Nearer and nearer the "Ranger" drew to the iceberg--the bravest held their breath as they saw that she must inevitably strike. Then came a fearful crash. So perpendicular was the side of the berg that the stern davits drove right against it. The stern boat was crushed in, a portion of the taffrail and the upper part of the spar-deck bulwarks wrenched off. It seemed as if the whole stern of the ship was about to be carried away. Her larboard quarter next came in contact with the ice, but the severity of the shock saved her; for after the damage which has been described was received, she again bounded off with a cant to starboard. The jib was instantly run up, and it and the other headsails catching the wind, away she glided from the berg. Those who had their eyes turned aft, however, could not refrain from uttering a cry of horror, for at that instant the berg, shaken by the concussion, threatened to fall over and crush them. From its summit down came rushing an avalanche of ice and snow, a portion of the mass even striking the poop. Still the ship glided on; the after-sails were trimmed, and again she was clear of another threatened danger. Yet, with the rudder gone, her stern crushed in, with numberless rents in her side, and two of her masts carried away, the "Ranger" was indeed in a perilous condition. The first thing to be done was to get the rudder repaired. The breeze had increased, and rendered the operation difficult. The weather, too, had far from a satisfactory appearance. Whatever Commander Newcombe thought of the prospect of ultimately saving the ship, he was not the man to relax in his efforts till the last. It was no easy matter to steer the ship while the rudder was being repaired; the only means of doing so was by keeping the yards swinging to and fro, in order to direct the ship's head towards the opening between the bergs. Mrs Rumbelow insisted on lending a hand in pulling and hauling. "Why, boys," she exclaimed, "I can do it as well as any of you, and I don't see why a woman should be idle because she is a woman." She well knew that by acting thus she should assist in keeping up the men's spirits. At length the rudder was shipped, but even then it could be only worked by relieving tackles, which required a number of hands for the purpose. The carpenter had been so busy with the rudder that he had not for some time sounded the well. He now did so. "Are we keeping the leaks under, Mr Chisel?" asked the commander, when he came to make his report. "No, sir, I am sorry to say we are not," he answered. "There are three feet of water in the hold, and I fear, from the damages the ship has received, that no power can keep her afloat much longer. If we cannot repair them, you know, sir, that it won't be for want of our doing our best."