500 THE WELLMAN POLAR EXPEDITION 



We took Bjoervig with us, contrary to our original plan, and 

 continued our journey to the north. Though the weather was 

 still gloomy, the snow deep in places, storms too frequent, the 

 ice rough, and the loads heavy, we made satisfactory progress. 

 By March 20 we were off the east coast of Rudolf Land, near 

 the 82d parallel of latitude. Our prospects were bright. We 

 had traveled one-fifth of the way to the Pole, and had yet at our 

 command for northerly advance six or seven weeks of the most 

 favorable season. We had passed through the worst of the 

 darkness and cold, and had just reached that period when, in 

 those latitudes, we were to have the sun all the time in the 

 heavens. All our men and equipment were in good condition, 

 and we were scenting the victory that lay before us when a 

 seemingly trivial accident occurred to one of our number. All 

 pride goeth before a fall, and this man, glorying in his strength 

 and endurance, slipped while working his sledge through heavy 

 ice with his team of dogs and fell in a little crevice in the path. 

 The hurt which he received would not have been serious had he 

 stopped for ten days or a fortnight for rest ; but in that work, 

 with the farthest north, and perhaps even the Pole itself, beckon- 

 ing him on, one does not stop. He always thinks he will be 

 better the next day and quite well the day after. So he keeps 

 going, dragging himself along, till he drops in the snow and can 

 go no farther. 



Then came the bitter retreat. The injured man had to ride 

 upon a sledge and be dragged by his faithful companions and 

 his dogs. He suffered, of course, but quite as much in his 

 pride as in his body, for it is inglorious to be hauled off the field 

 of battle. His Norwegian comrades were as brave as lions and 

 as tender as women. They nursed him and cared for him, un- 

 mindful of themselves. They made the ambulance, bounding 

 along over the rough ice, as comfortable as they could ; the tent 

 they converted into a hospital, and bandaged the injured limb 

 with hot water in temperatures of 40° below zero. Fearing their 

 broken leader might die upon their hands, they made a gallant 

 race for a man's life back to headquarters at Cape Tegetthoff, 

 arriving there April 9. 



If the man riding southward upon the sledge in those first 

 days of April looked longingly to the eastward, where the glint 

 of ice-capped and wholly unexplored lands was seen under the 

 rays of the sun, and planned that in a couple of weeks he 

 would take his sturdy Norwegians out there to explore and 



