to kindling wood, and a blade ripped off the propeller.
Everything was landed from the vessel in the expectation that when the
ice slacked off and she settled into the water, she would be leaking so
badly it would be impossible to keep her afloat.

Bartlett and his men worked manfully in stopping the leaks, as far as
possible; and when the pressure from the ice was partially released, the
ship was floated. But she lay there nearly a month, and twice during
that time even the rigging of the ship was landed, when it seemed
impossible that she could survive.

Here at Shelter River I had found the _Roosevelt_ on my return from
"farthest west." A new rudder was improvised, and the crippled and
almost helpless ship floated around into Lincoln Bay, whence she finally
limped home to New York.

After an hour of retrospection at this place I walked back to the ship.
Borup and MacMillan had also gone ashore, in the hope of obtaining game
but had not found any. It was a dull, raw, overcast day and MacMillan,
Borup, the doctor, and Gushue, the mate, amused themselves by
target-shooting with their Winchesters.

The next day was seemingly endless, and still we lay there at Lincoln
Bay, with a strong, raw, northeast wind blowing steadily and with
increasing violence. The edge of the moving pack was only a few yards
from the ship, but we were fairly well protected by large pieces which
had grounded outside of us. Every little while a big floe came rushing
past, crowding everything out of its way and giving our protectors a
shove that set them and us nearer the shore. From the crow's nest we
could see a little open water near the east coast of the channel, but
there was none in our vicinity--only ice, ice, ice, of every imaginable
shape and thickness.

Still another day, and the _Roosevelt_ was in the same position, with
the ice crowding against her; but at the crest of the high tide the
grounded floe-berg to which we were attached by cable went adrift, and
we all hurried on deck. The lines were hastily detached from the berg.
As the ice went south, it left a stretch of open water before us about a
mile long, and we steamed northward along the shore, pushing our way
behind the grounded bergs, trying to find another niche where we might
be secure from the now rapidly approaching pack.

It was well for us that the wind was blowing violently off shore, as it
eased the pressure of the pack against us. One place seemed secure, and
we w