“If the waves are going to get much higher, we’d be much better off on that iceberg,” declared a shivering middle-aged man to Guy’s left.
“That isn’t a bad idea,” said a “half-drowned” seaman, who seemed to be suffering quite as wretchedly as the women. “I move that we look for a landing place.”
“Are the rescue ships likely to look for anybody on the iceberg?” questioned Guy.
“They’ll make a good search for us all around here, never fear,” replied the seaman. “It’s up to us to keep ourselves alive by any means possible for several hours, and we’ll be safe. We can’t live in this ice-water, though.”
“How about on the ice?” inquired Watson, who had been listening attentively to the discussion.
“We’ll have a better chance to move around there and dry our clothes,” replied the seaman. “We can fly signals, too, from the top of the berg, if we can get up there. They ought to attract attention from so high a point.”
The seaman’s argument created a generally favorable impression, and a little further discussion resulted in a unanimous vote to seek refuge on the iceberg. This mountain of frozen water, being only a short rowing distance from where the ship went down, was soon reached. But disappointment met their first close inspection, for as far as they were able to see, there appeared to be no “landing place.” Then they rowed in an easterly direction along the ragged wall of ice. Another and smaller raft, supporting some twenty passengers, followed them.
They rowed around the eastern end of the berg and some distance along the northern side. In spite of his great physical discomfort, Guy soon found his interest centered again on the immensity of the floating mass of ice, which became more and more evident as they advanced, in spite of the darkness of the night. At last they found an ideal “beach,” sloping down gradually to the water’s edge. The waves dashed high upon this area, and it was evident that if they were to effect a “landing” it could be done only by a vigorous “beaching” drive.
The oarsmen of the larger raft took in the situation at a glance and acted accordingly. They bent to the task with their best energy and the raft seemed to be lifted almost out of the water in the crest of a wave. Then down it came with a crash and a crunching, grinding sound. Some of the passengers were literally hurled off the raft and onto the ice as the water receded.
“Look out! She’ll be carried back by the next wave,” shouted one of the men. “Lay hold and we’ll save her.”