WILD'S NARROW ESCAPE 



having to retreat from a maze of crevasses and rotten 

 ice on to a patch where we could pitch our tents. We 

 are indeed thankful for Wild's escape. When I think 

 over the events of the day I realise what the loss of the 

 sledge would have meant to us. We would have had 

 left only two sleeping-bags for the four of us, and I 

 doubt whether we could have got back to winter- 

 quarters with the short equipment. Our chance of 

 reaching the Pole would have been gone. We take on 

 the maize to eat ourselves. There is one ray of light 

 in this bad day, and that is that anyhow we could not 



Upper bearers 



Cross pieces Uprights Runner 



have taken Socks on much further. We would have 

 had to shoot him to-night, so that although his loss is 

 a serious matter to us, for we had counted on the meat, 

 still we know that for traction purposes he would have 

 been of little further use. When we tried to camp 

 to-night we stuck our ice-axes into the snow to see 

 whether there were any more hidden crevasses, and 

 everywhere the axes went through. It would have 

 been folly to have pitched our camp in that place, as 

 we might easily have dropped through during the night. 

 We had to retreat a quarter of a mile to pitch the tent. 

 It was very unpleasant to turn back, even for this short 

 distance, but on this job one must expect reverses. 



311 



