_Roosevelt_ was
bodily aground from amidships forward, heeling first to one side and
then to the other with the varying pressure of the ice. It was a new
variation of "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep"--one that sent Eskimo
babies, the dogs, the boxes, and even ourselves, tumbling about the
decks.

When the tide rose, efforts were made to dislodge the ship from her
stranded position. From the port side of the bow a line was made fast to
a stationary floe-berg, and the captain called for full steam, first
ahead, then astern. For some time there was no perceptible movement of
the ship. Finally, the pull on the port bow from the cable, with full
speed astern, had the desired effect and the vessel slid off and floated
free; but the ice was so heavily packed behind us that we could not move
her away. It was far from a pleasant spot.

CHAPTER XIII

CAPE SHERIDAN AT LAST

To put it mildly, the position in which we now found ourselves was
dangerous--even with the assistance of so experienced and steady an ice
fighter as Bartlett. As day followed day and still we hung there at
Lincoln Bay, we should doubtless have been extremely anxious had the
_Roosevelt_ not had a similar experience on the preceding voyage. But we
believed that sooner or later the movement of the ice would enable us to
steam the few remaining miles to Cape Sheridan, and possibly beyond
there; for our objective point was some twenty-five miles to the
northwest of our former winter quarters in 1905-06. We tried to possess
our souls in patience, and if sometimes the delay got on our nerves,
there was nothing to be gained by talking about it.

On the first of September the ice did not seem to be moving quite so
rapidly. The evening before MacMillan had been sent ashore to the bluffs
beyond Shelter River, and he had reported that there was considerable
open water along the shore. Bartlett then went forward to reconnoiter.
On his return he also reported open water, but with corners of big floes
barring it in every direction.

That the fall hunting might get under way, Ootah, Aletah, Ooblooyah, and
Ooqueah started off for the Lake Hazen region, with a sledge and eight
dogs, after musk-oxen and reindeer. It had been planned that they should
hunt there until joined by other Eskimos from the ship, after she
reached Cape Sheridan or Porter Bay. But in the absence of snow, the
going was too rough for even a light sledge, and the Eskimos returned.

At las