Survival Tails: Endurance in Antarctica by Katrina Charman

Author:Katrina Charman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2018-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

BUMMER

February 1916

Rations were running low. As the weeks in Patience Camp melted into months, dogs and men seemed unsure whether they were ever going to leave or whether they would stay until there was nothing left to survive on and the ice swallowed them up. To Bummer’s dismay, Amundsen remained leader of their sled team, each hunting trip more arduous than the last. But at least Amundsen didn’t seem to have gotten any sicker, and they were all noticeably thinner and weaker now. The lack of three full meals a day was taking its toll on their bodies and minds.

They headed out with Crean, searching for anything they might be able to add to their paltry diet. Until recently, they had been finding plentiful wildlife—seals, penguins, and fish—swimming deep below the ice shelf. As time went on, it seemed as though their prey had either decided to move on, or that there were simply none left.

They had been out on the floe every day that week, but to no avail. It had been weeks since they’d had anything other than their single daily portion of pemmican, and the men were no better off than the dogs. Who knew how much longer it would be until there was nothing left?

Bummer watched Amundsen at the front. Amundsen winced as he moved. He was as stubborn as a mule and refused to show the slightest weakness, even if it was clear to them all that he was in pain. Amundsen gritted his teeth, as though trying to bite back the discomfort that was obviously building inside him. Bummer couldn’t understand why Crean couldn’t see it. Amundsen shouldn’t be out pulling the sled at all, let alone leading the team. It would put them all at risk if anything happened to him.

“We should take a different route,” Bummer called out as they set off, knowing that Amundsen would likely ignore him. They had taken the same trail for the last three days and come up empty-handed. Bummer was sure Amundsen had chosen the same path across the floe because it was flatter and slightly easier to navigate. But that also meant that any potential prey could spot them coming from a mile off and would be long gone by the time they reached it.

As expected, Amundsen ignored him, pulling to the left along the same old path.

“There’s nothing out this way,” Bummer insisted. “We need to take a different route.”

Amundsen glanced back at Bummer, his eyes flashing in warning, and kept going.

“The lad’s right!” Judge shouted. “Let’s try a different route.”

Amundsen snarled, continuing to pull the sled to the left. Bummer caught Judge’s eye as he began resisting the command, leaning instead to the right toward a less-traveled route. Judge veered the same way, the weight of the two of them having an effect on the others. Then, to Bummer’s surprise, Wolf and Hercules joined them, the entire team pulling away from their leader.

“We need to find food, Amundsen!” Wolf growled apologetically.

Amundsen’s pace slowed.

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