Although the sky was overcast it was broad daylight—­the daylight of a dull winter afternoon....  At last the boat arrived at the site of the wreck cache, and the shore was eagerly scanned, but nothing could be seen.  Rounding the next point, the cutter opened out the cove beyond.  There on the top of a little ridge, fifty or sixty yards above the ice-foot, was plainly outlined the figure of a man.  Instantly the coxswain caught up his boathook and waved his flag.  The man on the ridge had seen them, for he stooped, picked up a signal flag, and waved it in reply.  Then he was seen coming slowly and cautiously down the steep rocky slope.  Twice he fell down before he reached the foot.  As he approached, still walking slowly and with difficulty, Colwell hailed him from the bow of the boat.

“‘Who all are there left?’

“‘Seven left.’

“As the cutter struck the ice Colwell jumped off, and went up to him.  He was a ghastly sight.  His cheeks were hollow, his eyes wild, his hair and beard long and matted.  His army blouse, covering several thicknesses of shirts and jackets, was ragged and dirty.  He wore a little fur cap and rough moccasins of untanned leather tied around the leg.  As he spoke his utterance was thick and mumbling, and in his agitation his jaws worked in convulsive twitches.  As the two met, the man, with a sudden impulse, took off his gloves and shook Colwell’s hand.

“‘Where are they?’ asked Colwell, briefly.

“‘In the tent,’ said the man, pointing over his shoulder, ’over the hill—­the tent’s down.’

“‘Is Mr. Greely alive?’

“‘Yes, Greely’s alive.’

“‘Any other officers?’

“‘No.’  Then he repeated absently, ‘The tent’s down.’

“‘Who are you?’

“‘Long.’

“Before this colloquy was over Lowe and Norman had started up the hill.  Hastily filling his pockets with bread, and taking the two cans of pemmican, Colwell told the coxswain to take Long into the cutter, and started after the others with Ash.  Reaching the crest of the ridge and looking southward, they saw spread out before them a desolate expanse of rocky ground, sloping gradually from a ridge on the east to the ice-bound shore, which on the west made in and formed a cove.  Back of the level space was a range of hills rising up eight hundred feet with a precipitous face, broken in two by a gorge, through which the wind was blowing furiously.  On a little elevation directly in front was the tent.  Hurrying on across the intervening hollow, Colwell came up with Lowe and Norman just as they were greeting a soldierly-looking man who had come out of the tent.

“As Colwell approached, Norman was saying to the man:  ’There is the Lieutenant.’

“And he added to Lieutenant Colwell: 

“‘This is Sergeant Brainard.’

“Brainard immediately drew himself up to the position of the soldier, and was about to salute, when Colwell took his hand.