SEARCH FOR THE FUGITIVE. 187 



his pipe and drank his coffee as usual, and he appeared 

 to be very happy and well contented. I was greatly 

 puzzled to account for his absence. There being no 

 moon, it seemed impossible that he should have vol- 

 untarily gone far from the vessel, and it appeared 

 very unlikely that he would remain long absent un- 

 less some accident had overtaken him. But the vague 

 and unsatisfactory answers given by Hans were calcu- 

 lated to arouse suspicion. Hans at last hinted that 

 Peter was afraid of the men ; but this was all that I 

 could get out of him. The men declare that he has 

 always been a great pet with them, and I cannot learn 

 that in any instance he has been unkindly treated. 



While all this cross-questioning was going on, the 

 lamps were being prepared for a search. The people 

 were divided into seven squads, and their lights were 

 soon seen flickering over the harbor. Two hours 

 elapsed, and I had begun to doubt if we should make 

 any discovery, when a signal came from McCormick, 

 who had found fresh tracks on the south side of the 

 harbor, and, at about two and a half miles from the 

 schooner, he had followed them across the broken 

 land-ice, and thence up the steep hill. At the foot of 

 the hill a small bag, containing a few articles of cloth- 

 ing, was picked up, and these were quickly recognized 

 as Peter's property. There was no longer any doubt 

 as to the fact that the steward was right. Peter had 

 surely run away. But what could possibly be the 

 motive ? Where had he run to ? and what had he 

 run for ? 



There being clearly no object in following the trail, 

 we returned on board, very much bewildered. Nobody 

 knew any thing about it. Marcus and Jacob declare 

 absolute ignorance, and Hans possesses no other infor- 



