80 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



day we had missed them by an hour or two only, if so 

 much, and missed them twice. 



It took us six days to find them after that. 



So we had to wade the river again. And while we 

 were undressing old Sailor curled up and went to sleep. 

 We didn't notice it at the time, but when we had finished 

 dressing on the other side he was not with us. And, 

 looking across, there was the old dog on the mud 

 sleeping as sound as a bell. 



We had the greatest difficulty in waking him up, and 

 at one time it really looked as if I should have to cross 

 again for him. But at last when I had exhausted every 

 view-holloa and yell in my glottis, and Hyland was 

 voiceless, he quietly raised his head, looked round, rose, 

 shook himself and swam across ; coming out as innocently 

 as though he had been waiting all the time for us, and 

 not we for him. 



It was just 10 p.m. when we reached camp. All the 

 scene had changed. There, where had been the open 

 bight by which we entered, was a solid pack of hum- 

 mocky ice. All was ice — ice to the northward, ice to the 

 southward, ice packed tight and grounded against the 

 island, ice to seaward as far as the eye could reach. 



My diary for this day closes with the words, ' Saxon, 

 I trust, is through.' 



