"But," he added, "we can't afford to lose our rudder, so we'll have that unshipped once more."
This was done, and probably only in time, for the pressure increased every hour.
It was evident now the ship would rise if the ice did not go clean through her.
She did rise, and that too with a vengeance, for by next morning she was lying almost on her beam-ends on the adjoining floe.
The yard-arms had been hauled fore-and-aft, else they would have touched the snow.
To live on board now was impossible for days and days to come.
But boats and provisions were landed, and every preparation made to journey northward over the great ice-pack, should the ship go down after again righting herself.
The wind was bitterly cold, even in the poor ship's lee, but they managed to light fires and to cook, though it was indeed a wretched time.
Enveloped in rugs, the boys, with Viking, huddled together at night, but for a long time after lying down sleep was impossible. And when slumber did at last seal their eyes, the dreams they dreamt were far indeed from pleasant.
But now came a warm and almost pleasant wind from the north-north-west, and the ice began to open.