CHAPTER VII 



THE RETURN ON FORCED MARCHES 



S we advanced toward the inland- 

 ice we found that the pest of 

 ^.^^rf^'^ ^ black flies seemed steadily to 



increase, and they followed us 

 to the very edge of the ice-cap itself. On the thirty- 

 first of July when we opened our food bag for 

 luncheon, we discovered that the bag of salt had 

 been left insecurely fastened and its contents were 

 distributed with the other food and with some de- 

 bris in the bottom of the food bag. We made a 

 virtue of necessity and passed the material from 

 the bottom of the bag through the tea strainer 

 with at least moderate success. 



The night was cloudy and cold, almost the only 

 break in the beautiful weather which we had had 

 throughout. On the first of August Peter and 

 Nat were sent back on the trail to bring up packs 



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