HIS ESCAPE. 
213 
night. When I turned in, he was still noisily discon¬ 
solate. 
There was a simplicity and bonhommie about this 
boy that interested me much; and I confess that 
when I made my appearance next morning—I could 
hardly conceal it from the gentleman on duty, whom 
I affected to censure—I was glad my bird had flown. 
Some time during the morning-watcli, he had succeeded 
in throwing off the hatch and escaping. We sus¬ 
pected that he had confederates ashore, for his dogs 
had escaped with as much address as himself. I was 
convinced, however, that I had the truth from him, 
where he lived and how many lived with him; my 
cross-examination on these points having been very 
complete and satisfactory. 
It was a sad business for some time after these Es¬ 
quimaux left us, to go on making and registering our 
observations at Fern Rock. Baker’s corpse still lay in 
the vestibule, and it was not long before another was 
placed by the side of it. We had to pass the bodies as 
often as we went in or out; but the men, grown feeble 
and nervous, disliked going near them in the night¬ 
time. When the summer thaw came and we could 
gather stones enough, we built up a grave on a de¬ 
pression of the rocks, and raised a substantial cairn 
above it. 
“April 19, Wednesday.—I have been out on the 
floe again, breaking in my dogs. My reinforcement 
from the Esquimaux makes a noble team for me. Eor 
the last five days I have been striving with them, just 
