THE STORMY RETURN CRUISE 



Putnam's party were, however, still on shore and 

 Putnam with Peary started ashore to find them. 

 It was a full hour, however, before all were on 

 board, and the Captain several times expressed 

 his fear that we should not be able to get off be- 

 fore dark. As soon as all were aboard there was 

 great haste in getting up the anchor and making 

 sail, but not long after we had got under way the 

 wind fell off and before morning was in its old 

 quarter and we were once more in heavy seas wear- 

 ing the ship and jibing, which racked the ship 

 terribly. At breakfast the Captain remarked that 

 he had "Almost lost his sticks during the night"; 

 and he added, "If any of you are on intimate terms 

 with the Almighty, get busy". 



The wind was still blowing a half to a moderate 

 gale out of the southwest and Peary, now that he 

 has no motors to care for has taken his trick at 

 the wheel with the sailors. Brought up as he has 

 been on small ships and with his great strength and 

 endurance, he is now the Captain's right hand 

 man. As he comes down to breakfast after a hard 

 watch at the wheel the skipper remarked, "Robert, 

 you're a true chip of the old block". There could 

 be no higher praise from our skipper whose attitude 

 toward his old leader, Admiral Peary, amounted 

 to adoration. 



103 



