faint shrieks of the siren, and in response to its welcome sound
made one more effort to save themselves, the sledge party would
in all probability not have found them. All three of them were
badly frost-bitten, and one of Barne's hands was in such a serious
condition that for many days it was thought that his fingers would
have to be amputated.

The end of this story, however, is not yet told, for on March 13
Scott wrote in his diary: 'A very extraordinary thing has happened.
At 10 A.M. a figure was seen descending the hillside. At first we
thought it must be some one who had been for an early walk; but
it was very soon seen that the figure was walking weakly, and,
immediately after, the men who were working in the hut were seen
streaming out towards it. In a minute or two we recognized the figure
as that of young Hare, and in less than five he was on board.... We
soon discovered that though exhausted, weak, and hungry, he was in
full possession of his faculties and quite free from frost-bites.
He went placidly off to sleep whilst objecting to the inadequacy
of a milk diet.'

Later on Hare, who like Vince had been wearing fur boots, explained
that he had left his companions
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to return to the sledges and get some leather boots, and had imagined
that the others understood what he intended to do. Soon after he had
started back he was wandering backwards and forwards, and knew that
he was walking aimlessly to and fro. The last thing he remembered
was making for a patch of rock where he hoped to find shelter, and
there he must have lain in the snow for thirty-six hours, though
he required a lot of persuasion before he could be convinced of