Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-01

HdEGr Vernon Christian, last member Of
tI ne horny ,S 1GTDedition 2 Die Of stsrva-
his eOmpsniOn. Harold AdIaTd. 0' ana 81
the fnaI entry for him.
While Adlard Is lying Ill, young Chris
tian, searching for food, is jubilant over
the finding Of some pieces of boiled meat
that were thrown away in the Autumn.
The sick man becomes worse and the
boy, in pathetic note, declares 'he
overstrained his whole system in help
Ing me when was so alone at Jacks
DEATH"
To their horror they discover that
they are filling their systems with such
quantities Of hair from the hides they
have eaten that their torture increases
daily. Feverishly, young Christian
searches for old fish bones to boil once
again for soup; but Adlard, rapidly
sinking. is unable to turn in his bed
without assistance. Poor Christian
knows the dread OF being left alone in
this terrible wilderness Of snow. Adlard
so shortly after the beloved Hornby.
He records the tragedy with stark
simplicity:
May AT 10:45 pm. dear Harold
passed away after bad relapse the
previous night. :. think bones have
been the trouble all along AS for
myself am now played out after no
sleep and food. Today I must Ak
things up as best as possible, cut wood,
dig in snow for fish and trust for a
good tomorrow. cannot hunt, as
walking in sole snow is beyond my
powers now and the weather Is bad.
Tells Progress Of Illness.
Yet Christian. alone in the wastes,
unable to rustic grub" his fellow ex-
plorerS dead, does not discuss the prob
ability OF dying in the lonely, Inflated
cabin. He records the simple details
OF looking for scraps of food and the
progress of his illness.
May IL write all this down as I
think 1t is Of Importance, seeing how
suddenly Harold and Jack went i'll, but
I must stick to my guns and endeavor
to cure myself.
So he lived on, never entirely despair
Ing. There are signs Of Spring. Then.
at time when he recalled the English
countryside burgeOning with new life,
there was q grudging concession from
nature.
May s.-Sunshine all day and thaw-
ing.
But he has become "as thin as
rake" and his joints Jerk in and out
OF position instead of smoothly"
May 13.-I went. out, got, some water,
cut little wood had outside and found
1 could hardly stand. What food
now eat Is near the door in q heap of
ice.
May 14.-How long grub will last on
scrap pile know not. certainly can
not get strong on 1t.
Furniture Is Burned.
After burning what he can Of the
furniture to keep the fire going, on the
eighteenth he haggardly watches the
return of the birds to the barrens-
one swan few over, one raven and
three robins saw"
There Is one entry for May 20 to
June i:
On twenty-second I found lots of
meat and four good, meaty bones COW
cred with fat and grease. These put me
on my legs for three days alas, I
got weaker and weaker.
June IL have grub on hand, but
weaker than have ever been In my life
and no migrations north of birds and
animals since nineteenth (swan). Yes
terday was out crawling having cut
last piece Of wood in house to cook me
FOOD had. which is q very fat piece of
caribou hide. At am. went to bed
feeling content and bowl full Of fish by
me TO eat in morning.
.m.-Weaker than ever. Have eaten
all can. Have food on hand, but heart
petering. Sunshine is bright now. See
II that does any good to me II get out
and bring In wood TO make flre tonight.
And then, on day undated. knowing
the end was coming, he wrote:
Make preparations now.
Last Words Penned.
Farther down this tragic page Of the
diary are Christians last words penned
In quaVering hand:
Got out too weak and all in now.
Left things too late.
Thus passed the last of those three
great adventures, quietly and heroically.
They fought against overwhelming
ODDS In the manner OF T1tanS, scorning
the terrors of the vast, treacherous
North. But they were AL In" and they
left things late"
1t was probably before making this
last entry in the diary that the dying
boy wrote two letters to his parents
which he placed with the diary in the
stove.
Letter to His Father.
To his father he said:
Jack Horribly always wished to see
this country before he gave up the life
In the Arctic regions, and wanted some
one with him. And was the one this
time. realize why he wanted boy
or my age with him and realize why
me other should come--in order to make
sure ] got out safe. But, alas, the
Thelon Is not what 1t Il cracked up to
be, don't think. I have been trying
TO struggle by myself for over . month
ana help my other poor pal. but Spring
q late here and cannot get fresh meat.
although have always had good to eat
a. times Some jolly good meals only q
lew days ago which did not put me in
condition to hunt fresh food. But the
weather blew cold and today, June /,
has seen me with flne weather. food but
not fresh, and unable to get fresh being
too weak and played out.
The other was:
Dear mother: Feeling weak now, can
only write little. Sorry left 1t 90 late.
eut. alas, have struggled hard. Please
don't blame dear Jack, Ever loving