Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-19
CHAPTER XIII.
WASTED TREASURE

all. Ignorant of their whereabouts, over
strained BY their sudden recovery OF the
Aeropole, nervous yond measure because
OF their missing comrades, they hardly dared
to speak to one another.
"a shadow fall! What nonsense! How
can shadow fall in this forsaken country"
Jack was right, though slightly disagree
able in the expression of the truth. A
shadow might change its position to the
right or to the left at the Pole, but suddenly
to rise, or to fall-that from the very
nature of things it could not do. There
fore Royal had observed a phenomenon.
But Royal kept his eyes glued upon the
dark spot. He directed the professor to-
ward it. II believe it is the party!' he
shouted suddenly. 'Tt is the party" he
cried again. Let me down! Stop her!
He's sleeping! Let me DOWN.
Roval opened the door in the floor with q
wrench. Hovering over the Sergeant the
Aeropole gradually descended like min
istering angel.
Jack Hardy was now aroused. "Bully
for you, old boy" He clapped bis friend
upon the shoulder. ''They'r re saved! Thank
God, they're saved"
Royal threw out the rope ladder. The
two young men fought to 60 down first
In the friendly struggle Royal ducked.
He caught the round of the swaying ladder.
He was not used to it. He slipped; he
clung; his feet shot out; he slipped again.
In his eagerness, when he had thus found
cred to the bottom of the rope, he kept
right on. He only sprained his ankle,
lucky fellow, but the brave boy found the
Sergeant
Thus the Aeropole had to come to earth.
The two men carried the Sergeant in
tenderly, and then helped Royal in after
him. For two hours they searched for the
tutor, meanwhile taking such care as they
could of their unconscious chief
In the course of these ministrations thev
discovered in the Sergeant's pocket q
crumpled bit of paper which told the har-
rowing story. Women might have cried,
but these men, brought face to face for the
first time with the inevitable results of
Polar expeditions, bit their lips together
tightly. Their chins quivered; their hands
trembled; they looked upon their PROSTATE
chief with piteous tenderness What could
they say?
"weil," said Jack succinctly, '1et's save
what's left anyhow"
The Sergeant remained immovable. His
eyes seemed to be Theoretically closed Not
knowing what else to suggest, Royal pro-
posed the worst thing he could; he called
Tor hot water
There isn't any on, and the cooker ID
out, answered Jack Hardy, with troubled
voice.
He filled the lamp of the cooker and took
q twisted piece of paper to light at the
double burner of the heater. As he opened
the door the lamp fiickered. 1t was in its
last gasp. Nervously he applied the paper
His trembling hands gave jerk. The
rough surface swept over the two undecided
burners and extinguished them with q
sickening smoke. Jack Hardy looked up
with a Mortified face, and encountered
Royals eyes upon him.
The inventor was in the engine-room and
did not know of this irreearable cstastro-
phe. Royal did not say a word; but on
encountering that look, Jack Hardy shut
his eyes, for the sight of that despair was
more than he could endure or could ever
forget This was the worst moment of his
life.
Adventure in the Polar regions consists
not so much in startling episodes of danger
as in keeping away from danger; not in
starvation, but in getting enough to eat;
not in freezing, but in trying to keep warm;
not IN dying, but in living at the highest
odds
The Sergeant knocked at the portico of
death and he, too, would have entered in,
the last of all that CHASTITY, emaciated, un-
recognizable procession of Arctic explorers,
had not his struggle to live to proclaim his
discovery made him fight like q polar bear
for his existence. He had wished to lead
the first expedition that would not result in
a series of laggard reliets That intention
for the time, at least, saved his life.
professor cried Royal with voice of
agony. He was supporting the stiffened
head of his starved and frozen leader on his
4. ha
the other chafed the mans face. 1t wa. in
tensely cold; even in the huge skins they
wore, they were half dozen.
Professor, the lamps are outl For Gods
sake, strike civilization as quick as you can
or we're gonersr
''She's going at hundred and fifty now,"
observed Jack, consulting the thermometer.
He was doing his best to atone for his fatal
carelessness.
The wind VS. were now coated an inch
deep with b ar frost. The three could see
nothing. At tremendous elevation the
Aeropole kept its course BY the spirit COM
pass The interior was far below zero.
But this fact was providential It saved
the Sergeant.
A smelt can be frozen and thawed and
still live, provided the process is gradual.
1t is the same with frozen man, provided
the spark of life is still in him.
I'll send her for all she's worth. I'll
punish her Tor her nervous prostration-
She'll have to go TO make up" answered
the professor. He spoke and looked as if
he would have liked to lash his recreant
machinery for her hysteric trick. He
touched the lever with ruthless hand.
The whirling of many wheels took to
itself higher and higher pitch. The air
ship, as if conscious of her past fault and of
her ability to atone, sang through the air
like projectile Careless of the danger of
their unprecedented speed, with wild looks
OF triumph, he still urged the mechanism
to its ultimate power. The wind gauge
measured 275 miles an hour. At this rate
they would cut through hurricane as if it
were anchored. At tins rste they would be
in Chicago in II hours
At last drop or two of brandy found its
way to the vitals Of the sergeant His
swollen lips moved.
Don't bother about me-" he family
gasped. Take himl''
The hero was dreaming of the moment
when he and his party were rescued years
ago 1t was the time when q poor fellow
lying by his side, with his last breath,
asked the rescuers about DeLong and his
party. When told of their fate, with tears
in his eyes, forgetful of the tact that his
own arms and legs were frozen of, he said;
"Poor fellows, how they must have
suffered"
Such is the stuff our Arctic heroes are
made Of God bless them! If they had