Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-09
AN ARCTIC
KNIGHT
Story OF an Exploring
{ Party
By EDWIN B. ERHART
Copyright. iae. by American Press
Association.

me across the table.
stared at him expectantly.
"whatr I monosyllabled.
Arters gioomed meditativeiy. but
showed no disposition to answer.
The girl on the cot flung pittfully
thin arm over her head and moaned
and murmured Ia her sleep.
We'll. whatY' reiterated sharply.
The long trip that day across the mo-
notonous, never ending white plain
had done little toward improving my
temper.
Arters arose to his great height,
squared his broad shoulders and tip
toed around the table.
II am Godw he whispered In my ear.
I saw that had to do with q mad
man.
"i'his Is a strange world" continued
Arters. ruminant note In his voice.
Here we are come. you and l. to this
forsaken country in a quest for a lesr
woman explorer and all for miser-
able pitfance doled out to us by Chi
cago newspaper" He brushed an I'M
patient hand across his eyes. MY
memory isn't all that IT should be-"
he confessed Il should have remem-
bered who I was-am-and then this
trip would have been unnecessary"
Arters cast furtive glance toward
the cot In the dim corner. rs shspn
angel" he murmured querulously. "or
Ruth Proctor. the girl we came search
ing for: l can't seem 20 remember
somehow"
Both" I answered, and my COM
panion was satisfied.
, 1t seemed years since the Meteor
had assigned Us. staff reporters Mt the
time. to the hazardous task Of finding
Ruth. Proctor. the intrepid girl ex-
plorer, who had set out two years be-
fore to End the north pole and was
now supposed to be someyhere In the
vicinity OF the ninetleth degrec.
The Meteor is not one to stfnt Its
embassies. We. the words Of Arters
TO the contrary. fairly reveled in mon
ey. and the essentials Of the, trip were
all forthcoming and were Of the best.
Our boat, the Lost Hope. was marvel
OF technical construction. made for
this very purpose and for our enter
prising Journal.
Miss Proctor. the young society wo-
man who had forsworn. New York
and the callow amusements Of her set
to do something really worth while.
had been conspicuous In the limeiiSht
on the eve of hes departure and for
twelve months thereafter. Now II she
was referred TO at all in the papers
formerly enthusing over her nerve and
daring she was given no mere than a
passing paragraph. Her fame babe
fair to be niched with that OF her IL
lustrious predecessor. Andre. the fame
of--failure.
But the Metsek kept an inpatient
eye northward. and when the relief
expedition came home without her Ar
tiers and I were given the word to go
In search OF the girl.
Arters was the Benjamin ]. Arters
OF much mad scranbling on the part
Of ambitious dailies that lusted for his
efficient services. He was. writer
keen Of brain and pen and one Of the
highest salaried fact getters In the
world Of smadge and cheap paper.
No college degree journalist was Ar.
sers, but q reporter.
Smith. the managing editor. had said
to me, You are to accompany Ar
ters'-net ON account OF my stellar
position on the stan. understand. but
because had been one Of the adven-
turers In that first rush to the Yukon
aud knew ny north
i. Our ship had rare good luck, the Ice
drift allowing US at the last to come
within q quarter mile Of the silent
Maid Of Orleans. Ruth Proetor's boat
OF course IL was deserted TIE log
book was gone. We had no way OF
telling whether the crew had returned
TO the trail after the original 3rst rush
toward the pole or persisted OF cold
With four Eskimos. dogs and siedges
we began the tail OF our trip. Oar
route In all probability was the same
as that OF Ruth Proctor's party.
EskImos ere peculiar humans Our
men seemed perfectly centsnted. but
one morning we crswieo os< U oe1
sleeping bags to End them goae. They
had taken with them cur fastest dogs.
two sledges and large supply OF our
provisions. Wisely We decided pot TO
pursue.
Fate must have planned our sxpedi
don with an eye fer the ueiocrs-
matte. At any rete. when we found
the fur clad maid explorer she vas
alone. seemingly deserted BY every
body. and haE crazed and s'ck- she
bad food. but in order TO make this
last she had been slowly starving Der
ce,f TO death she was moving toward
the poiei I fell IN love with her
stFaightwsy. and ! guess Artersd
Ruth Proctor was a w.fchtng thing