Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/266

Rh there met Ad Bailey, who said to me, standing by the gangway, 'Charley has just told me that the Frenchman, John Brown, started from the igloos of Frobisher Bay with them (Koojesse and Charley); that he, Brown, finally left them, and came on ahead; that they saw nothing more of Brown; but, as they passed from the land on to the ice of Field Bay, this side, saw his tracks, and wished to know of Bailey what time Brown arrived at the vessel.' "Bailey had just ascertained from the hands forward, where Brown belonged, that he had not arrived! At once, under a painful apprehension of the real state of the case, I rushed down into the cabin, made my way to the captain's room, where I found him preparing for his usual deck-walk, and announced to him the facts I had just learned, telling him of my immediate readiness to go in search of him who I knew must be lost, suffering, or—as I feared from the cold of the night (57° below the freezing point)—a dead man. Captain B instantly went forward, and learned that what I had told him was too true—that Brown had not arrived. Only a bundle of blankets and fresh walrus-meat was there, just brought in by Charley, the same having been placed on the sledge by Brown on the point of starting home. Captain B ordered Brown's ship companions to go in immediate search. This was responded to cheerfully, of course. Captain B returned to the aft cabin, and told me that parties were getting ready to move. As fast as I could, I made the exchange of civilization dress for my Innuit costume. With my marine glass and compass in hand, I made my way on deck. A company of ten men met me there, prepared for the dangerous work before us. The thought occurred to me that we should take along with us one of the Innuits of the sledge party which came in on Saturday night, either Koojesse or Charley. Seeing the former on deck, I asked him to accompany us. He quickly joined in. Our first work was to go to the spot where the tracks of poor Brown were seen as reported.

"We set out at 8.20, taking a true W.N.W. course. Our movements were rapid, impelled by the feeling that