The Cairo bulletin., 1909-09-13
fconctuded.l

Copyright, 1893, by the New York Times
Company.
Battle Harbor. Labrador (via Mar
conf. Cape Ray, n. FL September II.
With the disappearance of Bartlett
| turned 10 the problem before me.
This was that for which ! had work
ed for thirty-two years: for which |
had lived the simple life; for which
had conserved all my energy on the
upward trip; for which had trained
myself as for a race. crushing down
every worry about success.
For success now, in spite of my
eyes, | felt In trim--tt for the de-
mands of the coming days and eager
TO be on the trail AS for my party, my
equipment. and my supplies, was In
shape beyond my most sanguine
dreams of earliest years. My party
might be regarded as an ideal which
had now come to realiZation--as
loyal and responsible to my will as the
fingers of my right hand.
Four of them carried the technique
OF dogs, sledges, ice and cold as their
heritage Two of them. Hansen and
Ootam, were my companions to the
farthest point three years before. Two
others, Egingwah and Sigloo, were In
Clarks division, which had such a
narrow escape at that time, aud now
were willing to go anywhere, with my
immediate party and willing to risk
themselves again in any supporting
party.
The fifth was young man who had
never served before in any expedition
but who was. If possible, even more
willing and eager than the others for
the princely gifts~a boat, a rifle. a
shotgun. ammunition knives, etc
which | had promised TO each of them
who reached the pole with me; for he
knew that these riches would enable
him to wrest from a stubborn father
the girl whose image filed his hot
young heart
All had blind confidence so long as
| was with them. and gave no thought
for the morrow, sure that whatever
happened should somehow get then
back to land. But | dealt with the
party equally. recognized that all its
impetus centerd in me. and that what
ever pace | set it would make good. II
any one was played out | would stop
for short time.
| had no fault to find with the condi-
tons My dogs were the very best
the pick of IL with which We left
Columbia. Almost all were powerful
males, hard as nails, In good flesh, but
without supert1uous ounce, without
q suspicion of fat anywhere; and what
was better yet, they were all in good
spirits.
My sledges. now that the repairs
were completed, were in good con
diton. My supplies were ample for
forty days, and, with the reserve re.
presented by the dogs themselves,
could be made to last fifty.
Pacing back and forth in the lee of
The pressure ridge, where our igloos
were built, while my men got their
loads ready for the next marches. /
settled on my programme | decided
that | should strain every nerve to
make five marches of fifteen miles
each, crowding these marches in such
a way as to bring mp to the end of the |
fifth long enough before Noon to per
init the immediate taking of an OBJ |
for latitude
Starts for Goal Leaving Others Behind
Weather and leads permitting. be-
Iieved I could do this II formerly pro-
,osed distances were cut down by
any chance, | had two means in re-
serve for making up my deficit: First, |
TO make the last march forced one. |
stopping to make tea and rest the |
dogs. but not to sleep, Second, at the /
end of the fifth march to make a
forced march with light sledge.
double team of dogs and one or two |
1f the party. leaving the rest In camp. |
Underlying all these calculations /
W ttH u itNtht tItipII vi tue EVIL present /
of open leads and i'm !
passable water and the knowledge |
hat a twenty-four hour gale would |
mock all of my plans into a cooked
lat and even put us in imminent
,eril
At little after midnight Of April I.
after few hours of sound sleep hit
he trail. leaving the others to break
Up camp and follow. As climbed the
PRESSURE ridge of our igloos set
mother hole in my belt, the third since
started. Every man and dog of us
vas lean and fat-bellied as a board
md as hard.
1t was fine morning. The wind of
he last two days had subsidized and
he going was the best and most
quable Of any / had had yet. The
oes were large and old, hard and
lear and were surrounded by pres
ure ridges, some Of which were al