The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-09-08

rapidly, so one nibbles away, shiv-
Iers and dreams of better times.
The dry, uncooked bits of meat go
down with a snatch and some eff
fort, and one is very conscious of
it's position in the stomach by a
heavy, full feeling, which is al
ways a joy to hungry mortals.
Long before the half-pound
lump, which is the usual allow
ance, disappears, the pangs OF
hunger are forgotten, and then a
desire for a hot cup of tea to take
away the scratchy feeling is ali
that is necessary to make life
again worth living. The diet of a
sledge traveller is not SO bad
when you have nothing else with
in reach, but the gods could not
force a man to eat it IL he could
get som ething else instead. One
takes to it kindly as convict does
to prison diet.
1t is not so bad with the bed.
Among the incidents of bed-go-
ing are to be found the happiest
moments of an explorers life. 1t
Is pity that the north pole can
mot be reached In a sleeping bag,
for therein lies the foundation of
most of the comforts of polar adj
ventures.
If the camp is pitched in some
nook, out of the wind, you are
quickly buried under the drift
of snow. If the sleeping bag is
too thin or too thick, il it is too
long or too short, or If it has any
|one of a dozen faults. 1t makes
life a torture. Some prefer a
"one-man" bag, others bag for
three. Now l like a "three-man"
bag, but want to choose my bed
fellows carefully, and ] also
want to select my position in the
bag. When three men are slipped
into a bag like fingers into a
glove there Is not much room for
discussion. Such men must not
have bristles which can be rub
bed the wrong way, for there is
nothing worse than sulphurous
language in a sleeping bag. 1t
doesn't matter how charming a
man may ordinarily he, he is an
other sort of creature in a bag;
and then, too, men have such
different ways when asleep.
To illustrate the comforts and
discomforts. however. ! must re-
count a part of this experience. In
| field work one seldom has shelter
except a small tent or a snow
house. but usually, when the
weather is at all tolerable, the
bag is spread out upon the open
field of ice. One man attends to
the culinary business; his duties
are simple. After building a
wall of snow as a wind guard
for the little blue-flame oil stove
he selects some blocks of snow to
be melted for tea. The tea Is
several hours in preparation, and
while this is being done the
other two undress and slip into
the bag. 1t is remarkable how
QUICKLY men will jump out of
their clothing in temperature of
40 degrees below zero.
As the men CULVER and shuttle
and grunt in the bags to over
come the chill of their cold air
bath. the cook chops off pieces of
pemmican with an ak and, with a
package of biscuits, he losses 1t
to them. For q half hour they
punch each other and munich the
hard food, and then q reaction
sets ina sort of warm electric
glow which raises the mind to the
seventh heaven of happiness. All.
these are the moments for which
polar men win gladly SILVER for
weeks. Then 1t is that they lie
down and dream of happy homes.
sweethearts and friends far
away.
After a time the lonely mortal
upon whom the lot has fallen to
prepare the tea brings over a con-
densed milk can full Of steaming
stuff. II Is feeble. but 1t is hot.