The Poor Man Was
Overwhelmed With Grief And Seemed Desirous To Remain At That Spot.
We
were about two miles from the place where the other men had been left
and, as the track
To it was beaten, we proposed to him to return thither
as we thought it probable he would find the men still there; at any rate
he would be able to get fuel to keep him warm during the night, and on
the next day he could follow their track to the officers' tent and,
should the path be covered by the snow, the pines we had passed yesterday
would guide him as they were yet in view.
I cannot describe my anguish on the occasion of separating from another
companion under circumstances so distressing. There was however no
alternative. The extreme debility of the rest of the party put the
carrying him quite out of the question, as he himself admitted, and it
was evident that the frequent delays he must occasion if he accompanied
us and did not gain strength would endanger the lives of the whole. By
returning he had the prospect of getting to the tent where tripe de roche
could be obtained, which agreed with him better than with any other of
the party, and which he was always very assiduous in gathering. After
some hesitation he determined on going back and set out, having bid each
of us farewell in the tenderest manner. We watched him with inexpressible
anxiety for some time, and were rejoiced to find, though he got on
slowly, that he kept on his legs better than before.
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