CHAPTER SEVEN.
AMONG THE ICEBERGS.
Ben found the weather growing hotter and hotter as the ship approachedthe line, which Mr Martin told him was not really a line, but only acircle supposed to be drawn round the widest part of the globe, andwhere the sun at noon appears directly overhead. Still no one was muchthe worse for the heat; and gradually, as the ship sailed farther south,the weather became cooler and cooler, till it was as cold as it is inthe winter in England; and Ben learned that the frigate was approachingthe southern pole. She was then to sail round--not the pole, but a vastheadland called Cape Horn; and on the other side, that is to say, to thewest of it, to enter the wide Pacific Ocean. Ben had shown so muchintelligence, and had made himself so generally useful, that MrCharlton had placed him in a watch, that he might learn to do his dutyby night as well as by day.
Scarcely had the ship's head been turned to the west than heavy weathercame on. The seas rolled in vast watery heights one after the other inquick succession, so that no sooner had the frigate risen to the foamingsummit of one high wave, than she sank down into the other, surroundedby dark, watery precipices, which looked as if they must break on boardand overwhelm her. Ben, as he stood on the deck of the big ship ofwhich he had become so proud, and watched the succession of themountainous seas on every side, felt how insignificant she was, howhelpless were all on board, unless trusting in the protection of God.Now she would slowly climb up the top of a huge sea; there she wouldremain, other seas following and seeming to chase the one on which sherode; then down again she would glide into the valley, once more to riseto the crest of another sea. If the spectacle was grand and awful inthe daytime, much more so was it at night, when the ship went rushing oninto darkness, no one knowing what she was to encounter ahead. Thedanger was not only imaginary, but real, for she was already in thelatitude of icebergs, which, at that season of the year, float far awaynorth from their original positions.
The captain had charged all on deck to keep a very sharp look-out, andMr Charlton had said to Ben, "You have as bright a pair of eyes asanybody on board. Keep them wide open, and if you see anything like aglimmer of light through the darkness, and feel the cold greater thanbefore, sing out sharply, there will be an iceberg ahead."
Ben resolved to do as he was told, but he did not think it likely that alittle fellow like himself could be of much use. He would naturallyhave been very much alarmed had he been by himself in such a position,but he saw every one round him cool and collected, and he therefore feltfree from fear. The four hours of his watch had nearly expired. He hadbeen all the time peering into the darkness, thinking more than oncethat he saw what he had been told to look out for. Mr Martin and threeor four of the best men in the ship were on the forecastle with him, alllikewise looking out. Suddenly he saw what appeared like a huge sheetshaken before him by invisible hands, and a chill struck his cheek.This was what he was to look for. He sang out lustily, "An icebergahead--right ahead!"
"Starboard the helm!" sang out a voice from aft; and at those words thesheets and traces were flattened aft, while every man on deck flew tohis post. In another instant the stout ship would have been a helplesswreck, foundering under the base of a huge iceberg. There was no spaceto spare. Foaming, roaring seas were seen dashing against its sides asthe toiling frigate ploughed her way past it, near enough, Mr Martinsaid, to heave a biscuit on it. Some minutes passed before any onebreathed freely; the danger had been so great and terrible that it wasdifficult to believe that it had passed away.
"You deserve well of us, Ben; and, depend on it, the captain and MrCharlton are not likely to overlook what you have done," said MrMartin. "Though I had my eyes wide open, I did not see the berg tillsome seconds after you had sung out; and in a touch-and-go matter, a fewseconds makes all the difference whether a ship is saved or lost."
There was great danger as the ship sailed on, with the seas on her side,of their breaking on board, and she was therefore once more kept awaybefore the wind. The watch was called, and Ben turned in. All thosenow on deck kept their eyes very wide open, watching for anothericeberg, which it was likely they might meet with. Ben in his hammockslept soundly; he had prayed, and commended himself and all with him tohis heavenly Father's protection. "If the ship should sink, I may awakeand find myself with Him; but why should I fear? He will, I know,receive me graciously, and I shall meet my dear father and brothers withHim." And with such thoughts the Christian sailor boy dropped asleep.
For several days the ship ran on, the captain hauling up gradually tothe north as the weather moderated. Her course was then somewhateasterly, and after some time a report ran through the ship that landmight any hour be seen on the starboard bow; that is to say, on theright side. It was said that, on such occasions, the person who firstdiscovered land often received the reward of a sovereign, or half asovereign; and when Ben heard this, he became very anxious to obtain it.He had been the first to see the iceberg, why should he not be thefirst to see land? He was afraid, however, that his chance was small,as he had his duties in the gun-room to attend to, and he could seldomget away long enough at a time to go to the masthead. Still hedetermined to try. One thing struck him as very wonderful, that, aftersailing on so many weeks, and not having once seen land, the officershould be able to tell the exact spot at which they should arrive, andthe time within a few hours.
The place for which the frigate was bound is called Valparaiso, in therepublic of Chili. She was, after leaving it, to go in search of theadmiral on the station, and then to proceed on her voyage across thePacific Ocean. Mr Martin told Ben and Tom that the Pacific is full ofgroups of islands, some of them of considerable size, with loftymountains on them; others composed of coral, many of them measuring nota mile from one end to the other, and raised but a few feet above thesurface of the ocean.
"Ah, among so many, what chance shall I have of finding Ned?" sighedBen.
"Why, as to chance, my boy, about as much chance as finding a needle ina bundle of hay," answered Mr Martin. "But I thought, Ben, you knewbetter than to talk of chance. If your brother is alive,--and youshouldn't count too much upon that,--if it's God's will that you shouldfind him, you will; but, if not, though we should visit fifty islands,--and I daresay we shall see more than that number,--you won't."
"I know, I know. I don't mean chance. Not a sparrow falls to theground but God sees it; but I mean that, among so many islands, it isless likely that the frigate should visit the one where Ned may be."
"As I said before, if God means you to find your brother, even thoughthere were ten times as many islands as there are, and the ship was onlyto visit twenty of them, or ten, or five of them, or only one for thatmatter, you will find him. All you have to do is to trust in God thatHe'll do what is best."
"Yes, I know that," said Ben. "Father always used to say, `Do right,whatever comes of it.' God will take care that good will come out of itin the end."