92 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



quite sure of his injured limb, the thought flashed across my 

 mind that something had happened to him. No sooner did 

 this idea occur to me than it became a settled fact, and in 

 less time than it takes to tell I had thrown on my wrapper 

 and kamiks, caught up a steamer-rug to throw about me, and 

 was on my way down to the tide-gage. As I ran down the 

 beaten path, I could see the light of the little bull's-eye lantern 

 flashing to and fro in the distance. It was as dark as any 

 starlight night at home, although it was early in the evening, 

 and not any darker now than it had been at noon. I could 

 hear the low buzz of conversation without being able to dis- 

 tinguish any voices, and the figures seemed all huddled to- 

 gether. My whole attention was absorbed by this little group, 

 and I did not properly watch my path ; consequently I 

 stumbled, then slipped and lost my footing, falling astride a 

 sharp ridge of ice on the ice-foot. For an instant I could not 

 tell where I was hurt the most, and then I discovered that I 

 could move neither limb, the muscles refusing to do my bid- 

 ding. I next tried to call Mr. Peary, whose voice I could now 

 distinctly hear, but I could utter no sound. Then I lost con- 

 sciousness. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the same 

 spot in the same position. The little group, not more than 

 sixty yards away, were laughing and talking ; but I was unable 

 to raise my voice above a hoarse whisper, and could in no way 

 attract their attention, so interested were they in their work of 

 raising the tide-gage anchor. I was clothed in such a way 

 that lying out on the ice with the temperature eighteen degrees 



