236 



AKCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



tain that John was either in some of the recesses of this vast berg, 

 or had made a false step, and gone down into the deep. Passing 

 northerly, I finally descried returning tracks. He had made a 

 fearful, desperate leap from a shelving alcove to the main or sea- 

 ice, and thence, after passing a few rods east, he turned again to 

 his course south, which he had pursued before turning to the berg. 



"It was now half past 4 P.M. On we continued, though the 

 steps of my companion were growing moderate. Down again we 

 threw ourselves flat upon the ice. While we were thus resting 

 listlessly, Johnston cried out, 'Hark! I do hear the dogs.' No 

 sooner had he spoken this than the driver's cry came to our ears. 

 We jumped up — looked away to the northeast. Thank God ! Cap- 

 tain Budington has sent us help. New life was ours. Kummitie 

 and dogs, and two co-helpers, are fast approaching. I can not ex- 

 press the thankful joy fulness of heart I felt, even in the still doubt- 

 ful issue of our search. Still on and on, to the south, we followed 

 John's tracks. As I knew Johnston would soon be overtaken, I 

 quickened my steps, and soon left him far behind. I turned a 

 few minutes after, and who hailed me ? My noble friend the cap- 

 tain himself. Now I felt sure we should not return till the fate 



of the lost man should be determined. Captain B bid me 



make my way to the sledge, for he knew I must be very much 

 fatigued. He required the Innuit Charley, the dog-driver, to take 

 my place in tracking. It was a relief to me and Johnston that 

 we received this assistance just as we did. 



"Captain B had set out a little past two, immediately on 



seeing the return of the major part of the company of five. He 

 had visited Look-out Island, and with his ' spy' had watched our 

 movements. He directed his course to the returning party ; fol- 

 lowed their tracks, on meeting them, to the place where we part- 

 ed, thence followed ours — which, of course, were the circuitous, 

 serpentine, and angular one of 'the lost' — until, with his sharp 

 eyes, he sighted us, when he struck a direct course. When Cap- 

 tain B overtook me it wanted five minutes of 5 o'clock. A 



few moments brought us to a recess in the coast near the point 

 which, according to Johnston's promise, was to terminate his far- 

 ther search with me. 



"John's tracks showed that he had endeavored to make land. 

 I left the sledge, and, with Charley, followed them up, while Cap- 

 tain B and Johnston awaited our determination of the course 



J ohn had finally taken. John, we found, had endeavored to mount 



