“Gosh! a cup of coffee wouldn’t go bad!” exclaimed Andy, who was taking it easy beside Harry, in the stern. “I’m pretty well chilled.” “It won’t be long before we’re there, now,” replied his brother. “You can see the lights away ahead of us.” On they went through the semi-darkness, for another half mile. They were now approaching a spot where a side creek of considerable dimensions flowed into the river. Suddenly Pickles, who was in the bow on watch, uttered a cry of terror. “Turn de boat around!” he screamed. “We is runin’ into de open watah!” The others sprang up and gazed ahead. It was true; the _Icicle_ was making directly for a wide opening in the ice, scarcely a hundred yards ahead! CHAPTER X. CLOSE QUARTERS. Every one of the five boys on the iceboat was filled with terror over the danger which confronted them. At the rate of speed they were going, the _Icicle_ would soon reach the edge of the great opening before them, and they well knew that the onward rush would carry them far out into the icy waters. “Stop her, somebody!” cried Andy. “We will all be drowned!” “Everybody on the right side!” yelled Jack. “Down with the sail!” All on board made a rush to the right, and bore heavily on the steering-iron on that side. Harry caught hold of the ropes attached to the sail, and untied them. Down came the sheet in a lump, falling partly over the crowd and dragging on the ice beside them. The _Icicle_ began to swing around, and also slowed up. The semi-circular motion caused the sail to get under the steering-iron, and this helped to stay their onward progress. “We’ll have to jump!” cried Boxy. “Look how close we are getting!” “No; we’ll stop before we get there,” returned Jack. “Hard on the iron, everybody!” There was a sharp, rasping sound as the _Icicle_ struck a bit of lumpy ice, and the clumsy craft trembled from stem to stern. She swung completely around, and came to a halt when within twenty feet of where the dark waters from the side creek rushed along silently. “My gracious! but that was a close shave!” murmured Boxy, as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “Dat am de werry closest shabe wot I ever ’sperienced,” returned Pickles. “An’ I don’t want no moah ub dem!” “We are not yet out of danger,” urged Harry. “An extra-heavy puff of wind may come along at any time and carry us over.” “That’s so,” returned Jack. “Come on, boys, let’s get off and push the boat over to the west shore, where I guess we will find a solid strip to pass along on.” His companions were not slow to follow his advice. They lost no time in moving the iceboat back a distance of forty or fifty yards, and, feeling comparatively safe here, they stopped long enough to get out their skates and put them on.