Summary

Black discovers the nearly-frozen Sumner wedged between two ice floes—inert, white, and seemingly dead in Chapter 6. Black places his rope around Sumner's chest and pulls up him onto the ice. Repeated slaps across the face finally elicit a single, flickering eyelid. Black fires his rifle twice into the air and soon Otto and two other crewmen arrive to help. The four of them lug Sumner back to the ship, where he is hoisted to the deck with block and tackle and laid out like one of the marine mammals that sustain the Volunteer.

The rescuers carry Sumner below deck where they cut off his frozen clothing and put him close to the stove. They slather his naked skin with goose fat and cover him in hot towels. Sumner is still alive, but in a coma. After several hours, they give him a...