296 THE WORLD OF ICE.

who, besides having walked so long and so far on the
previous day, were, most of them, much weakened by
illness, and very unfit for such laborious work. The
floes, too, were so rugged that they had frequently to
lift the heavy sledge and its living load over decp
rents and chasms which, in circumstances less despe-
rate, they would have scarcely ventured to do. Work
as they would, however, they could not make more
than a mile an hour, and night overtook them ere
they reached the level floes. But it was of the utmost
importance that they should continue to advance, so
they pushed forward until a breeze sprang up that
pierced them through and through.

Fortunately there was a bright moon in the sky,
which enabled them to pick their way among the
hummocks. Suddenly, without warning, the whole
party felt an alarming failure of their energies.
Captain Guy, who was aware of the imminent danger
of giving way to this feeling, cheered the men to
greater exertion by word and voice, but failed to
rouse them, They seemed like men walking in their
sleep.

“Come, Saunders, cheer up, man!” eried the captain,
shaking the mate by the arm; but Saunders stood
still, swaying to and fro like a drunken man. Mizzle
begged to be allowed to sleep, if it were only for two
minutes, and poor Davie Summers deliberately threw
himself down on the snow, from which, had he been
left, he would never more have risen.

The case was now desperate. In vain the captain