GREELY EXPEDITION 205 



fellows were lying. Without shelter except such as was afforded by a small 

 tent-fly, their bag was lying on a narrow terrace only a few feet above the 

 ice-foot and the tide, where it was fully exposed to the fury of the winds." 



In spite of the exposure and hunger, Elison did not die — not then. Some 

 months later, after a brave fight for life, he succumbed. 



As a sharp contrast with the courage shown by these men was the case 

 of Private Charles Henry, who was proved to have stolen food from the 

 general stores. When first caught, he promised to reform, and for a long time 

 Greely restrained the talk of harsh measures. At last, when it was seen 

 Henry could not withstand the temptation, and his stealings were endanger- 

 ing the lives of the others, Greely ordered him shot, and this was done. 

 The commander of the expedition made a formal report of the incident to 

 the war department, and his action was fully upheld. 



It is almost impossible not to feel pity for Henry, in spite of the despicable 

 nature of his act. He was starving. Yet in the far north, even more strik- 

 ingly than elsewhere, the law of the survival of the fittest prevails, — and 

 Henry was not one of the fit. 



Rather turn again to the diary of brave Brainerd, who was one of the few 

 who got back to America. He tells with great pathos of the joy caused by 

 the killing of a bear. Says he : 



"What words are adequate to express the rejoicing jn our little party 

 tonight ? There are none. * * * Life had seemed something in the misty 

 distance, which was beyond our power to retain or control. Life now seems 

 ten times sweeter than at any former period of our existence." 



This same Brainerd wrote, on June 19 of that year : 



"The party is now yielding slowly but surely to the inevitable approach 

 of death." 



But even then relief was at hand. Providence did not mean that brave 

 Greely should perish. 



