“All right,” cried the doctor, quite jubilant now. “Fill this bucket with it.”
This was done, and soon the whole party reached camp again.
“I am to be blamed,” said Dr Barrett, “for not thinking of this marvellous seaweed before. It contains potash in abundance, and while mosses of all kinds are frozen to death on the hillsides, this, you see, survives. Our poor fellows, now almost dead of the scurvy, may yet revive.”
Not only those who were sick, but all hands partook of the esculent weed. The sick revived, those in health grew brighter, calmer, and happier.
“If our food holds out, I think we may now weather the winter,” said Dr Barrett.
“I sincerely trust so,” said Claude, “and that we may all be well to commence the march.”
It seemed, however, that fate had still further affliction in store for them, for one day Byarnie came to the doctor, and very sad he looked.
No less than two casks of meat were found almost putrid, and the store of bears’ flesh had also gone bad.
This was indeed terrible news.
When the third and last cask was opened it was found like the others, unfit even for the food of starving men!