V 



HEMING TURNS BACK 



I HAD been very much worried over Heming's condi- 

 tion the last two days. On the night we arrived at Hart 

 Lake he seemed considerably worn, and the only consola- 

 tion I had in the day's delay there was the hope it fur- 

 nished that the rest would brace him up. But on this 

 night he was completely used up, and I was very seriously 

 alarmed by discovering symptoms of deranged kidneys. 

 I did not then know the cause, and attributed it to strain 

 brought on by hard running. In fact, Heming did not 

 tell me, until I stopped off at Hamilton to see him on my 

 way back to New York, that on the day's run to Hart 

 Lake he had fallen over a log and struck on the small of 

 his back. I only knew at that time that any weakness of 

 the kidneys was not to be trifled with, and I felt it would 

 be extremely hazardous to take him on ; so I lay down 

 that night to think rather than to sleep. 



It was fearfully cold the following morning, with the 

 going growing harder every hour, and I fell behind Hem- 

 ing to watch how he stood up under the effort. I could 

 plainly see he was laboring with great difficulty, and con- 

 cluded it would be suicidal for him to continue, getting 

 farther from civilization and physicians every mile, so at 

 ten o'clock I called a halt, and expressed my determina- 

 tion to send him home. Heming was loath to turn back, 

 but appreciated his unfitness for the onward journey, and 

 4 



