AN ARCTIC RESCUE 



Instantly everything was in commotion. Three long 

 whistle blasts from the Thetis summoned back all those 

 who had gone forth on the searching tours. It was deter- 

 mined at once to proceed with all despatch to the Cape. 



First, however, the papers discovered were carefully gone 

 over, and, to our dismay, horror, even, we found that the 

 latest date borne by any of them was October 21, 1883, and 

 that at that time but forty days' complete rations were left 

 for the entire party to exist upon ! The conclusion, terrible 

 as it was, was inevitable. The whole party, or the vast 

 majority of them, must have perished, while waiting, watch- 

 ing, and praying for the relief which had not reached them. 

 The papers told a marvellous story of how Lockwood and 

 Brainard had reached the " Farthest North." But some- 

 how, at that moment, we cared but little about what had 

 been accomplished. Our one desire was to reach those 

 brave fellows and bring them relief from the untold suf- 

 ferings they must be undergoing. 



A cutter, with Colwell in command, was directed to go 

 to the site of a cache indicated in the reports of Greely. 

 The ships were to follow. 



The cutter went on to the northward, but, before it had 

 disappeared, I boarded the Bear, and soon the ship was 

 under way, following the cutter around the Cape. The 

 rest were to come after in the Thetis, which was to pick 

 up those of the exploring parties who had not yet re- 

 turned. The course which the cutter and the ships were 

 to make was about six miles. It was a most fortunate 

 matter that a southerly wind had driven the ice off shore 

 into the Kane Sea, thus leaving an open passage for the 

 vessels. 



There are moments in our lives which are never forgot- 

 ten, and this was one of them in mine. How vividly it all 

 comes back to me, all the anxiety, all the forebodings, and 

 yet with hope behind it all, hope which was perhaps pre- 

 dominant. I stood on the bow of the Bear gazing forward 

 with eager, expectant eyes. The cutter was ploughing its 

 way forward just ahead of us. Ah, what would be the end? 

 That it was near I felt, I knew. 



At times I was afraid of what we might be about to en- 

 counter, especially when I thought of the papers we had 



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