'She's clear, and under the lee of the berg, men!' he cried.
'Ay, ay, sir,' some of them returned; 'and it was a close shave, no mistake. But for that saving gleam of moonlight, she had smashed her nose against it long ago.'
There was to be no more racing that night.
When the hands had slipped into dry clothing they were again sent aloft to stow the upper topsails, and the ship lay-to till daylight, afraid to proceed too hastily, in case other ice dangers might prove more disastrous. A double lookout was kept fore and aft.
With the first show of daylight, and as the water ahead seemed free of obstruction, out went all the reefs, whole topsails were mastheaded, and in magnificent style the beautiful clipper again raced away on a true course. Several immense bergs some of them computed to be two or three miles long, were seen far off on the starboard beam, but during the remaining time spent in those low latitudes no more ice was sighted.
When once assured of that, Captain Thorne determined to make up for the few hours' detention during that eventful night. The whole main top-gallant-sail was sheeted home and set, while even to the surprise of Mr. Sennit, who had had long experience of his superior, an order to 'rig out both stu'n's'l booms' was passed.
Eyeing each other in amused astonishment the men immediately sprang aloft to execute the command.
'She'll scarcely bear it!' one exclaimed. 'I believe she's doing fourteen knots now.'
'Ay, ay,' another fellow replied; 'but I heard him tell the mate he meant to knock another one out of her, and shouldn't mind losing a few booms to win the race.'
She was running dead before the wind, and the setting of those topmast studding-sails was a difficult matter. Nevertheless, they were soon pulling like horses at their booms, and had not everything been of the finest material nothing could have prevented an accident.