I fell asleep shortly after that, and when I awoke the sun was full up, but setting low in the east, glittering upon a field of snowy pinnacles. I ascended to the state-rooms, and there found Barraclough, who had just come on duty. He had a cheerful eye, and scanned me curiously.
"Well, are we going to get through this?" he asked.
"We're going to get out of the Straits, I believe," I answered.
"Ah!" he said, and frowned, as he was accustomed to do when thinking deeply. He was not a man of much thought.
"And after that?" said he abruptly.
"The deluge," said I, shrugging my shoulders.
"Look here, Phillimore, do you believe we can hold out against Holgate's forces?" he asked seriously.
"I think we shall have to try," I replied evasively.
"I'm damned if we can," he said bluffly. "It's all infernal nonsense."
"Well, we've got to try," I repeated impatiently.