"But," answered the doctor, "don't you fear lest the crew—"
"The crew!" said Hatteras, coldly.
Then in a lower tone he murmured,—
"Poor men!" much to the doctor's surprise.
It was the first sentiment of this sort which he had ever noticed in the captain.
"No," he went on warmly, "they must follow me, and they shall."
Still, if the Forward need not fear collision with the ice-streams, she made but little way northward, being much delayed by contrary winds. With some difficulty they got by Capes Spencer and Innis, and Tuesday, the 10th, latitude 75° was at last reached, much to Clifton's joy.
The Forward was now at the very spot where the American ships, the Rescue and the Advance, commanded by Captain Haven, ran such terrible dangers. Dr. Kane accompanied this expedition; towards the end of September, 1850, these ships were caught in the ice, and carried with irresistible force into Lancaster Sound.
Shandon told James Wall about it in the presence of some of the men.
"The Advance and the Rescue," he said, "were so tossed about by ice, that they could keep no fires on board; and yet the thermometer stood at 18° below zero. During the whole winter the crews were kept imprisoned, ready to abandon their ships, and for three weeks they did not take off their clothes! It was a terrible situation; after drifting a thousand miles, they were driven to the middle of Baffin's Bay!"