376 FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE NORTH 



cold and the hard going. We were still many miles 

 from Cape Seddon, when the evening of the twenty- 

 eighth we were so near exhaustion, and failure of sup- 

 plies, that Rasmussen deemed it necessary to adopt relief 

 measures at once. Selecting two teams of the best dogs, 

 and the two best drivers of the Eskimo to take him, he 

 set out at midnight on a forced march to Cape Seddon 

 to get relief. When he left, he told the rest of our 

 party to remain where we were, until relief sledges 

 which he promised to have out to us by daylight of the 

 next day should reach us. Somewhat dubious of the 

 plan, we agreed. 



The next day came and went, but no relief appeared. 

 We had one scant meal, our dogs nothing. The situa- 

 tion seemed threatening. About eight o'clock in the 

 evening three of the Eskimos decided to go, before their 

 dogs died. Hoping that the promised relief would 

 reach us, I urged the Eskimos to wait at least until the 

 following morning. I pointed out the fact that in the 

 darkness of the night before Rasmussen and his men 

 had probably lost their way for a while, and that if 

 our party were to set out on their trail we should but 

 be lost too. Better, I said, wait until the next day, 

 when the twilight would give us light enough to see the 

 land, at any rate; besides, the relief sledges might 

 come while we waited. Finally I prevailed upon the 

 Eskimos to wait until morning. At midnight I woke 

 Doctor Hunt and told him of the discussions I had had 

 with the Eskimos, and of my plans. He heartily ap- 

 proved of the course that I had suggested to the Eskimos, 

 and fell in cordially with our plans. 



At six o'clock the next morning we set out. We left 

 everything behind us except one tent and the little 



