Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/273

252 ten miles due south of us. This place, though of historical and geographical interest to me, was as naught in the work I was now performing.

"But how oft is man doomed to disappointment! The tracks turn again in a circle. Now they come in rapid succession. Round and round the bewildered, terror-stricken, and almost frozen one makes his way. Five circles, one interlocking another, does the lost man make; then strikes out, and continues two more—in all, twelve circles did John make within less than two miles. "During our protracted search, I and my companion often threw ourselves flat upon the hard snow that covered the sea-ice. This gave us rest. At one of these resting-places I fell instantly into a sound sleep. Had I been alone, I know not what would have been the result; but Johnston roused me after considerable exertion, and we pressed on. Every now and then we came to places where the lost one had seated himself to rest. In all, we found eight such places. Just before the company parted, we came to a spot where John had made a hole down into the snow, evidently with the desire to get some of the most compact with which to quench his thirst. During this whole search we made frequent calls on 'John' by loud shouting. "At four o'clock, while following the tracks, which were then tending northward, I thought I heard the cry of dogs. I threw back my hood, which is attached to the jacket in the Innuit way, and listened. I asked Johnston if he had heard anything. He answered nay; adding, he thought it only my imagination. I saw that my companion was getting exhausted. Here we were far from the vessel, the sun sinking lower and lower, and the cold increasing.

"Somehow I felt that, upon the return of the three who left us a little after two o'clock, the captain would send out a native with kummitie (sledge) and dogs, suitably provided to co-operate with me in keeping up the search. I regretted, indeed, that I had not sent word by Morgan for the captain to do this. It would be an easy matter to find us, as the