256 THE WORLD OF ICH.

men, the feeling of responsibility being, probably, the
secret of his superiority over them in this respect.
But even Bolton’s spirits began to sink at last.

While they were thus groping sadly along among
the hummocks, a large fragment of ice was observed
to break off from a bere just over their heads.

“Look out! follow me, quick!’ shouted the first
mate in a loud, sharp voice of alarm, at the same time
darting in towards the side of the berg.

The startled men obeyed the order just in time,
for they had barely reached the side of the berg when
the enormous pinnacle fell, and was shattered into a
thousand fragments on the spot they had just left.
A rebounding emotion sent the blood in a crimson
flood to Fred’s forehead, and this was followed by a
feeling of gratitude to the Almighty for the preserva-
tion of himself and the party. Leaving the danger-
ous vicinity of the bergs, they afterwards kept more
in-shore,

“What can yonder mound be?” said Fred, point-
ing to an object that was faintly seen at a short dis-
tance off upon the bleak shore.

“ An Esquimau hut, maybe,” replied Grim.—* What
think’ee, Meetuck ?”

Meetuck shook his head and looked grave, but made
no reply.

“Why don’t you answer?” said Bolton. “ But come
along, we'll soon see.”

Meetuck now made various ineffectual attempts to
dissuade the party from examining the mound, which