Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-07

A1lSs
GOOD heavens" exclaimed Johnson.
he is blind!" --'
MOI replied Clawbonny, no! NV
poor friends, we have only saved the
pody of Hatteras; his soul is left be-
nlnd on the top of the volcano. His
reason is gone!"
1nree hours after the whole party
were back once more in the grotto.
Well, friends" said the doctor, 1--WE
cannot stay longer in this island; the
sea Is open, and we have enough pro-
visions. We ought to start at once,
and get back without the least delay to
Fort Providence, where we must win
ter"
The day passed in profound dejec-
ton. The insanity Of the captain was
a bad omen, and when they began to
talk over the return voyage, their
hearts failed them for fear. They
missed the intrepid spirit of their
leader.
Next morning they made all ready
to sail, and brought the tent and all its
belongings on board
But before leaving these rocks, never
to return, the doctor, carrying out the
Intentions of Hatteras, had a cairn
erected on the very spot where the
poor fellow had jumped ashore. It was
made of great blocks placed one on the
top of the other, so as to be land
mark perfectly visible while the erup-
lions of the volcano left 1t undisturb-
ed On one of the side stones, Bell
chtseled the simple inscription:
JOHN HATTERAS.
The duplicate of the document at
testing the discovery Of the north pole
was fnclosed in timed iron cylinder,
and deposited in the cairn, to remain
silent witness among those desert
rocks.
This done, the four men and the cap
tain, a poor body without sout, set
out on the return voyage.
On the 18th they sighted Altamont
harbor, but as the sea was open all
along the coast, they determined to go
round to Victoria bay by water, In
stead of crossing New America in the
| sledge.
AS the sloop made Victoria bay they
all fastened to Fort Providence. But
what g. scene Of devastation met their
eyes! Doctors house, stores, powder
magazine, Notifications, all had melted
away and the provisions had been ran
sacked by devouring animals.
After a thorough search, a few cases
of pemmican were found scattered here
and there, and two barrels Of preserV-
ed meat, altogether enough for six
weeks, and a good supply Of powder
It was soon collected and brought on
board
At last, after thirty days tolerably
quick sailing, and after battling for
forty EIGHT hours against the tncreas-
ing drift ice, and risking the frail sloop
| a hundred times, the navigators saw
| themselves blocked in on all sides.
Altamont make a reckoning with
scrupulous precision, and found they
were in II degrees Is minutes latitude
and IS degrees 2 minutes longitude.
This is our exact position, then"
said the doctor I'VE are in South
Lincoln, just at Cape Eden, and are
entering Jones sound. With a little
more good luck we should have found
open water right to Baff1ns bay.
at suppose, then" said Altamont,
"o11r only course is to leave the sloop,
and get by sledge to the east coast of
Lincoln
The rest agreed.
The little vessel was unloaded and
the sledge put together again. At last,
on the Gath. they set foot on North
Devon.
Tt was not till the 3Oth of August
that they emerged from those wild
mountains into a plain, which seemed
RI have been upturned and convulsed
nv volcanic action at some distant pc
riod.
A1tamont, who had displayed great
unselfshness and devotion to the 9TH
ers reused his sinking energies, and
determined to go out ar / find food for
his comrades.
Ha had been absent about an hour,
and only once during that time had
thew heard the report of his gun; and
now he was coming back empty-hand-
ed hut running as if terrified.
"Dovn there, under the snow" cried
A1+amont. speaking as if scared, and
vomiting in a particular direction.
"What?"
"A whole party of men!"
"Alive?"
.cDaad-frozen-an even"
ne did not finish the sentence, but a
look of unspeakable horror came over
his face.
The doctor and the others were so
ro1sed by this incident that they man
q ped to get up and drag themselves
o fter Altamont towards the place he
indicated.
They soon arrived at a narrow part
Of the bottom of a ravine, and what
snectacle met their gaze! Dead bodies
already stiff, lay half buried IN wind
ing sheet of snow.
II was evident this rav1ne had peen
b,,t recently the scene of a feartul
struggle, that the poor wretches hao
been feeding on human flesh, perhaps
while still warm. And among them
the doctor recognized Shandon' zen
and others of the Inflated crew OF the
Forward!
Come away! come away" cried the
doctor. dragging his companions from
the scene. Horror gave them momen-
tarv strength, and they resumed tner