Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 2.djvu/395

 found in the ruins of the hut. This much of the direction written on it was still legible:

"Altamont!" exclaimed the Doctor. "Ship Porpoise, New York!"

"An American!" said Hatteras, with a start.

"I will save him," said the Doctor, "as sure as I'm alive, and we'll get to the bottom then of this mystery."

He returned to Altamont and redoubled his efforts, till he had the satisfaction of bringing the unfortunate man back to life, though not to consciousness. He could neither see, nor hear, nor speak. He was alive, and that was all.

Next morning Hatteras came up to the Doctor and said:

"We cannot delay our return. We must be off!"

"Let us be off by all means, Hatteras. The sledge is not loaded, we can lay this poor fellow on it, and take him with us."

"So be it," said Hatteras; "but let us bury these dead bodies first."

The unknown sailors were laid once more in their icy grave, and poor Simpson's form filled the place of Altamont. A brief prayer was spoken as a last adieu, and then the three men turned silently away, and commenced their journey towards the ship.

Two of the dogs being dead, Duk came and offered his services as plainly as a dumb beast could, and a most effective coadjutor he proved, working with the conscience and the will of a Greenlander.

The return march was unmarked by any particular incidents. February being the coldest month of the Arctic winter, the ice was uniformly hard and unbroken, and though the travelers suffered intensely from the low temperature, they had no fierce storms to contend with during its continuance.

The sun had reappeared since the 31st January, and each day rose higher above the horizon.

The Doctor and Bell were at the end of their strength, and nearly blind and lame. Poor Bell was forced to use crutches.

Altamont still breathed, but he was in a state of complete