III

           Noneofus,Iimagine,sleptveryheavilyorcontinuouslythatmorning. BoththeexcitementofLake’sdiscoveryandthemountingfuryofthewindwereagainstsuchathing. Sosavagewastheblast,evenwherewewere,thatwecouldnothelpwonderinghowmuchworseitwasatLake’scamp,directlyunderthevastunknownpeaksthatbredanddeliveredit. McTighewasawakeatteno’clockandtriedtogetLakeonthewireless,asagreed,butsomeelectricalconditioninthedisturbedairtothewestwardseemedtopreventcommunication. Wedid,however,gettheArkham,andDouglastoldmethathehadlikewisebeenvainlytryingtoreachLake. Hehadnotknownaboutthewind,forverylittlewasblowingatMcMurdoSound,despiteitspersistentragewherewewere. 

           ThroughoutthedaywealllistenedanxiouslyandtriedtogetLakeatintervals,butinvariablywithoutresults. Aboutnoonapositivefrenzyofwindstampededoutofthewest,causingustofearforthesafetyofourcamp;butiteventuallydieddown,withonlyamoderaterelapseat2P.M. Afterthreeo’clockitwasveryquiet,andweredoubledoureffortstogetLake. Reflectingthathehadfourplanes,eachprovidedwithanexcellentshort-waveoutfit,wecouldnotimagineanyordinaryaccidentcapableofcripplingallhiswirelessequipmentatonce. Neverthelessthestonysilencecontinued,andwhenwethoughtofthedeliriousforcethewindmusthavehadinhislocalitywecouldnothelpmakingthemoredirefulconjectures. 

           Bysixo’clockourfearshadbecomeintenseanddefinite,andafterawirelessconsultationwithDouglasandThorfinnssenIresolvedtotakestepstowardinvestigation.