The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-10-04

| syesa-C
and last drew the captain aside
and said in the kindest, gentlest
way:
"Hatteras, do you believe I'm
your friend?"
Most certainly do" replied the
captain, earnestly; my best, in
deed, my only friend"
| And If | give you piece of ad-
vice without your asking will you
consider my motive is perfectly dis
interested?"
Yes, for know you have never
been 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 true-he;Sted Englishman
like yourself, anxious for his coun-
try's glory?"
Hatteras looked surprised, but
simply said: II do"
| You desire to reach the north
POLE" the doctor went on, "and I
understand and share your ambi-
ton, but to achieve your object you
must employ the right means"
well, and have l not sacrificed
everything for it?''
mo, Hatteras, you have not sac
rificed your personal antipathies.
Even at this very moment / know
you are In the mood to refuse the
indispensable conditions of reach
ing the pole"
"Ah! 1t is the boat you want to
talk about, and that man
"Hatteras, let us discuss the
question calmly, and examine the
case 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
information prove correct, we
ought to come to an open sea dur.
ing the summer months. Well, sup
posing we reach this arctic ocean
and find it free from ice and easy
to navigate, 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
buried his head in his hands.
Besides" continued the doctor,
look at the question in it's moral
aspect. Here is an Englishman who
sacrifices his fortune, and even his
wife, to win fresh glory for his
| coupfrv hut hnoarco tho hnof
which bears him across an un-
known ocean or touches the new
shore happens to be made of the
| planks of an American vessel-a
castaway wreck of no use to any
one-will that lessen the honor of
the discovery? If you yourself had
found the hull of some wrecked
vessel lying deserted on the shore
would you have hesitated to make
use of it; and must not sloop
built by four Englishmen and
manned by four Englishmen be
English from keel to gunwhale?' p
Hatteras was still silent.
NO" continued Clawbonny," the
real truth is, it is not the sloop you
care about; it is the man."
Yes, doctor, yes" replied the
captain. 1T is this American
detest; l hate him with a thor
ough English hatred. Fate has
thrown him in my path"
| ITO save you!"
"TO ruin me. He seems to defy
me. and speaks as if he were lord
and master. He thinks he has my
destiny in his hands, and knows
all my projects. Didn't we see
we were giving names to the diff
ferent 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 expedition sent
out by the American government.
We'll, Hatteras, suppose 1t is SO,
does it follow that this expedition
is to search for the north pole
May it not be to find the North.
west passage? But, anyway, Alta
mont is in complete ignorance of
our object, for neither Johnson nor
Bell nor myself have ever breath
ed word to him about 1t, and 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 a man in that way, and not
know whether we might find him
safe when We came back would
/ be worse than i'm prudent; 1t
81 would be inlluman Aitamnp' -in
co4ae with ps h,,sps'@s \. .tn g ~, nu.'
jart us ten him nothing, but simply
builG a sloop i " the osrensibIe pur-
pose of making survey OF the