“Well then,” replied Danenhower vehemently, “I remonstrate against being kept on the sicklist.”
“But you’re sick and that’s nonsensical,” said De Long curtly.
“Why, sir, haven’t I the right to remonstrate?”
“You have, and I’ve heard you, and your remonstrance has no effect,” replied the captain bluntly. “I’ve had the anxiety of your care and preservation for two years and your coming to me on these points now is simply an annoyance. I will not assign you to duty till you’re fit for it, and that will be when the doctor discharges you from the sicklist. I will not put other people’s lives in jeopardy by committing them to your charge, and I consider your urging me to do so is very un-officer-like conduct.”
Taken aback at this barbed comment on his complaint, Danenhower asked hesitantly,
“Am I to take that as a private reprimand?”
“You can take it any way you please, Mr. Danenhower,” concluded the irritated De Long, walking away to supervise the loading of the first cutter, leaving the crestfallen navigator no alternative but to come back to join me in the whaleboat.
“Don’t take it so hard, Dan,” I suggested. “Too bad about your eyes, of course, but it can’t be helped now. We’ve always been the best of friends and we’re not going to let this change things. As long as you’re in the whaleboat, you can count on me, old man, not to say or do anything that’ll hurt your feelings as an officer. Hop in, now; we’re shoving off!”
Already delayed two days by bad weather, on August 6th we got away from Bennett Island, with intense satisfaction, though the wind had died away, being able to get underway in our boats under oars, carrying the sledges and our twelve remaining dogs. The boats, of course, packed with men, food, records, sledges, and dogs, were heavily overloaded and in no condition to stand rough weather, but we had smooth water and we made two miles before bringing up against a large ice island. Here we lost most of our dogs, who not liking water anyway, and objecting still more to the unavoidable mauling they were getting in the crowded boats from the swinging oars, promptly deserted the moment they saw ice again, by leaping out on the floe, and we were unable to catch them. We worked around the ice pack in the boats, by evening getting to its southern side, where we camped on the ice, with five miles between us and Bennett Island, a good day’s work and a heaven-sent relief from sledging.
The weather was startlingly clear. Looking back, we got a marvelous view of the island. When we had first reached it in late July, its appearance was quite summery with mossy slopes and running streams, but now winter had hit it with a vengeance. Everything on it was snow-covered and the streams were freezing. We regarded it with foreboding. The first week of August and the brief Arctic summer was fading away, with four hundred miles before us still to go on our journey to the Lena Delta. We must hurry, or the open leads we now had for the boats would all soon freeze over.