At frequent intervals the carpenter had sounded the well, and reported that they were greatly gaining on the leaks. "I hope, Willy, you will still be able to write home a long yarn of our adventures," said Harry Shafto, as they stood together on the deck. "The sea has gone down considerably during the last two hours, and if we can pump the ship clear we may yet stop the leaks, get jury-masts up, and reach New Zealand not long after the time we were due." "I hope so," said Willy, who was feeling somewhat worn-out, and whose spirits for a midshipman were getting unusually low. "I cannot help thinking of the poor fellows who were washed overboard, and thankful I ought to be that I was not among them. I was holding on when one of the men who was making his way for'ard was carried off by the sea. I know I wish that it was daylight." "It will soon come," said Harry, "and we shall get the ship to rights; and with regard to those poor fellows, I would not tell you not to think about them, but that their fate should teach us always to be ready. If we are so, we shall never fear to face danger."