VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 179 



her, but no sooner did we get into the current again 

 than it mercilessly drove us back. Beaten again ! And 

 again we tried the same manoeuvre with the same result. 

 Now we saw them lowering a buoy from the ship — if 

 we could only reach it we were saved ; but we did not 

 reach it. They were not exactly blessings that we 

 poured on those on board. Why the deuce could they 

 not bear down to us when they saw the straits we were 

 in ; or why, at any rate, could they not ease up the an- 

 chor, and let the ship drift a little in our direction } They 

 saw how little was needed to enable us to reach them. 

 Perhaps they had their reasons. 



We would make our last desperate attempt. We 

 went at it with a will. Every muscle was strained to 

 the utmost — it was only the buoy we had to reach this 

 time. But to our rage we now saw the buoy being 

 hauled up. We rowed a little way on, to the windward 

 of the Fram, and then tried again to sheer over. This 

 time we got nearer her than we had ever been before ; 

 but we were disappointed in still seeing no buoy, and 

 none was thrown over; there was not even a man to be 

 seen on deck. We roared like madmen for a buoy — we 

 had no strength left for another attempt. It was not a 

 pleasing prospect to have to drift back, and go ashore 

 again in our wet clothes — we zuould get on board ! Once 

 more we yelled like wild Indians, and now they came 

 rushing aft and threw out the buoy in our direction. 

 One more cry to my mates that we must put our last 



