The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-06-05
THE RESCUE OF GREEDY.
Commander Schley's Account of the Pa
thetic Incident.

caches to stories of exploration, danger
and suffering in the bleak and dasolate
acrtic region will cause book to be pub
hshed in few days by Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons to be read with eagerness.
This is "The Rescue of Greedy" by
Commander W. S. Schley, who had
charge of the successful relief expe-
dition of 1884, and by Professor J. R.
Solely, also Of the United States Navy,
who has access to the official documents
bearing on the case.
The story is an old one, but as au-
thoritatively and pathetically told by
Commander Schley, it is worth retell-
ing. And so, passing over the discov-
cry of Greely's records, which are given
entire, on Brevoort Island, we make y
condensation of the narrative, taking it
up at the point where the cutter of the
rescuing party approached the spot
where the provisions of thewrecked Pro-
teus had been left:
At last the boat arrived at the site of
the wreck cache, and the shore was
eagerly scanned, but nothing could be
seen. Rounding the next point, the
cutter opened out the cove beyond
There, on the top of little ridge, fifty
or sixty yards above the foot, was
plainly outlined the figure of a man.
Instantly the coxswain caught up the
boat hook and waved his flag. The
man on the ridge had seen them, for he
stopped, picked up signal flag from
the rock and waved it in reply. Then
he was seen coming slowly and eau
tiously down the steep, rocky slope.
Twice no fell down before he reached
the foot. As he approached, still walk
ing feebly and with difficulty, Colwell
hailed him from the bow OF the
boat:
"Who are there left?" "Seven left"
AS the cutter struck the ice, Colwell
jumped off and went up to him. He
was CHASTITY sight. AS he spoke, his
utterance was thick and mumbling,
and in his agitation his jaws worked in
convulsive twitches. AS the two met,
the man, with sudden impulse, took
off his glove and shook Colwell's hand.
"Where are they?" asked ColwelI,
briefly. I'm the tent" said the man,
pointing over his shoulder, lover the
hill-the tent is down ""Is Mr.. Greedy
alive?" Eyes Greely's alive" "Any
other officers?" ''No." Then he re-
peated absently, ''The tent is down."
"Who are you?" ''Long."
Before this colloquy was over, Lowe
and Norman had started up the hill.
Hastily filling his pocket with bread
and taking the two cans of pemmican,
Colwell told the coxswain to take Long
into the cutter. and started after the
others with Ash. Hurrying on across
the intervening hollow, Colwell came
up with Lowe and Norman, just as
they were greeting soldierlylooking
man who had come out from the tent
AS Colwell approached, Norman was
saying to the man-"There is the lieu
tenant" And he added to Colwell-
"This is Sergeant Brainard." Brainard
drew himself up to the
position of the soldier" and was about
to salute, when Colwell took his hand.
At this moment there was confused
within the tent, and a voice
said-"Who's there?" Norman an
swered, ''It's ACKNOWLEDGEMENT who
was in the Proteus." This was followed
by cries of ooh, it's Norman and .
sound like feeble cheer.
1~o 1f fhn ~o!.af t,orfu
who in his agitation and excitement
was crying like child, was down on his
hands and knees trying to rel away
The stones that held down the tapping
tent cl 9TH. Colwell called for knife,
cut q slit in the tent cover, and looked
in. 1t was sight of horror.
Directly opposite, on his hands and |
knees, was dark man with long mat |
ed beard, in dirty and tattered dress
ng- gown with little red skull cap on
MS head, and brilliant, staring eyes.
As Colwell appeared, he raised himself
/ little, and put on pair of eye-g glasses.
"Who are you?" asked Colwell. The
nan made no answer, staring at him
''Who are you?" again.
One of the men spoke up, ''That's the
najor-Major Greedy" Colwell crawled
n and took him by the hand, saying to
lin, "Greely, is this you?" YES"
aid Greedy, in a faint, broken voice,
lesitating and shutting with his words,
'Yes-seven of us left-here We are
Iying-like men. Did what came to
Io-beat the best record. Then he
ell back exhausted.
The scene, as Colwell looked around,
vas one of misery and squalor.
There was no food left in the tent, but
wo or three cans of thin repulsive-
boxing Jelly, made by boiling strips cut
rom the sealskin clothing. Except
,onnell and Ellison, the feeblest of the
arty was Lieutenant Greedy. His
trength was failing fast. He could not
tand upright, and for sometime he had
OF left his sleeping bag. He lived on
he food which the others brought him;
ut all pangs of hunger had ceased. and
is wasted form and sunken eyes and
wollen joints told plainly enough what
as in store for him.
AS soon as Colwell understood the
ondition of affairs, he sent Chief En-
ineer Lowe back to the cutter to put
4 to the Bear with Long, to report
hat had happened. and bring off the