The doctor, who had been perseveringly attending to his still, hurried to the cove as the boat came in with a jug and a little tin canister, which served as a measure. The pale cheeks and cracked lips of those on board the cutter showed how much they had suffered. "The women first, if you please, sir," said Mr Bollard, as the doctor stepped on board. How thankfully they and the poor children received the few drops of water offered to each of them. One person only looked at him with an angry glance. "Why don't you bring me champagne?" exclaimed poor Ensign Holt. "That's fit tipple for a gentleman." It was evident, poor fellow, that he was as mad as ever. He did not, however, refuse the water poured into his mouth, declaring as he drank it that it was hock of the first quality. Not till all the others had been served would the brave boatswain accept the water for himself. The doctor then hurried back to get a fresh supply. "We are truly glad to see you, Bollard," said Harry, "for we believed that you had been overwhelmed by the iceberg." "So we should have been, sir," was the answer, "but the moment we saw the top of the berg beginning to move we shoved off, and pulled away to the westward. We were not a moment too soon, however; for a mass of ice rose right up out of the water, directly astern of us. Had we been a moment later, it would have lifted the boat fifty feet in the air, and, for what I know, sent us all flying over the top to the other side of it." Willy, who had hurried down to the cutter, looked anxiously for Peter Patch. He was in the stern-sheets, his cheeks as pale as death, and his eyes closed. A few drops of water poured down his throat revived him. "Thank you, Dicey," he whispered, opening his eyes. "I thought it was all up with me." "You will be soon to rights, Mr Patch," said Bollard, looking kindly at him. "He would not touch a drop of water himself," he added, turning to the doctor, "but gave his share to those two little children crying out for it." "And you gave yours to their mothers," said Peter, "so you need not talk of what I did." "The youngster has got a heart after all, in spite of his nonsense," muttered the doctor; and Peter was a favourite of his ever afterwards. It was indeed providential that the launch had arrived at the rock some time before the other boat, and that the firewood and seals had been procured, or probably many of the poor women and children on board her would have perished, however the stronger men might have endured their sufferings.