150 PEARY CROSSES GREENLAND 



Then they lay and slept on the snow, without covering except 

 that of the snow-flakes which fell upon them. Refreshed by food 

 and slumber, the next morning they set out again, and soon, at the 

 entrance to a small valley, found the track of a hoof, but so faint 

 that it might have been made six months before. - But further on 

 they saw a calf's track that was evidently of late making. With 

 new hope, they fastened the dogs to a rock, muzzling them with 

 thongs so that they could neither bark nor chew themselves loose, 

 and then hurried down the valley, rifles in hand. 



The tracks grew more numerous as they went on. They 

 reached a place where the animals had fed the day before, digging 

 away the snow to get at the frozen grass and moss beneath. Yet 

 no living thing was visible. The valley was swept with the field 

 glass, but only the drear snow appeared. At last, after long hunt- 

 ing, on a little terrace at the crest of the white ridge, they saw a 

 group of black dots. The herd was found ! The men were saved ! 



Creeping slowly upon the wild creatures, they went on until 

 near enough to count the herd, twenty-two in all. One old bull was 

 standing guard and two others locking horns. The cows and calves 

 were lying down. Lurking behind a boulder, the hunters glared 

 upon this welcome game, ravenous but unnerved. After a short 

 interval to regain their nerve they rushed and dashed upon the herd, 

 rifle in hand. The old bull gave the alarm, snorting and stamping. 

 In a moment the whole herd was afoot, facing these strange foes 

 with lowered fronts. Fearful that they would take to flight, the 

 hungry men could have shouted for joy to find their prey awaiting 

 the onset. At fifty yards off Peary's rifle spoke. The bullet went 

 true; the big bull fell. Again and again they fired and had killed 

 half a dozen of the animals before the others took to flight. Then, 

 like savages, as Peary tells us, they glutted themselves with warm, 

 raw flesh. 



There was food for all, for dogs and men, but the loss of their 

 caches had limited the possible extension of the journey, and the 



