Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15

the stove with his fingers. He knew bet
| ter, but had forgotten where he was. With
yell of agony he withdrew his hand.
Something more than the skin was left be-
hind. The iron, more dangerous in extreme
cold than if red hot, had burned his flesh
from his hand. This incident started
! ROYALS circulation agoing and perhaps
saved his life.
The Sergeant could not repress a grim
smile. But he did not speak. He was too
much moved.
"Forgive me. Trust me again. / de-
serve it, said Jack slowly.
"Only % leftP' he continued to himself.
He referred to the matches in the tin box
which he carried next to his heart. He
touched the Sergeant upon his sealskin
sleeve. 1t was too much for him to say.
The commander looked at him. ga man
may fail once in this attitude and live. But
it must not happen again, he said without
a smile.
"We are moving at only about the rate of
ten miles," observed the inventor, eager to
afford a change of topic. "But I cannot
gauge our speed accurately. The wind is
blowing pretty heavily at our stern. The
thermometer feels it Perhaps the gale will
help US along"
The Sergeant frightened. Anything for
an advanced The snow now began to fall
blindly. The inventor sent the airship to q
higher altitude to avoid a collision in the
dense furry with berg or an island crag.
The storm ragged furiously about them. But
it carried them on toward their destination.
This is probably the first gale in Arctic re-
gions that afforded comfort to explorers. The
horrors that these piercing, burying winds
are accountable for!
''God bless the ga1ep' cried the Sergeant
in rapture. Earth was blotted from sight.
The flakes rendered the defiles of blue ice
below them invisible. They were only
guided by the barometer. The compass,
owing to magnetic deviations, had long
since proved useless, and charts more so.
The fierce wind, which would have proved
a boom to the French aeronauts, bore them
on resistlessly. At least here was modi-
cum of luck to compensate for the loss Of
seven matches
For two hours they sped with the storm.
They did not heed the terrible cold. Every
thing freezable within the airsbip had al
ready CONCEALED to stone. The intense
reflex action of excitement alone kept the
men from following suit.
THE engine has stopped" suddenly
calculated Professor Wilder.
But for the space, even this dreaded in
formation fell upon callous ears. What
cared the discoverers by what means they
advanced, SO long as they did? It wal in
these furious moments of advance upon the
wings of the powers of the air, when the
propeller airship mad become only Storm
blown gigantic parachute, that the two Arc
tic laymen drank for the first time of the
intoxication of their mission.
'It is dying awayp'
SIT has stoppedP' exclaimed the two
breathlessly
''Then we must descend, said the Ser
geant imperturbably.
At that moment the undy1ng sun shone.
Cautiously the inventor manipulated the
helm. The downward impulse was enough
to keep the craft going. In broad swoop,
slower, slower, slower, the Aeropole felt
her way to ner icy bed. With consummate
skill the Professor guided the vessel A
misEake-and the ship itself would be shat
tered beyond hope of return. Beneath them
the eternal ice began to yawn in wicked
chasms The final contact-what would it
bring forth?
The men held their breaths, as well they
might.
"Try that little ravine!"
sTook at that smooth glare over therep'
'I'd risk the snow-bankr' added Jack to
the list of suggestions, pointing to a surface
of glistening white.
HThat's eleverp' replied the Professor
"What do you think, Sergeant? 1t it the
safest?"
Oh, for ten minutes of poweri The lift
ing wheels could have let them down as
gently as a mother lays her babe in the
cradle.
'Let her go! Keep your wits, boys"
shouted the Sergeant
There was last plunge, an upward leap,
crunch, the cracking of metal against
snow and ice, breaking of the six legs of
the car, lurch to port, q rattle of crock
cry, and the monster had finished its un-
paralleled voyage.
Four men were stunned, but the fifth,
clutching in his hand light pole with tri-
coIored bunting wound in folds at the top,
leaped with sure feet upon the drift of snow,
planted the pole firmly in the highest spot
ever attained.
'In the name of the President, Congress
and people of the United States, cried the
explorer, solemnly, 81 take possession Of
this soil and name it Abraham Lincoln"
ITO Be Continued Nert Sunday