Jack broke off in an alarmed voice. Hoarsely, through the night, had come the frightened cry of the man in the crow’s nest.

“For the Lord’s sake back her!”

“What’s up?” was shouted from the bridge.

“It’s ice. Ice dead ahead! To the port to starboard!”

With startled eyes and drumming pulses Jack stared forward.

Ghostlike, gigantic and looming white in the darkness a monolithic tower overhung, as it seemed, the Cambodian’s bow.

“Full speed astern!” came the voice of Mulliner, shrill with alarm, and then the hoarse shout of Captain Briggs.

“No, confound you. Ahead! D’ye hear me—ahead!”

And then came a shout to the wheelman.

“Hard over! Hard over for your life!”

The Cambodian, at unreduced speed, swung off her course. A shivering shock ran through her steel frame as she grazed the giant berg and then—swung off, hardly scratched. Jack felt a quick bound of his heart. In spite of his dissipation, Captain Briggs had shown he knew how to handle the emergency. That quick order of full speed ahead, and the swift shifting of the wheel had enabled the Cambodian to save her life.

“Say, Raynor, old man!” cried the boy enthusiastically, while the shouldering form of the berg grew dim, a passed menace, and the raucous shouts of the crew rose up to him, “say Raynor, I’ll take back what I said about Captain Briggs. I——why don’t you answer?”

Jack turned swiftly. Then he stiffened with alarm. The place where his chum had been perched upon the rail was vacant. Raynor was gone. For a brief instant Jack was silent from the shock. Then his voice rang out in tones of vibrant fear.

“Man overboard!” he cried, running forward stumblingly, “man overboard!”

CHAPTER IV: MAN OVERBOARD!

Simultaneously with the shivering shock of the impact with the iceberg, Billy Raynor felt himself lose his balance.

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