HAYES, HALL AND OTHER ADVENTURERS 309 



believed that she was wounded beyond hope and would sink with 

 the opening of the floe. 



The only hope seemed to be to take to the ice, and the crew 

 began getting out stores, tents, clothing, boats, everything they 

 could lay hands on. Nineteen of the ship's company, including two 

 Eskimos arid their wives and children, scrambled out on the pack, 

 while the others passed them the articles as rapidly as possible. 

 Through the wind and the cold they worked, clouds of snow driving 

 past them and finally thickening until they could barely see. The 

 force of the gale in time grew so great that those on the pack 

 crouched behind the stores they ha^ rescued, waiting for it to abate. 



As they lay thus, the sound of cracking ice came to them from 

 the direction of the ship. Peering through the gloom, a cry of 

 despair broke from their lips. The ice had parted in the gale, and 

 down the long line of open water that lay before them they saw the 

 dark hull of the "Polaris" vanishing in the gloom. She was gone 

 probably to sink with all on board. They were left adrift on an 

 ice-pack that at any moment might split asunder and drop them into 

 the freezing water. Or if held together death from cold and starva- 

 tion threatened them. Never had men been in a more terrible 

 situation. 



The story of these castaways is a long and distressing one, but 

 must here be dealt with briefly. In the morning, when the storm 

 had abated and the air was clear, they looked eagerly for some sign 

 of the "Polaris." She was visible, but miles away, and as the day 

 went on vanished from sight, leaving them stranded on floating ice 

 in the Arctic Sea. 



Fortunately for the party, Captain Tyson was with them on the 

 floe and at once took charge of affairs. The others included Mr. 

 Meyers, the meteorologist, the steward, cook, six seamen, and Joe 

 and Hans, two Eskimos, with their wives and children, one of these 

 being an infant born on the ship and only two months old. 



The separation from the ship had taken place on October I5th, 



