35 2 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[July 
returned to the stable he was evidently worse, and Oates 
and Anton patiently dragged a sack to and fro under his 
stomach. Every now and again he attempted to lie down, 
and Oates eventually thought it was wiser to let him do 
so. Once down, his head gradually drooped until he lay 
at length, every now and again twitching very horribly 
with the pain and from time to time raising his head and 
even scrambling to his legs when it grew intense. I 
don't think I ever realised before how pathetic a horse could 
be under such conditions ; no sound escapes him, his 
misery can only be indicated by those distressing spasms 
and by dumb movements of the head turned with a patient 
expression always suggestive of appeal. Although alarmed 
by this time, remembering the care with which the animals 
are being fed I could not picture anything but a passing 
indisposition. But as hour after hour passed without 
improvement, it was impossible not to realise that the 
poor beast was dangerously ill. Oates administered an 
opium pill and later on a second, sacks were heated in the 
oven and placed on the poor beast ; beyond this nothing 
could be done except to watch— Oates and Crean never 
left the patient. As the evening wore on I visited the 
stable again and again, but only to hear the same tale- 
no improvement. Towards midnight I felt very down- 
cast. It is so very certain that we cannot afford to lose a 
single pony— the margin of safety has already been far 
overstepped, we are reduced to face the circumstance that 
we must keep all the animals alive or greatly risk failure. 
So far everything has gone so well with them that my 
fears of a loss had been lulled in a growing hope that all 
