Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-22

and sat down upon the bank.
The lighting of the spirit lamps in the
| heater and cooker was almost a sacred rite.
A Buddhist might have thought it so. The
| Sergeant made it sufficiently impressive.
''For," said he, 1--WE shall take the remain
ing "a matches with us, that we pay not
| freeze on our trip. Your fate is in your
own hands, and if, by any misfortune, one
or both should go out, the Professor will
have to set them agoing with electricity.
The problem lies with you"
Every man Degan to feel that life was
serious at the eighty-eighth degree.
'sBy the way" whispered the Sergeant to
Prof. Wilder, taking him by the arm aside,
few minutes before he was to start with
the tutor on the terrible tramp, shave you
found out what was the matter with the
machinery? Do you think you can pick US
up at the Pole?"
81 found that the oil on the bearings of
the propeller shaft was frozen stiff. That
is sufficient to account for the gradual stop
page"
f'But wouldn't the heat from the friction
keep the oil from freezing?" The Sergeant
thought he was scientific.
"Not enough heat could be generated to
overcome the inertia of such tremendously
low temperature. If so, the bearings would
nave Oeen Durneu away
''Then," asked the Sergeant tremulously,
sis this fatal danger?"
"We shall have to return without OIL"
"Can you? Have you power enough?"
eve must" answered the inventor
pluckily. 'And as for power, we have
enough stored to keep agolng tor six months
steady. If can clean that oil out-you see
I must take the machinery apart-I guess
we'll go it yet. She needs a rest. She
ought to have three weeks. When will you
be back?'
An, when indeedl To carry provisions,
sleeping bags. instruments, spirits of wine
and of hope over an ice-blocked journey of
200 miles, in such a temperature-when
might they return? The danger of attempt
ing the passage of the Atlantic in 15-foot
boat was nothing to the peril OF scrambling
100 miles to an unstaked spot and finding
the way back. Three miles would make q
toilsome days journey. And then, hours
of resting, or trying to rest, in wet bags,
nourished on frozen food! Does this not re-
quire the indomitable spiritual energy of
hope, as well as the physique of an Ice
lander?
The Sergeant shook his head 'We have
six weeks provisions which we shall cache
as we proceed, snd pick up on our way back.
As directed, you will cache provisions
lOuE JOuIuCI uuC US
depend for our lives on them. L have indi-
Gated the spot. think you had better send
a reliet party as far as you can 20, If we
don't turn up in 80 days"
He then delivered written instructions to
the Professor, to be minuteIy followed, gave
detailed cautions as to the stores, examined
the box of "a precious matches, lighted
lantern, which was to be their means of get
ting fire, and walked, with a load of IS
pounds on his back, resolutely and quietly
out of the car.
The tutor had preceded him. 1t was not
a solemn moment for him, but one of excit-
ing enterprise. He weighed but 130 pounds,
and carried 80. He did not stagger. The
crystal air invigorated him. His intense
nature gave his muscles power and his bones
endurance. He babe the three a CHEEKY
goodby. But Royal asked leave to accom-
pany his chief little way.
Emotion is not external when men do
great deeds of daring. With hurrahl d.
that hid any secret misgivings at the gig an
tic undertaking, the explorers slowly
marched toward the mysterious North.
To Be Contisssd Nszs Svndarl