The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-12-02

to mark the important area into which
we were pressing.
When the sun was low the eye ran
over moving plains in brilliant waves
Of color to dancing horizons. The mi,
RACES turned things tOpsy turvy. In
verified lands and queer objects ever
but all of this was due to the atmos
phPric magic of the midnight sun.
With a lucky series Of daily aStro-
nomical observations our position was
now accurately fixed for each stage of
progress. AS we neared the pole the
imagination quickened. and a restless.
almost hysteric excitement came over
us. The boys fancied they saw beaver
and seals, and I had a new land under
observation frequently. but with a
change in the direction of light or an
altered trend in our temperament the
horizon cleared and we became eager
only to push farther into the mystery.
From the Pighty-eighth to the eighty
ninth the ice was in very large fields
and the surface was less irregular, but
in other respects it was about the
same as below the eighty-seventh. We
noticed here also an extension of the
range of vision. We seemed to see
longer distances and the ice along the
horizon had a less angular outline.
The color OF the sky and the ice also
changed to deeper purple blues. We
had no way of checking these impress
sions by other observations. The ca
! gerness to find something unusual may
have fred the imagination. but since
the earth is 1attened at the pole per
haps a widened horizon should be de-
tected.
At 8 o'clock OF the morning of April
10 we camped on a picturesque old
field with convenient hummocks, to
which we could easily rise for the fire.
quent outlook which we now maintain
ed. The tent was pitched. The dogs
were silenced by blocks of pemmican.
In us new enthusiasm "a aroused by
a liberal pot of pea soup and q few
chips Of frozen meat. and then we,
bathed in life giving sunbeams, screen
ed from the piercing air by silk
strands. 1t was a beautiful day. and
had our of appreciation not been
blunted by accumulated fatigue we
would have greatly enjoyed the play
scene Of sparkle.
The Eskimos were soon lost in a pro.
found sleep. the only comfort in their
hard lives, but ! remained awake. as
had been my habit on succeeding days.
to get nautical observations. The Ion
gitude calculations lined us at "a de-
grees 3 minutes. At noon the suns al
titude was carefully set on the Sextant
and the latitude quickly reduced gave
80 degrees 81 MISUNDERSTANDING
miles from the pole.
My heart jumped for Joy. and the un-
conscious commotion which I was Gre
ating awakened Etukishuk. l told him
that in two average marches we would
reach the ''tigi shu" (the big nail).
Ahwelah was awakened with a kick.
and together they went out to a hum
mock and through glasses sought for
a mark to locate so important a place
as the terrestrial axis. If but n
sleep beyond it must be seen.
l tried to explain that the pole was
not visible to the eye: that its position
was located only by a repeated use of
the various instruments. This entirely
satisfied their curiosity, and they burst
out in hurrahs of joy. For two hours
they chanted and danced the passions
of wild life.
1t was the first real sign, of pleasure
or rational emotion which they had
shown for several weeks. For some
time / had entertained the fear that
we no longer possessed the strength to
return to land. but the unbridled flow
of vigor dispelIed that idea.
More sleep was quite impossible. We
brewed an extra pot of tea, prepared a
faVorite broth of pemmican, dug up a
surprise of fancy biscuits and filed up
on good things to the limit Of the al
lowance for our final feast days. The
dogs, which had joined the chorus Of
gladness. were given an extra lump of
pemmican. A few hours more were
a~greeably spent in the tent. and then
we started with a new spirit for the
uttermost north. ..
We we're excited to a fever heat.
The feet were light on this run. Even
the dogs caught the infectious eDthusi-
asm and rushed along at a pace which
made it difficult for me to keep a suf1-
cient advance to set a good course.
The horizon was still searched for
something to mark the approaching
boreal center, but nothing unusual was
seen. 1t was the same expanse of
moving seas Of ice on which we had
lived for 500 miles.
But, looking through gladdened eyes,
the eel assumed a new glory. There
were plains of gold fenced in purple
walls. with gilded crests. 1t was one
of the few days on the stormy pack
when all nature smiled with cheering
lights.
AS the day advanced and the splen-
dor of summer night was run into the
day the beams of goId OH
the surface SHOWS thickened. while the
shadows of Lummocks and ridges
spread IL line OF violet barriers through
a way must he sought.
ENrnnl my F,..,ft 80, =, &c. -.