For this south wind drove the ship farther from us, and at the same time broke up the vast fields of ice and impelled the fractured masses northward.

But this was a danger which we did not know just then.

At that time we were rowing for the ship, and amid the darkness and the blinding snow and the dashing waves we heard from time to time the report of signal-guns fired from the ship to guide us back.

These were our only guide, for the darkness and the snow had drawn the ship from our sight, and we had to be guided by our hearing only.
We were rowing for our lives, and we knew it; but every moment our situation grew more desperate.

Each new report of the gun seemed to sound farther away.