stefansson-wrangel-09-32-035r

THE SECOND WINTER AND THE TRAGIC END 273

times the expression “blowing a howling gale.” He does
so now, and presumably this was as bad a gale as the one I
have just tried to describe. The weather had been good
the previous day and it is possible that the party took no
special precautions in selecting their camp site. It is also
possible that with the best judgment no exceptionally safe
camp was available. The first is the more likely supposi-
tion, for one does not take precautions every day against
events not likely to occur more than once or twice in a
decade.

The distance from Wrangel Island to Siberia is so short
and the conditions of the journey so familiar to all polar
travelers, that we know one of two things must have hap-
pened. The party broke through treacherous ice on the
day’s march or they lost their lives at night under condi-
tions where ability and experience count for nothing and
chance is everything. Otherwise they would have come
through to Siberia or returned to Wrangel. If their
sledge broke they would have had greater difficulty but
almost certainly they would have won through even then.

With the departure of Crawford, Galle and Maurer we
enter upon the brave history of Knight’s struggle with
illness and misfortune. The diary shows that at first
he did not doubt securing enough fresh meat to stop the
scurvy and we cannot speak of courage while as yet he
saw no danger; but later he recognized the danger and
faced it in a spirit which we believe the reader will see
better and appreciate more keenly if we refrain from
eulogy no matter how deserved. We go on with the
simple story in Lorne Knight’s own words.

February 1st: “The gale let up during the night and
I intended going to Maurer’s traps but did not feel well
enough. Both of my legs are swollen above the knees,