Anchovies in oil,
baked beans, and jugged hare made a glorious mixture such as we have
not dreamed of since our school-days. Everybody was working at high
pressure, packing and repacking sledges and stowing what provisions we
were going to take with us in the various sacks and boxes. As I looked
round at the eager faces of the men I could not but hope that this time
the fates would be kinder to us than in our last attempt to march
across the ice to safety.
CHAPTER VI
THE MARCH BETWEEN
With the exception of the night-watchman we turned in at 11 p.m., and
at 3 a.m. on December 23 all hands were roused for the purpose of
sledging the two boats, the 'James Caird' and the 'Dudley Docker', over
the dangerously cracked portion to the first of the young floes, whilst
the surface still held its night crust. A thick sea-fog came up from
the west, so we started off finally at 4.30 a.m., after a drink of hot
coffee.
Practically all hands had to be harnessed to each boat in succession,
and by dint of much careful manipulation and tortuous courses amongst
the broken ice we got both safely over the danger-zone.
We then returned to Ocean Camp for the tents and the rest of the
sledges, and pitched camp by the boats about one and a quarter miles
off. On the way back a big seal was caught which provided fresh food
for ourselves and for the dogs.
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