undertook to cross a small creek, in the mouth of which were a
number of logs; these were so cemented together by recently formed
ice that he fancied they would form a safe bridge, and tried to
cross on it. When near the middle of the creek, to his horror the
ice gave way with a crash, and in another moment he was floating
away in the darkness on the cake from which he had been so
recently rescued. That it had supported him was owing to the fact
that it still held together two of the logs. He had not dared
attempt to swim ashore in the dark, and so had drifted on during
the night, keeping his feet from freezing by holding them most of
the time in the water.

After breakfast Mr. Elmer and the captain held a consultation, the
result of which was that the former offered Jan Jansen work in
Florida, if he chose to go to the St. Mark's with them; and
Captain Drew offered to let him work his passage to that place as
one of the crew of the Nancy Bell. Without much hesitation the
poor Swede accepted both these offers, and as soon as he had
recovered from the effects of his experience on the ice raft was
provided with a bunk in the forecastle.





CHAPTER III.

"CAPTAIN LI'S" STORY.