THE WHITE WORLD 



side. I tried to get around the obstruction by climbing 

 up the mountain, but this was impossible on account of 

 its steepness. As the glacier was broken at that point, 

 I found that I could climb back upon it, and I did so, 

 trusting to good fortune to find a place on the other side 

 of the broken mass of ice, where I could get down into the 

 valley again. I traveled some little distance on the top 

 of the glacier and was rapidly approaching its terminus 

 without finding such a place. 



At last I decided that the only thing for me to do was 

 to make an attempt to climb down, and, as the night was 

 coming on fast, and it would mean sure death for me to 

 remain there after dark, I started to follow the course of a 

 small crevasse, which ran crosswise of the glacier. The 

 crevasse was only three or four inches wide and by getting 

 hold of its icy edge with my hands, I began my descent. 

 On account of the shape of the glacier's side, I could not 

 see what my landing place was to be. The crevasse gradu- 

 ally narrowed until it was not large enough for me to get 

 my fingers into, but I had descended so far, and down 

 such a steep grade, that, even if I had not been exhausted, 

 I could not climb back again. 



I could not see how far I was from the bottom, but gave 

 up all hope, and after hanging in my perilous position 

 for a time, decided that I might as well end the agony, and 

 so released my hold and went flying down the side of the 

 glacier. Luckily I landed in the deep snow which had 

 drifted into the ravine at the foot of the glacier, and in 

 a few moments I was on my feet again and covering the 

 short space which remained between me and the shore. 



It was quite dark as I walked out upon the sea ice, 

 though not too dark for me to see that I would have to 

 make a wide detour around the face of the glacier, as the 

 icebergs pushed out from its face had broken up the ice 

 for several miles. I was over twenty miles from home, 

 with the prospect of walking all night before I could get 

 anything to eat, unless I could fall in with some wandering 

 Eskimo, and the chance of doing so was small, as the lodge 

 was nearer than the nearest native village. My pathway 

 over the surface of the gulf was smooth and it was easy 

 for me to find my way, as all I had to do was to follow 



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