The Helena independent., 1892-06-05
CHAPTER xI.

n u
xsHAHAT A FOOL!' HE GASPED AZ
s\JE1s he fsvsrishly wrote down crooked
0ysyO Agurss that would rank him win
n. greatest discovers of the world. His
voice oame in hoarss whispers. The ser
reant supported him "a he spoke.
..That barometer is all right. The air
Il rarified. a. il We were on great height
h.cause--'' he couahed AZ he went on, be
oause 10 are in partial vacuum caused BY
Ana rotation Of the ellipsoid at tho pole.
You ses. the currents Of the air rise from
( the shoulders OF the earth. tangent 70 she
e.rth,s surface. Yet, the wind blows"
nm. soienoe and feeling had the usual
contest even here.
..You,re right! You're right! That's
worth coming up for That's one problem
solyod.'' The sergeant tasted the po'ns OF
hifbencil, and was iubilant for the mo-
qeat. ;.,.
vara afraid that his strenRth would not
hold ont. As it was, he could hardly drag
ons foot before tho other Read what be-
fell the crew Of tho Jeannette after the ship
- nippsd and sunk, and you will under
sAand Z little of the tutors condition. Al
1T liz looked up with wan smile.
~ msks IL Just s76 feet west'north Invest
teous vhere l sit think will be able to
get thsre.''
With infinite care they measured the
Snsoe y. beIween them and the mystic goal OF
their journey. With exasperatinR slowness
1ha tutorg cfawlsd. He stopped at least
ATTY times by the way and piteously begged
hia comparion TO 90 on and let him crawl
alone.s His reindeer garments, not dry for
.ava.I aaya. clunc to him clammily. The
m. registering sixty-two below zero, fe!l
rpon the face deserted by blood. ana lefs
white blotches hsre and there. a strange
tO hurst into college song, bus nls vocal
chords only uttered whsezes.
Only . hundred feet more! -,
Thc s,rreant took from his breast, with
thel lhand that was not supporting his coma
psnisn, United Staten flag, and soIemnly
rsRerdsd it.
Irhav halted. Even in that dreadful
temperature Precipitation oozed from tho
4 INV y country, its OF thee." sang the tu-
Tor. At the end Of the first line his voice
hushed into q sob.
Ten feet more!
B0IOr0 tQ6m was tUo pOlcs lucy esSPtSo
and stared. The first human eyes that
ever looked upon the dream, the despair
and the murderer of thousands Razed at
4 sternly, and then at each other. The
tutor would have fallen had he not been
held in strong and tender arms.
Beyond them lay the north pole! What
was that elistsning there? Ice? Yes. the
same terrible ice. Not different by iot
from that which they stood upon. Before
them lay the same broken. Jagged plano.
No mound, no higher elevation, no depres-
sion, marked the spot. Tho Circe of the
north did not squat there. Her power was
henoeforth broken. Her empire had crun-
blsd. Man was now master OF shs utter
most parts of the earth.
They advanced four steps and stopped.
They had clambsrsd over ersvasses, but
the exact spot was as smooth as ice ls in
the far north, for radius of ten or fifteen
feat around them. The tutor sank to the
ground. For moment his eyes closed.
and the sergeant jumped to him. Ihen
they opened, They fell upon the staff that
the sergeant carried. The young man nod
@sded at it. and the leader understood. The
ktutor looked on happily.
n Then the comm andsr of the polar exps-
Edition took the flag and fastened it to the
ahead of the staff. He took from his belt
his ice-pick to mske hole and cut blocks
of ice and snow to prop the pole mp. For
ten minutes he dug powerfully. The tutor.
leaning upon one arm, watched him as IT
hypnotized. With the otnsr hand he fun
bled beneath folds of fur. After several fu-
tile attempts he brought out book.
whats that?" asked the digger. resting.
''1t's only a prayer book-one happened
10 have. Put it under the flag staff when
you plant il. It'll make good foundation
for it, If you don't mind" The young man
fell back exhausted.
''All rightn' said the sergeant. He could
find no more words. He bent to his work,
to hide the fact that he was unnamed.
'Good Godr' cried the sergeant. sudden
ly starting back. "What's this?" he