Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-31
LAST HOURS OF JOHN HORNBY
ARE PICTURED BY CHRISTIAN
Simple Will Written by Leader of Canadian
Expedition Before Leaving Two
Companions to Garry On.

Following is the third instalment of
the diary Of Edgar Vernon CHRISTIANS
diary, in which the young British ex-
in the Bad Lands of the Canadian North
vest vest Territory OF himself Harold Al
Inflated expedition.
On April G. despite his failing strength,
Horribly is bravely keeping UP the mo-
rale of the party. Christian says:
APRIL 6.-Affairs mona - good to-
day. Harold is very queer at
times now, and one must Keep an eye
on him at all times until Ne get grub.
Poor devil must be feeling bad, but we
are all feeling just the same, and
found scraps for tomorrow and two
bones for next day. So deg frost.
Yet the next day Adlard is struggling
to cook bones for the three. They
pound the bones into kind of meal and
make from 1t a soup which has not
even the virtue of being greasy; and
they clutch at the best of the wolver-
inc pelts for dinner, too ravenous to
bother about their nausea.
Horribly, the old-timer of the Arctic,
who had come through untold hardships
on his lone trips into frozen lands I'M
inhabitable by man, saw the time was
near. And so, one day, before the last
light faded, he said to the younger ones
with a smile upon his heavily bearded
face, Boys, I'll make my will. That
won't mean much. you know, but it's
wise to take precautions"
Horribly Writes Simple VIII.
So the simple will was written:
The last testament of John Horribly.
1 hereby bequeath to Edgar Vernon
CT faY1 I'D
of and all which might later come.
JOHN HORNBY.
April 10. 1927.
Witnessed by Edgar Vernon Christian
and Harold Challoner Evan Adlard.
On the day after that tragically
significant little ceremony, Christian
writes:
April 11-Situation is now very seri-
Gus. Jack last night told both Harold
and myself that he felt he was sinking
fast and might pass away at any mo-
should be done. I promised him I can
carry on for five days on wolverine
hides doing heavy work and hunting.
He had bad night and legs
paining, and now says that two days is
the most. Harold kept fire all night
while in vain 1 tried to rest. But how
can I now under such worry.
10:15 pm.-Harold Is trying to rest
before going out. 1t seems as If Jack is
sinking fast now. AS each grip Of pain
comes on his heart will not stand 1t.
3" Harold has returned with news
that caribou have been plentiful on the
ridges. He brought with him little
blood, and says he is fit enough to 60
again tomorrow. Jack has had another
meal with us and would simply insist
on me having some of his. Darkness
now coming on and Jack is resting,
though he feels that in early morning
he is sure to be bad again, as usual. Not
very cheerful to hear him say, though
know it well.
Expedition Leader Dies.
April 49, Says as long as I
can attend to all his wants he can pull
through, but impossible without. I hope
to goodness Harold can keep going on
the food we now have, because I find,
I keep warm in all day, get
tired at times, and all the time very
worried while talking and tending to
Jack.
At daybreak on the 14th it is evident !
that the strain of their terrible hard |
ship is telling more than ever Adlard |
has been out each day tramping over
the snowSwept wilderness only TO return
exhausted and footsore without any
food. He and Christian are hardly able
to stand. but they remain up all night
to tend the dying man, who lies in the
corner of the cabin and heroically at
tempts to cheer them through the bleak,
hopeless hours.
After restless night on the 10th they
can hold back their grief no longer,
and together they weep by Hornby'S
bedside. They can feel the faint pres
sure of his gaunt hard, and they hear
his weakening voice urging them to
carry on. And
April II, l o'clock-At GAS last
night poor Jack passed peacefully away. |
Until that minute think I remained
the same, but then I was q wreck |
Harold, good pal, was a marvel in help |
ing me and putting things straight for
the night. managed to cut some wood |
and Harold promised to do the rest. |
He talked to (me) so wonderfully and |
realized my condition, am sure. lay
on my bed and listened to him talk, and |
occasionally dozed off, feeling so worn |
out. He kept fine (?fre) during night |
and brought me tea and aspirin to help |
me along. which was a relief, as was |
able to sleep.
Today - We are both very weak,
but more CHEEKY and determined to pull |
through and get out to let the world |
know OF the last days of the finest |
man l have ever known and one who |
has made foundation to build my life |
upon. Snowstorm all day. Twelve de-
yreeS. Frost.
Learn Terrible Lesson.
The death of Horribly brought home
10 the survivors terrible lesson of
he frozen North. Every careful reader
If NanSen, Scott and other epics of the
Arctic and Antarctic must realize the Il
fight against the natural needs of Il
cleansing the human body-the conse-
Iuent and depressing effect of the stop
)age of sanitation. Christian and Ad-
ard knew it. They saw what had really
,aused their leaders death, that the
heart had not been able to sustain the
light against clogged system There
are pathetic entries in the diary of
heir efforts to adapt a scrap Of soap
md the only continuance they had to !
simple surgery.
Weather Bans Hunting.
And then Adlard. He cannot swal-
ow food on the goth when Christian II
writes
April 90 Under the snow we
a fox that died had been
brown, so I went out and dug it up
o cook for supper. Poor Harold
S thin and weak Whether I 90 1
is thin as a rake and unable to swallow
know not, but, my goodness something
will OF wrong if cannot free NV syc /