rted off for the Hut;
but a blizzard had commenced. To descend the five miles of steep icy
slopes with my miserable crampons, in the weak state in which I found
myself, would only have been as a last resort. So I camped in the
comfortable cave and hoped for better weather next day.

The high wind, rising to a hurricane at times, continued for a whole
week with dense drift until the 8th. I spent the long hours making
crampons of a new pattern, eating and sleeping. Eventually I became so
anxious that I used to sit outside the cave for long spells, watching
for a lull in the wind.

At length I resolved to go down in the blizzard, sitting on the sledge
as long as possible, blown along by the wind. I was making preparations
for a start when the wind suddenly decreased and my opportunity had
come.

In a couple of hours I was within one mile and a half of the Hut. There
was no sign of the Ship lying in the offing, but I comforted myself
with the thought that she might be still at the anchorage and have swung
inshore so as to be hidden by the ice-cliffs, or on the other hand that
Captain Davis might have been along the coast to the east searching
there.

But even as I gazed about seeking for a clue, a speck on the north-west
horizon caught my eye and my hopes went down. It looked like a distant
ship; it might well have been the 'Aurora'. Well, what matter! the long
journey was at an end-a terrible chapter of my life was finished!

Then the rocks around Winter Quarters began to come into view, part
of the basin of the boat harbour appeared, and lo! there were human
figures! They almost seemed unreal--I was in a dream--but after a brief
moment one of them saw me and waved an arm, I replied, there was a
commotion and they all ran towards the Hut. Then they were lost, for
the crest of the first steep slope hid them. It almost seemed to me that
they had run away to hide.

Minutes passed, and I slowly went along with the sledge. Then a head
rose over the brow of the hill and there was Bickerton, breathless after
a long run. I expect he considered for a while which one of us it was.
Soon we had shaken hands and he knew all in a few brief words, and I
learned that the Ship had left earlier in the day. Madigan, McLean,
Bage and Hodgeman arrived, and then a new-comer--Jeffryes. Five men had
remained behind to make a search for our party, and Jeffryes was a new
wireless operator brought down by Captain Davis.

We were soon at the