The Helena independent., 1892-06-05

observation at eighty-two degrees twenty
eight minutes twenty-six days ago. l.
Even as he had written, the torpor had
reached his arm. and after thruStng this
missive of unra alleled herois M into this
flag which, MS solo survivor he carried upon
his heart, he had died.
But what diabolical agent brought this
man here, then? If the last observation
was made at the eighty second degree, how
could this starved and frozen creature
make his way from thence. nearly fou'
hundred and eighty miles? 1t was a mon
strous impossihility'
Such thoughts demanded an answer; ana
the two dun founded men demanded a soiu-
tion from each other. They Qlared at the
dead face, but it rendered no account of its
grussoma presence. Then, to Gap the Gil
max of this day, the sergeant sat down and
cried, like a man shaken with u terrible sor-
row. o. like woman relieved from al aw-
full anxiety.
"Oh-oin' he sobbsd in broken tones.
'it's all right. or course he's here.''
"How?" stamnered the tutor, looking
tor all the world like the dead man, il
glassiness of color
THANK God! Oh--oh-He didn't come!
Ho drifted! He just happened here.'
This scientific and simple solution re-
lievsd the amou~-propre and the IN adden-
ing distress of the explorer suddenlr, SO
utterly, that the great sohs came as a bless
ing.
The astounding discovery silenced them.
They looked upon the human derelict
again. By some inscrutable decree of prov
laence this hotsam Of a froZen current met
his awful appointment at the north pole ut
the day and nour. A month ftom now he
would have rassed on. For brief moment
the gallant flag he carried would have dom.
mated the untraversed country; a hundred
years from then it might have been deliy-
cred from the womb of All iceberg in a
southern sea.
ut is lesson ON PRIDE" said the ser
gealt soDerly. "Perhaps l needed it:
guess l did" He touched the body and the
flag reverently.
'We can raise our own flag. anyway" re-
marked the young man. So geant Wilt
wig did not notice how fseby the words
were spoken. He only thought of the homo,
OF taking possession of the land. and of
doing it honorably.
When will it emerge between Spitzber-
gen and Nova Zsmbla?' mused the ser
geant as he raised the pole.
II think the English fag ought to float
there. too" observed the tutor. 1T got
here tirst.'
But it wasn't its fault" The sergeant
glanced at the pleading eyes Of his COM
panon. They looked as if they belonged
to body anslatsd. 1T shall 1y below
ne added. Reluctantly he tied the British
fisg to the hslyard and made ready to
raise 1t. The tutor struggled to his feet
and stood before the flags. For Il moment
both removed their fur caps and bowed
their heads before the emblem of their
nation, rlaced on the proudest eminence in
the world
The beautiful stars and stripes hoated
fair and free above their heads.
Cant it go little higher?" urged the
tutor IN a whisper, pointing to the British
nag. "Somshow-I think-it deserves it''
| IAlfcreu u
little reluctantly, rs if it detracted from
his glory, the sergeant raised the under flag
three inches.
"There! that's enough he growled.
ION, my boy: we haven't eaten for five
hours. Come! let me cary YOU back,
What have been doing?' Remorse smote
him too late; he saw the anguish Of death
in the tuto g face.
mot YETI he breathed.
Crawling even upon his knees, the eener-
| GUS youth. with last etTo t, stood up and
raised the urdermost ensign until it foated
| on an equality with its conuuerinp rival.
The sergeant looked at him helplssslv,
This act killed the boy. He cast into the
| face OF the sergeant an imp!oring, COM
! mandlng, a loving look, tried to speak
again. and passed, like hundreds of Arctic
heroes, softly into the other world
AS he breathed his last. the most bsauti-
| ful phenomenon OF nature saluted his
! marching soul. About the sun, two other
| suns of marvellous radiance were seen to
| shine. They Glowed in the colors OF the
blue, the yellow and the oranGe. their ir-
rldescent rays kissed the face which soon,
| IN It's eternal tomb on the neiahborIng
island would never no change and decay.
| With bowed mead the bereayed man, now
the lonelisst man in the world. set his back
upon the dead hero upon the triumphant
| nags. his face against the glittering par
hellon. and sought, with broken steps, his
hut of ice.
TO BE CONTINUED.
lCopyright. 1882. by s. S. Mcclure. All rights
| reserved