Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/417

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north, but the scant rations which we had left behind for the return journey were found to be insufficient to support their strength, especially as they had, for some time, Jensen's additional weight to carry. One of them gave out completely, and died in a fit, during the first day's journey in the hummocks; two others followed soon afterward; while another, having become unable either to pull or follow, was shot. Much to my surprise, as soon as the bullet struck the animal, wounding him but slightly and causing him to set up a terrible cry, his companions in the team flew upon him and tore him to pieces in an instant, and those who were lucky enough to get a fragment of him were tearing the flesh from his bones almost before the echo of his last howl had died away in the solitude.

The sea below Cairn Point was filled with loose ice, evidently broken adrift by a very recent gale. By keeping to the land-ice we managed to work our way down the coast, and got around Cape Hatherton; but, below this, the ice-foot, too, was gone, thus obliging us to take to the land. To cross the mountains with our sledges was, of course, impracticable; so we were compelled to abandon them until such time as we could come for them in a boat.

The land journey was very tedious and tiresome, exhausted and foot-sore as we were already; but we managed better than the dogs. Most of them sneaked away as soon as loosened from the sledges, and would not follow us; and when sought for could not be found. I did not feel apprehensive for them, as I supposed they merely needed rest, and would follow our tracks to the vessel. Three of them only stuck to us. One is the noble old beast,