McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-05-28
THE RESCUE OF GREEDY.
Commander 3chIey's Account OF the Pa.
thetic Incident.

The strange fascination which at.
taches to stories of exploration, danger
and suffering in the bleak and dasolate
acrtic region will cause book to bepub-
lished in few days by Charles Serb
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 patheticully told by
Commander Schley, it is worth retell-
ing. And so, passing over the discov-
cry of Greedy records, which are given
entire, on Brevoort Island, we make a
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 ice-foot, was
plainly outlined the figure of q 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 no 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 he 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 witches. AS the two met,
the man, with sudden impulse, took
off his glove and shook Colwell's hand.
"Where are thHy?" asked Colwell,
briefly. 'In the tent" said the man,
pointing over his shoulder, lover the
hill-the tent is down" SIS Mr.. Greedy
alive?" Eyes Greely's alive" "Any
other officers?" mo" Then he re-
peated absently, 1.-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 soldierly- looking
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-
Immediately 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
murmur within the tent, and a voice
said-"Who's there?" Norman an
swered, Its ACKNOWLEDGEMENT who
was in the Proteus." This was followed
by cries of cob, it's Normani" and s.
sound like feeble cheer.
Meanwhile one of the relief party,
who in his agitation and excitement
was crying like a child, was down on his
hands and knees trying to rel away
the stones that held down the tapping
tent-cloth. Colwell called for 4 knife,
cut slit in the tent cover, and looked
in. It was sight of horror
Directly opposite, ON his hands and
knees, was dark man with long mat
ted beard, in dirty and tattered dress
ing gown with little red skull cap on
his head, and brilliant, staring eyes
AS Colwell appeared, he raised himself
a little, and put on pair of eve glasses
"Who are you?" asked ColweiI. The
man made no answer, staring at him
vacantly. "Who are you?" again.
One of the men spoke up, ''That's the
major-Major Greely.' Colwell crawled
in and took him by the hand, saying to
him, "Greely, is this you?" Yes,
said Greedy, in a faint, broken voice,
hesitating and shutting with his words,
''9es-seven of US left-here we are
dying-like men. Did what 1 came to
do-beat the best record" Then he
fell back exhausted.
The scene, as Colwell looked around,
was one of misery and squalor.
There was no food left in the tent, but
two or three cans of thin repulsive-
looking Jelly, made by boiling strips cut
from the sealskin clothing. Except
Cornell and Ellison, the feeblest of the
party was Lieutenant Greedy. His
strength was failing fast. He could not
stand upright, and for sometime he had
not left his sleeping bag. He lived on
the food which the others brought him;
but all pangs of hunger had ceased. and |
his wasted form and sunken eyes and |
swollen joints told plainly enough what |
was in store for him.
Il b. -