Gradually the long night passed away, and at length it was almost time for the sun to appear. Peary had ordered an igloo to be built on the ice cap at an elevation of about two thousand and fifty feet, so that he might use it when he went up to see the sun rise.
When this igloo was completed, Peary, Dr. Cook, and Astrup started out one morning, with provisions and sleeping bags, in the hope of catching a first glimpse of the sun. When they reached the igloo they were very tired. After supper they took off their fur clothes, crawled into their sleeping bags, and went to sleep. When Peary awoke, the fine snow was drifting in his face, and the wind was blowing a terrific gale. The entrance was blocked with snow, and the three men were buried beneath the drifts.
Peary rolled himself out with great difficulty, and succeeded in finding a shovel. Then he and Dr. Cook pulled Astrup out, and the three men found themselves on top of the drift under which the snow house was buried. They were without shelter, two thousand feet above sea level, while the storm was raging so fiercely that they had to shout to one another in order to be heard.
After a while the snow turned to rain, which froze and covered everything with ice. Their heavy outside clothes were buried in the snow house, and they were clad only in their under garments. If it had not been for the sleeping bags, they would have frozen to death, and even as it was, their condition was serious. But at length the storm ceased and the half-frozen men succeeded in digging out their garments. They were obliged to dress in the open air, with the wind blowing and the thermometer standing at 3° above zero.
As soon as they were dressed they started for home, and reached Red Cliff House in safety, warm with exercise. Here, they were informed, the storm had likewise been
