THE DEPOT JOURNEY 125 
First we pulled the sledge off the crevasse, and drove 
the tethering peg and driving stick through the cross 
pieces to hold it firm. Scott and Meares then tried to pull 
up the rope from Osman’s end, while we hung on to the 
sledge to prevent it slipping down the crevasse. They 
could not move it an inch. We then put the strain as 
much as possible on to a peg. Meanwhile two dogs had 
fallen out of their harness into the crevasse and could be 
seen lying on a snow-ledge some 65 feet down. Later 
they curled up and went to sleep. Another dog as he 
hung managed to get some purchase for his feet on the 
side of the crevasse, and a free fight took place among 
several more of them, as they dangled, those that hung 
highest using the backs of those under them to get a pur- 
chase. 
“It takes one a little time,’’ wrote Scott, “to make 
plans under such sudden circumstances, and for some 
minutes our eftorts were rather futile. We could not get 
an inch on the main trace of the sledge or on the leading 
rope, which was binding Osman to the snow with a thrott- 
ling pressure. Then thought became clearer. We un- 
loaded our sledge, putting in safety our sleeping-bags with 
the tent and cooker. Choking sounds from Osman made 
it clear that the pressure on him must soon be relieved. 
I seized the lashing off Meares’ sleeping-bag, passed the 
tent poles across the crevasse, and with Meares managed 
to get a few inches on the leading line; this freed Osman, 
whose harness was immediately cut. 
“Then securing the Alpine rope to the main trace we 
tried to haul up together. One dog came up and was un- 
lashed, but by this time the rope had cut so far back at the 
edge that it was useless to attempt to get more of it. But 
we could now unbend the sledge, and do that for which we 
should have aimed from the first, namely, run the sledge 
across the gap and work from it. We managed to do this, 
our fingers constantly numbed. Wilson held on to the 
anchored trace whilst the rest of us laboured at the leader 
end. The leading rope was very small and I was fearful of 
its breaking, so Meares was lowered down a foot or two to 
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