Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-03-10


he thought or tried TO think nothing
a, all. l, was only a nightmare, only
q delus!on. natural enough when ono
considered all the circumstances.
When the fog lifted with the Rp-
pro6ch OF dawn, he discovered what
Philip and Jeanne dit not become
aware OF until several hours later, that
the Aurora had dritted out 70 sea In
the gale The clean line Of the hort.
Fon was broken by nothing but tho
plunglug masses OF the ice There was
Just one chance, he thought tha, sho
might still be comparatively near at
hand Southwark and eastward the
horizon WAS unbroken, but the jutting
mass Of the promontory 10 the west
cut OF his view in that direction Il
was possible that the gale which had
destroyed the foe that formed the
harbor, had also broken up the pack
Ice al the other side OF the peninsula,
the side from which CRyley, on the
wing had first approached this un.
known land. The yacht might be
there, riding safely in practically open
wbtor.
He got up from the snow nest no
had made for himself IN the lee OF the
rock, and cautiously nexed his stiffen.
ed muscles. with the idea Of setting
out al once down the beach and
around the headland TO learn whether
this last hope Of his was groundless.
Really, in his heart he had no hope
at all, but that fact made It easy 10
postpone for little longer the putting
OF this delusion OF q hope ne haa to
the test Of reality.
The excuse he made TO himself was,
that he was rayenously hungry, and
that his most sensible course would be
to 60 up the glacier TO the cave and
cook himself a breakfast before he did
anything else
lie was fully persuaded by that time
that what no had seen az the hut last
night during the storm had been moth.
ing but hslluolnauon None the less,
he knew that It would be easier 10
walk past that empty hut IA full broad
day, than In this tricky, misty, uneer
tain light OF dawn.
He carried out this plan at once,
TO the point, that is, OF going up tho
glacier 10 the cave, building Are
there and satisfying his sharp hunger
with an enormous meal But he had
not slept az all tho night before, and
now the warmth and tho satisfaction
Of his appetite made his nerveless
hand release the bone he was gnaw.
ing, and caused him TO roll over be-
side the FIRE and TO fall asleep.
He slept deeply for number Of
hours, Then, Arming himself with q
throwing-stick and q NUMBER OF darts,
he stepped outside the cave, intent
upon his expedition to the other side
OF the peninsula where there was q
possibility Of finding the yacht
The cave was sltuated some little
distance up the glacier, and tho
shortest, though by far the more DIFF.
aeult, way Of reaching his destination
lay not along the beach but up
through the interior valley and across
he prscipitous coast range OF hills.
II was not the natural way to 20
but tho fact that II was actually short.
or gave him sort OF excuse for avoid.
Ing another visit, Just now, to the
scene OF his discontinue Of the night
before, He swore at himself, not so
much for taking this course as for the
reasons which his common sense al.
legged against him.
His present route took him close
TO the gold ledge, and the sight OF the
noxhausuble, precious, useless metal
that remained here brought upon him
Tor the frSt time In full force, a
sonse OF his loss, a sense OF what that
uokless trip ashore from tho Aurora
In search Of that rosewood box had
cost him,
from the glacier, crossed the valley
and scaled the lRndward side OF one
Of the mountains OF the coast range.
10 notch where he could command
4 view Of the sea to the westward
He saw there what, In the bottom OF
bis mind, he had all along been sure
ho would ses--nothing but another
barren. bleak horizon.
Al that for while, his fortitude
broke down, and he raved and wept
and cursed like one demented. But at
last. spent, sobered, conscious once
more Of sharp hunger, he climbed a
little farther UP tho mountain to
ledge, whore, as his minute knowledge
Of tho country led him to expect he
found a number Of looms sitting. He
killed one OF these birds with q dart,
and then, like the brute he was, ate II
raw and warm.
by that time II was late in the AFT
srnoon. Bravado, combined with
more real belief than ne had yet sue
eesded In retaining to the effect that
all his terror OF the night before had