Watching for the Lord

When Shackleton was driven back from his quest of the South pole, he left his men on Elephant Island, and promised to come back to them. Working his way as best he might to South Georgia, he tried to get back to fulfill his promise, and failed; tried again and failed. The ice was between him and the island; he was not able to come, but he could not rest; though the season was adverse, and they told him it was impossible, yet in his little boat “Yalcho” he tried it again. It was the wrong time of year, but strange to say he got nearer the island; there was an open avenue between the sea and the place where he had left his men; he ran his boat in at the risk of being nipped, got his men, all of them, on board, and came out again before the ice crashed to. It was all done in half an hour. When the excitement was partly over he turned to one of the men and said, “Well, you were all packed and ready!” and the man said, “You see, boss, Wild (the second in command) never gave up hope, and whenever the sea was at all clear of ice he rolled up his sleeping bag and said to all hands, ‘Roll up your sleeping bags, boys; the boss may come today.’ ” “And so it came to pass,” said Shackleton, “that we suddenly came out of the fog, and from a black outlook; in an hour all were in safety, homeward bound.”