Last man standing/ part 2/draft 1

Last man standing/ part 2/draft 1

fiction
edward w Pritchard

see part 1, story will continue in part 3 also

" Enjoy today, the day the lord has granted; for tomorrow may be worse."
the cynic's apothecary- ed pritchard  - 2013

Note- Shackleton stories are a compilation of facts, and more than some amount of fiction -author

Duty log
acting Captain
Winston West

We had a death among the men today. Swenson the big Norwegian. He was the strongest of us, physically; when we moved the boat we sleep under Swenson took one end and the other four of us the other. Now he's gone, it wasn't the cold or hunger that took him, I think it was melancholy. Laufter the American says Melancholy is normal in our situation. I have become more and more dependent on Laufter since I have been ill myself. More on that later.

Two of the men had a fist fight on the way to bury Swenson, [sic he was thrown over a cliff filled with ice]. I won't mention their names individually and I have decided no discipline or punishment is called for because of the uniqueness of our situation.

Water continues to be a problem. Laufter says he believes salt water has seeped into the water we use and is causing a form of urinary fatigue. Laufter is not a physician but he knows a lot of things about many subjects; should I succumb to the conditions here I wish Laufter to be in charge. Concerning the issue of urinary fatigue, Laufter recommends for hygienic purposes we walk at least 200 paces from the boat we sleep under to pass water. Laufter maintains a positive attitude despite our situation and he works very hard to keep the men cheerful and optimistic. As an example he keeps us to a routine and schedule. When the men complain about it, that it is futile, or absurd in our situation to keep a schedule Laufter uses humor to defuse our hostility. Men- "complaining why keep a tight schedule here?" Laufter- "there was a farmer back in Kentucky[ sic- an American State] and he was getting old and senile and often forgot what he was to do today. So his wife had him start writing a list each morning of what he was to do. It worked well and both were happier. One day the wife said to her husband why don't you ever want to be intimate with me in conjugal relations? And the husband, the old farmer said- "it wasn't on the list." Those type of stories always cheered us up.

I suffer from the cold worse than the men I am afraid. The air here is bitter and it's seeps the life out of one's soul. Sleeping on the ground even in a good sleeping bag doesn't help. Sleeping under the boat is warmer but causes the melancholy I am afraid. Some of the men here dream of beautiful women; I dream of warm summer days passed sitting on a lawn chair watching the swaying trees and flowers bloom in a bouquet of colors.

We hope for Shackleton's return. God save us all.
end part 2  .