The Glenwood post., 1911-04-29
CHAPTER II.-contlnusd.

Cayley could not contradict her,
and he saw there was little need of
trying to do So She had spoken sim
ply. and very gravely. but It was evi.
dent the years had no. taken the sting
out of her grief.
He told you where he was?" he
asked.
"Oh. quite exactly" she told him;
he gave US latitude and longitude,
and mapped the coast-line. So you
were wrong, you see. in what you said
about cartographers. And he gave us
the route by which with reasonable
fortune. we might find open water.
We had good fortune and we got here
safely. but, of course, we were too
hate. The hut on the shore there 10
deserted. We have seen no signs OF
hfe at all Tho men have gone ashore
10 search. and there is to be a gun-flre
If they ind anyone alive. But they
have been out all day and there has
been no sound. You will understand.
I think, though, why did not want to
sleep tonight In my cabin In the
yacht; why the Ice and the dome Of
stars seemed better"
Yes" he said. II understand"
Presently, after a moments musing
he added. What seems strange to me-
fncomprehensible altogether, is, that
men like your father. and SO many
others. should risk and lose their lives
trying to reach the pole"
You can't understand that" she
Questioned surprised. you. man
with wings?"
Il suppose it's because Of the
wings" he answered her II slept
there once. early this summer-slept,
and rested. and ate a meal"
There" she echoed incredulously
kWhers do you mean?"
AT the pole. or within a half degree
Of tt won't guarantee my instru-
ments. nor my hit-and-miss observa-
tons any more accurately than that
and 1t seemed poor place to risk
ones life trying to reach. Just the
ace-pack-the eternal ice-pack; moth
ing but that" Then his eyes lighted
little. But should like to go there
some time. in the wintsr-should like
- ny straight ahead. for hours and
hours. through the long dark. untf1
could see the North Star squarely
above my head In the zenith, the cen
Tor OF all the universe. That would
be . sight worth having. l should
think. Some day. perhaps, / shall try
for It. And then one could go straight
on aoross-a week or ten days would
do 1t all-from Dawson City, say, to
st. Petersburg"
Dawson City to st. Petersburg!"
she repeated: only q creature Of
wings could put those two cities in
the same sentence, even in imagina-
ton. And even with you 1t must be
imaginary. You couldn't do 1t. really
could your"
YES" he said; II could do It,"
You're tireless. then?" she asked.
You would 20 on flying. flying, with
out rest. for q week!"
II don't n.y." he told her. "or hardly
at all. Tho birds don't dy. not these
great sea birds that live on the wing.
They sail; SO do l."
- But. then, don't you have to 90
nth the wind"
You've sailed = boat, haven't your"
he asked by way Of answer. You put
up a sail to catch the breeze, and
then you make 1t force your boat right
up into it: make your boat go against
the wind. BY the force of the wind
itself. That was regarded as a mir.
acle once when men first did It"
"Of course" she admitted. but you
do that by tackins."
That's the way l do it-by tacking.
and the force Of gravity is my heel"
How long have you lived like
this1" she asked abruptly.
Really lived? Only three months
or SO. l spent the better part Of i've
years learning to hy."
And you have flown all over the
vorld?"
"All over this most deserted patch
of It,"
There WAS another silence. Then
she said: And what contempt you
must have for us-for US, poor wing
less creatures. who cannot cross lit
tie fssure In a rock or bit of open
water without such toilsome labor.
Yes, that must be the feeling-con-
tempt; it could hardly be pity"
"If that's true" he rejoined quickly.
"it's only poetic Justice. I've only
achieved toward the world the feeling
which the world held for me-"
Tho words were spoken harshly.
abruptly, as II his memory had Just
tasted something intolerably bitter.
The manner Of the words, no less
than the sense of them startled her.
and she checked a movement to turn
Hnd look into his face. Instead. she
tried to recall 1t as 1t had looked
Ehen she had first stood confronting
ym, before the twilight had faded.