But, after all, the situation was not changed
for those among the nine (now only remaining of the twenty-three)
who should not have drawn the lot of departure. Who could speculate
upon the chances of the whole nine? Might not all of them have drawn
the lot of "stay"? And, when every chance was fully weighed, was
that of those who had left us the best? To this question there could
be no answer.

When the boat had disappeared, Captain Len Guy and his companions
retraced their steps towards the cavern in which we must live for
all the time during which we could not go out, in the dread darkness
of the antarctic winter. My first thought was of Dirk Peters, who,
being wounded, could not follow us when we hurried to the other side
of the point.

On reaching the cavern I failed to find the half-breed, Was he
severely wounded? Should we have to mourn the death of this man who
was as faithful to us as to his "poor Pym"?

"Let us search for him, Mr. Jeorling!" cried the boatswain.

"We will go together," said the captain. "Dirk Peters would never
have forsaken us, and we will not forsake him."

"Would he come back," said I, "now that what he thought was
known to him and me only has come out?"

I informed my companions of the reason why the name of Ned Holt had
been changed to that of Parker in Arthur Pym's narrative, and of
the circumstances under which the half-breed had apprised me of the
fact. At the same time I urged every consideration that might
exculpate him, dwelling in particular upon the point that if the lot
had fallen to Dirk Peters, he would have been the victim of the
others' hunger.

"Dirk Peters confided this secret to you only?" inquired Captain
Len Guy.

"To me only, captain."

"And you have kept it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I cannot understand how it came to the knowledge of
Hearne."

"At first," I replied, "I thought Hearne might have talked in
his sleep, and that it was by chance Martin Holt learned the secret.
After reflection, however, I recalled to mind that when the
half-breed related the scene on the _Grampus_ to me, he was in my
cabin, and the side sash was raised. I have reason to think that the
man at the wheel overheard our conversation. Now that man was
Hearne, who, in order to hear it more clearly, let go the wheel, so
that the _Halbrane_ lurched--"

"I remember," said West. "I questioned the fellow sharply, and
sent him clown into the hold."

"Well, then, captain," I resumed, "