“Yes, sir,” said Stimson, who was standing near; “there is one to care for every hair of our heads, however forgetful and careless we may be ourselves.  Wasn’t it for this, Captain Gar’ner, there’s many a craft that comes into these seas that would never find its way out of ’em; and many a bold sailor, with a heart boiling over with fun and frolic, that would be frozen to an ice-cicle every year!”

Gardiner felt the justice of this remark, and easily pardoned its familiarity for its truth.  In these sealers the discipline is by no means of that distant and military or naval character that is found in even an ordinary merchantman.  As every seaman has an interest in the result of the voyage, some excuse was made for this departure from the more general usage; and this familiarity itself never exceeded the bounds that were necessary to the observance of duty.

“Ay, ay,” returned Roswell, smiling—­“in one sense you are right enough; but Captain Daggett and myself were speaking of human affairs, as human affairs are carried on.—­Is not this inner field drifting fast away from the outer, Daggett?  If so, we shall go directly into the bay!”

It was as Gardiner thought.  By some means that were not apparent, the floes were now actually separating, and at a rate of movement which much exceeded that of their junction.  All idea of further danger from the outer field disappeared, as a matter of course.

“It’s so, Captain Gar’ner,” said Stimson, respectfully, but with point; “and who and what brought it about for our safety and the preservation of this craft?—­I just ventur’ to ask that question, sir.”

“It may be the hand of Providence, my good fellow; for I very frankly own I can see no direct physical cause.  Nevertheless, I fancy it would be found that the tides or currents have something to do with it, if the truth could be come at.”

“Well, sir, and who causes the tides and currents to run, this-a-way and that-a-way?”

“There you have me, Stephen; for I never could get hold of the clew to their movements at all,” answered Roswell, laughing.  “There is a reason for it all, I dare say, if one could only find it out.  Captain Daggett, it is high time to look after the safety of your schooner.  She ought to be in the cove before night sets in, since the ice has found its way into the bay.”

This appeal produced a general movement.  By this time the two fields were a hundred fathoms asunder; the smaller, or that on which the vessel lay, drifting quite fast into the bay, under the joint influences of wind and current; while the larger floe had clearly been arrested by the islands.  This smaller field was much lessened in surface, in consequence of having been broken at the rocks, though the fragment that was thus cut off was of more than a league in diameter, and of a thickness that exceeded many yards.