CHAPTER VI.

The gale—Anchored to a berg which proves to be w treuchcrous one—Dangers
of the “pack”—Besct in the ice—Mivins shows an inquiring mind—
Walruses—Gale freshens—Chains and cables—Holding on for life—An
unexpected discovery—A ‘‘nip” and its terrible consequences— Yoked
to an weberg.

HE narrow escape related in the last chapter
was but the prelude to a night of troubles.
Fortunately, as we have before mentioned, night did
not now add darkness to their difficulties. Soon after
passing the bergs, a stiff breeze sprang up off shore,
between which and the Dolphin there was a thick
belt of loose ice, or sludge, while outside, the pack
was in motion, and presented a terrible scene of
crashing and grinding masses under the influence of
the breeze, which soon freshened to a gale.

“Keep her away two points,” said Captain Guy to
the man at the wheel; “well make fast to yonder
berg, Mr. Bolton. If this gale carries us into the pack,
we shall be swept far out of our course, if, indeed, we
escape being nipped and sent to the bottom.”

Being nipped is one of the numberless dangers to
which Arctic navigators are exposed. Should a vessel
get between two moving fields or floes of ice, there is