SUSPENSE 431 



just then, I am ashamed to say. I lay in my sleeping-bag 

 with the floor of the hut falling from me, or its walls dis- 

 appearing in the distance and coming back : and roused 

 myself at intervals to feed blubber to the stove. I felt as 

 though I had been delivered out of hell when the relief 

 party arrived on the night of April 14. I had been alone 

 four days, and I think a few more days would have sent me 

 off my head. Not the least welcome of the things they had 

 brought me were my letters, copies of the Weekly Times, 

 a pair of felt shoes and a comb ! 



Atkinson's plan was to start on April 7 over the old 

 sea-ice which lay to the south and south-west of us : he was 

 to take with him Wright, Keohane and Williamson, and 

 they wanted to reach Butter Point, and thence to sledge 

 up the western coast. If the sea-ice was in, and Campbell 

 was sledging down upon it, they hoped to meet him and 

 might be of the greatest assistance to him. Even if they 

 did not meet him they could mark more obviously cer- 

 tain depots, of which he had no knowledge, left by our 

 own geological parties on the route he must follow. As I 

 have already mentioned, these were on Cape Roberts, off" 

 Granite Harbour, and on Cape Bernacchi, north of New 

 Harbour : there was also a depot at Butter Point, but 

 Campbell already knew of this. They could also leave in- 

 structions to this effect at points where he would be likely 

 to see them. There was no question that there was grave 

 risk in this journey. Not only was the winter approach- 

 ing, and the daylight limited, but the sea-ice over which 

 they must march was most dangerous. Sea-ice is always 

 forming and being blown out to sea, or just floating away 

 on the tide at this time of year. The amount of old ice 

 which had remained during the summer was certain to be 

 limited : the new ice was thin and might take them out 

 with it at any time. However, what could be done had to 

 be done. 



Before they left certain signals by means of rockets and 

 Very lights were arranged, to be sent up by us at Hut 

 Point if Campbell arrived : signals had also been arranged 

 between Hut Point and Cape Evans in view of certain 



