Chapter XXIII. Found at Last

           Thequestionofourwinteringonthelandwhereonwehadbeenthrownwassettledforus.But,afterall,thesituationwasnotchangedforthoseamongthenine(nowonlyremainingofthetwenty-three)whoshouldnothavedrawnthelotofdeparture.Whocouldspeculateuponthechancesofthewholenine?Mightnotallofthemhavedrawnthelotof“stay”?And,wheneverychancewasfullyweighed,wasthatofthosewhohadleftusthebest?Tothisquestiontherecouldbenoanswer.

           Whentheboathaddisappeared,CaptainLenGuyandhiscompanionsretracedtheirstepstowardsthecaverninwhichwemustliveforallthetimeduringwhichwecouldnotgoout,inthedreaddarknessoftheantarcticwinter.MyfirstthoughtwasofDirkPeters,who,beingwounded,couldnotfollowuswhenwehurriedtotheothersideofthepoint.

           OnreachingthecavernIfailedtofindthehalf-breed.Washeseverelywounded?Shouldwehavetomournthedeathofthismanwhowasasfaithfultousastohis“poorPym”?

           “Letussearchforhim,Mr.Jeorling!”criedtheboatswain.

           “Wewillgotogether,”saidthecaptain.“DirkPeterswouldneverhaveforsakenus,andwewillnotforsakehim.”

           “Wouldhecomeback,”saidI,“nowthatwhathethoughtwasknowntohimandmeonlyhascomeout?”

           IinformedmycompanionsofthereasonwhythenameofNedHolthadbeenchangedtothatofParkerinArthurPym’snarrative,andofthecircumstancesunderwhichthehalf-breedhadapprisedmeofthefact.