HANS'S STORY 231 



I can judge from Hans's description, when Sonntag, 

 growing a little chilled, sprang off the sledge and ran 

 ahead of the dogs to warm himself with the exercise. 

 The tangling of a trace obliging Hans to halt the 

 team for a few minutes, he fell some distance behind, 

 and was hurrying on to catch up, when he suddenly 

 observed Sonntag sinking. He had come upon the 

 thin ice, covering a recently open tide-crack, and, 

 probably not observing his footing, he stepped upon 

 it unawares. Hans hastened to his rescue, and aided 

 him out of the water, and then turned back for the 

 shelter which they had recently abandoned. A light 

 wind was blowing at the time from the northeast, and 

 this, according to Hans, caused Sonntag to seek the 

 hut without stopping to change his wet clothing. At 

 first he ran beside the sledge, and thus guarded 

 against danger ; but after a while he rode, and when 

 they halted at Sorfalik, Hans discovered that his com- 

 panion was stiff and speechless. Assisting him into 

 the hut with all 230ssible despatch, Hans states that he 

 removed the wet and frozen clothing, and placed 

 Sonntag in the sleeping-bag. He next gave him some 

 brandy wdiich he found in a flask on the sledge ; and, 

 having tightly closed the hut, he lighted the alcohol 

 lamp, for the double purpose of elevating the temper- 

 ature and making some coffee ; but all of his efforts 

 were unavailing, and, after remaining for nearly a 

 day unconscious, Sonntag died. He did not speak 

 after reaching the hut, and left no message of any 

 kind. 



After closing up the mouth of the hut, so that the 

 body might not be disturbed by the bears or foxes, 

 Hans again set out southward, and reached Northum- 

 berland Island without inconvenience. Much to his 



