THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 563 



From Starr's account, he came up and looked at our 

 few remaining clogs, and they looked at him without 

 making a sign. Then Bruin walked to the nearest 

 clothes-pole, deliberately used it to scratch his back and 

 sides against, and then, seeing Starr, commenced to walk 

 away. As he heard the bullet sing he quickened his 

 pace to a run and (why prolong it) escaped. Our tar 

 smoke, no doubt, attracted him. Fired the guns at four 

 p. m. At eight p. m., with a good clearing, we could see 

 nothing of the sledge party. 



June 5th, Sunday. — At six a. m., Manson, the man 

 on watch, informed me that the traveling party was in 

 sight. Going out on deck, I could see the silk flag here 

 and there appearing among the hummocks as the sled 

 advanced through the ice. I ordered our colors to be 

 shown, and the men to be turned out to receive the 

 travelers, and then hastening out on the ice tried to 

 fire the whale-gun as a signal to our people that they 

 were seen. After failing once or twice, I left the 

 gun in charge of the men who had come on deck, and 

 came on board. As I reached the mainmast I heard 

 a slight explosion, and, anxious to know whether it was 

 our gun or a shot from the returning party, I was rush- 

 ing up on the bridge, when crash ! I got a terrible blow 

 on the head. Forgetful of the windmill, in my anxiety 

 for the travelers, I had rushed up in time to get a blow 

 from one of its wings flying before a ten-mile wind. 

 Stunned and confused I crawled back, while the blood 

 sprinkled on the ladder and quarter deck, and the quar- 

 termaster ran toward me in alarm. Feeling that my 

 head must be cut, I called the steward to get me some 

 water in a basin, and when he came I told him to see 

 what was wrong. He looked at my head, and ex- 

 claimed, " Oh my ! great big hole ! " upon which I con- 



