one dog remained alive
When the Creature was spotted from the ship the day before, it was noted
that his "sledge [was] drawn by dogs" (Letter 4.1), suggesting that he was able
to cope with the conditions of ice-travel without danger to himself or his
team of dogs. The fact that Victor says nothing whatsoever about his lost
dogs is a subtly pointed, if silent, comment on his self-absorption. That
he has only one dog remaining would have made his continuation across the
ice, even if it had remained stable, almost impossible.
