GOOD BY TO THE POLE 305 



but for my eyes burning from the strain of the con- 

 tinued observations of the previous hours. 



After a few hours' sleep we hurried on again, 

 Eskimos and dogs on the qui vive. 



At this camp I began the system followed throughout 

 the return march, of feeding the dogs according to 

 the distance covered; that is, double rationing them 

 when we covered two marches. I was able to do this, 

 on account of the reserve supply of food which I had 

 in my dogs themselves, in the event of our being 

 seriously delayed by open leads. 



At the next camp we made tea and ate our lunch 

 in the igloos, rested the dogs, and then pushed on 

 again. The weather was fine, though there were 

 apparently indications of a coming change. It took 

 all of our will power to reach the next igloos, but we 

 did it, and were asleep almost before we had finished 

 our supper. Without these igloos to look forward 

 to and work for, we should not have made this 

 march. 



Friday, April 9, was a wild day. All day long 

 the wind blew strong from the north-northeast, in- 

 creasing finally to a gale, while the thermometer hung 

 between 18° and 22° below zero. All the leads that we 

 had passed here on the upward journey were greatly 

 widened and new ones had been formed. We struck 

 one just north of the 88th parallel which was at least 

 a mile wide, but fortunately it was all covered with 

 practicable young ice. It was not a reassuring day. 

 For the last half of this march the ice was raftering all 

 about us and beneath our very feet under the pressure 

 of the howling gale. Fortunately we were traveling 



