De Long found himself in the midst of a horrible reckoning. Erichsen’s survival, it seemed to him, was now pitted against the survival of the whole group. “If we could move on,” De Long wrote, “it would probably shorten his life; if I remained here and kept everybody with me, Erichsen’s days would be lengthened a little at the risk of our all dying from starvation. This is a crisis in our lives.” In the end, De Long went with his better instincts: No man would be left behind. Erichsen would be dragged along, no matter the hardships.
