The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-09-30

early and started OH, Bell ana
Altamont as usual going ahead of
the rest and acting as scouts.
Johnson and the others kept be-
side the sledge, and were soon
nearly two miles behind the
guides; but the weather was so
dry and clear that all their move
ments could be distinctly OBJ
served.
Storms blew up again and the
tent was pitched in a ravine for
shelter, as the sky was dark and
threatening, and violent north
wind was blowing.
I'm afraid we'll have a bad
night" said Johnson.
"a pretty noisy one, I expect,
replied the doctor, "but not cold.
We had better take every precau-
ton, and fasten down our tent
with good big stones"
"You are right, Mr.. Clawbonny.
If the hurricane swept. away our
tent l don't know where we should
find 1t again"
The tent held fast, but sleep
was impossible, for the tempest
was let loose and ragged with tre-
mendous violence.
at seems to me-" said the doc
tor, during a brief lull in the deaf
ening roar, "as If l could hear the
sound of collisions between Ice
bergs and ice fields. If we were
near the sea, I could really be-
lieve there was a general breakup
in the ice."
81 cans explain the noises any
other way" said Johnson.
"Can we have reached the coast,
II wonder?" asked Hatteras.
at is not impossible" replied
Clawbonny. "Listen! Do you
hear that crash? That is certain
| ly the sound of icebergs falling.
We cannot be very far from the
ocean,"
"Well, II It turns out to be so,
I shall push right on over the ice
fields"
ooh, they'll be all broken up
after such a storm as this. We
shall see what tomorrow brings;
but all can say is, If any poor
Fellows are wandering about in a
might like this, pity them"
The storm lasted for ten hours,
and the weary travellers anxiously
watched for the morning. About
daybreak its fury seemed to have
lspent itself, and Hatteras, accom-
panied by Bell and Altamont, VEN
tured to leave the tent. They
climbed hill about 800 feet
high, which commanded a wide
view. But what a metamorphosed
region met their gael All the
ice had completely vanished, the
storm had chased away the win
ter, and stripped the soil every
where of its snow covering.
But Hatteras scarcely bestowed
a glance on surrounding objects;
his eager gaze was bent on the
northern horizon, which appeared
shrouded in black mist.
THAT may very likely be
caused by the ocean," suggested
IClawbonny.
you are right. The sea must
be there" was the reply.
THAT tint is what we call the
blink of open water" said John
Ison.
Come on, then, to the sledge
at once, and let us get to this I'M
known ocean," exclaimed Hat
teras.
Their few preparations were
soon made, and the march re-
stunned. Three hours afterwards
they arrived at the coast, and
shouted simultaneously. 1.-THE
sea! the seal"
"Ay, and open sea" added Hat
teras.
And so 1t was. The storm had
opened wide the polar basin, and
the loosened packs were drifting
in all directions. The icebergs
had weighed anchor, and were
sailing out into the open sea.
This new ocean stretched far
away out of sight, and not a single
island or continent was visible.
After a careful survey of the
coast, Hattegas determined to
launch the sloop that very day,
and to unpack the sledge, and get
everything on board. BY 5 o'clock
nothing more remained to be
done. The sloop lay rocking
gracefully in the little bay, and
all the cargo was on board except
the tent and what was required
for the nights encampment.
The sight of the sloop suggest
ed to Clawbonny the propriety of
giving Altamont's name to the
little bay. His proposition to
that effect met with unanimous
and the port was forth
with dignified by the title of Alta
mont harbor.
According to the Doctors calcu-
lations, the travellers were now
only three degrees distant from
the pole. They had gone over 200
miles from Victoria bay to Alta
mont harbor, and were In latitude
81 degrees minutes and longi-
tude lis degrees 35 minutes.
CONTINUED Tomorrow
Rummage Sale Oct. 7 and 8 at
1117-19 G street by Trinity Guild.