THE BIG LEAD 
simply a put-up job of his to disconcert the 
Esquimos. Confidentially and on the side he 
has been dressing his heel, which in spite of all 
keeps on freezing, and is in very bad shape. 
His kamiks stick to the loose flesh and the skin 
will not form. All of the frost has been taken 
out, but I think skin-grafting is the only thing 
that will cure it. He wants to keep on going 
and asks me how far we have gone and wants 
to know if he shall tell Commander Peary 
about his injury. I have advised him to make 
a clean breast of it, but he feels good for a 
week or so more, and it is up to him. 
We eat, and sleep, and watch the lead, and 
wonder. Are we to be repulsed again? Is 
the unseen, mysterious guardian of tliis mist- 
covered region foihng us? The Commander 
is taking it with a great deal more patience 
than he usually has with obstacles, but in the 
face of this one he probably realizes the ne- 
cessity of a calm, philosophic mood. 
Captain Bartlett has been here longer than 
any of us, and he is commencing to get nerv- 
ous. Commander Peary and he have done 
what is nautically known as "swinging the 
ship," for the purpose of correcting compass 
88 
