Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-06-23
cayIey Wheeled Sharply Up Into tho Wind.

bergen, which has had permanent
population of $4,000 souls, lies 300
miles farther north than this un-
charted coast which Philip Cayley saw
before him.
But the great ice cap which covers
the top of the world is irregular in
shape, and just here, northward from
Alaska, it juts its impenetrable bar.
rier far down into the Arctic sea.
Rogers, Collinson and the ill-fated De.
Long-they all had tried to penetrate
this barrier, and had been turned
back.
Cayley wheeled sharply up into the
wind, and scared aloft to height Of
perhaps, quarter Of a mile. Then
with long. flashing, shimmering
sweep, he descended, in the arc of a
great circle, and hung, poised. over
the land itself and behind the jutting
shoulder of the mountain.
The land was narrow-necked De.
Einsula. Mountain and cliff prevented
him from seeing the immediate coast
on the other side Of It; but out little
way to sea he was amazed to discover
open water, and the smoke-like vapor
that he saw rising over the cliffhead
made it evident that the opening ex
tended nearly, II not quite, to the
very lands edge. 1t was utterly un
expected, for the side of the penin
sula which he had approached was
ice-locked for miles.
He would have lowered again
above the rocky ridge which shut OF
his view, and gone to investigate this
phenomenon at closer range, had
he not, Just then, got the shock of an
other surprise, greater than the dis
covery OF land itself.
The little valley which he hung
poised above was sheltered by SECOND
ridge of rocky. ice-capped hills to the
north. and. except for streaks. denot
ing crevices, here and there. was quite
free from Ice and snow. There were
bright patches of green upon 1t, ev
identity some bit OF Towering northern
grass, and 1t was fiecked here an(
there with bright bits OF color, yellow
poppy. he judged 1t to be, and saxi
frage. Hugging the base of the noun
tain on the opposite side of the valley
then notching the cliff and grinding
down to sea at the other side of 1
was great white glacier. all tn,
whittier, and colder, and more dazzling
for Its contrast with the brown noun
tain-side and the green-clad valley.
Up above the glacier. ON the farth
er side, were great broad yellow
patches, which he would have though
were poppy field, but for the impos
sibility Of their growing in such
place. No vegetable growth was pos
sible. he would have thought, agains
that clean-cut. almost vertical, rock
face. And yet, what else could hav
given 1t that blazing yellow color
Some day he was to learn the answe
to that question. ~
But the thing that caught his ey
now, that made him start and draw 4
a little involuntary gasp of wonder
was the sight of little clump G
black dots moving slowly, almost In
perceptibly from this distance. acros
the face of the glacier He blinked hi
eyes, as II he suspected them of pla,
ing him false. Unless they had playe
him false, these tiny dots were men.
All OF the party, but one man, wer
dressed exactly alike. in hooded beal
skin shirts and breeches, and boot
of what he guessed was walrus hid,
They moved along with the peculia
wary shuttle of men accustomed, b
long habit, to the footing and to tn
heavy combining garb they wore. S
far as he could see they were vi
| armed.
The other man was strlkingly di
fereR. He appeared to be clad muc
as Cayley was himself. in leathe
rather than In untanned hide. II
seemed slighter, sprightlier, and 1