Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-12-17
CHAPTER ~

CHAPTER TX.
Durlhs this compulsory leisure
CiaWoonny determined to have talk
win the captain on an important sub
Ject-the building of a sloop out of the
planks of the Porpoise
Lie doctor hardly knew how to be-
9lH' as Hatteras had declared so vehe-
iii0n'ly mat he would never consent
~ use morsel of American wood: vet
II was nigh time he were brought to
l0''7oll' as June was at hand, the only
season Tor distant expeditions and
'hey could not start without a ship.
lie thought over it q long while
ana at last drew the captain aside
IN the kindest. gentlesr way.
Hatteras, do you believe I'm vour
friend?"
Most certainly I do" replied the
captain, earnestly; my best indeed
my only friend"
And if [ give you a piece of advice
"l'nout your asking, will you consid-
er my motive is perfectly disinterest-
| ed ?"
Yes, for I know you have never
oeen actuated by self-interest. But
what are you driving at?"
wait, Hatteras; l have one thing
more to ask. Do you look on me as
tfue-hearted Englishman like your
sell anxious for his country's glorv?"
Hatteras looked surprised, but sim
ply said:
Il do"
on desire to reach the north pole"
| the doctor went on, and | understand
and share your ambition. but to
achieve your object you must employ
| the right means"
We'll, and have I not sacrificed ev-
| erything for it?"
NO. Hatteras, you have not sacri-
| need your personal antipat hies Even
| at tIlls very moment l know you are
IN the mood to refuse the indispensable
! conditions of reaching the pole"
An. 1t is the boat you want to talk
about, and that man"
Hatteras, let us discuss the cues
| ton calmly, and examine tho Csc on
| all sides. The coast on which we find
| ourselves at present may terminate
| abruptly; we have no proof that it
| STRETCHES away to the pole; indeed if
your present infOrma ton prove cor
| rect. we ought to come to an open sea
| during the summer months Well, sup
| posing we reach this arctic ocean and
| find it free from ice and easy to nayi-
| gate, what shall we do if we have no
| ship"
Hatteras made no reply.
| Tell me, now, would you like to find
| yourself only a few miles from the
| pole and not be able to get to it?"
Hatteras still said nothing, but bur
| led his head in his hands
Besides" continued the doctor,
| look at the question in it's moral as
| pect Here is an Englishman who
| sacrifices his fortune and even his
! wife, to win fresh glory for his coun-
| try, but because the boat which bears
| him across an unknown ocean, or
| touches the new shore. happens to be
made of the panks of an American
| vessel-a castaWay wreck Of no use to
! anyone-Will that lessen the honor of
| the discovery? If YOU yourself had
| found the hull of some wrecked YES
| sci lying deserted on the shore would
| you have hesitated to make use of it;
and must not a sloop built by four En-
| glishmen and manned by four English
| men be English from keel to gun
| wale?"
| Hatteras was still silent.
| NO" continued CIawbonny, "the
| real truth is, it is not the sloop you
! care about; it is the man"
| Yes, doctor, yes" replied the cap
| tain. 1T is this American I detest; I
| hate him with a thorough English ha-
tired Fate has thrown him in my
path
| ..To ruin me. He seems to defy me.
and speaks as, If he were lord and mas
Ter He thinks he has my destiny in
, his hands, and knows all my projects.
| Didn't we see the man in his true col
| ors when we were giving names to the
| different coasts? Has he ever avowed
| his object in coming so far north? You
will never get out of my head that this
| man is not the leader of some expedi-
| ton sent out by the American govern
| ment."
well Hatteras, suppose it is so,
| does it follow that this expedition is
| to search for the north pole? May it
not be to find the Northwest Passage?
| Rut. anyway, Altamont is in complete
| ignorance of our object, for neither
| Johnson. nor Bell, nor myself, have
ever breathed a word to him about it,
and 1 am sure you have not
Well let him always remain so.
HE must be told in the end, for we
can't leave him here alone"
why not? Can't he stay here in
Fort Providence?"
He would never consent to that,
| Hatteras: and moreover, to leave
| man In that way. and not know wheth-
er we might find him safe When we
came back, would be worse than inn
nr,dent it would be inhuman. Alta
mont will come with US; he must
come But we need not disclose our
projects; let us tell him nothing, but
simply build a sloop for the ostenslble
| purpose Of making survey OF the
coast"
rJa+teras could not bring himself to
consent. but said:
and suppose the man won't alio"
his ship to be cut up?