Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-26
A RACE FOR FOOD.
Ii Was Slow and Painful and Over
Arctic Ice Fields.

The terrible phantom that haunts
every traveller In the desert Is the pos
sibIlity that he will not dnd water.
The arctic explorer rarely suffers from
thirst. but another danger. equally
terrible and menacinG. is always on his
trail-starvation.
In Lost In the Arctic" Captain
Ejnar Mikkelseu. the explorer who,
after having been given up for dead
for over two years, was picked up in
east Greenland by a sailing vessel,
gives a graphic account OF his race
against hunger. Their sledge dogs
dead. their outfits abandoned, every
morsei OF food long since devoured,
the only hope OF Mikkelsen and his
companion was to reach Il kilometer
NaeSset, where. on the fall trip. they
had left few tins or food.
Every TWO hours We make a short
halt. but the rest is spoiled by the
thought or the uncomfortable quarter
of an hour that awaits Us when we
start and try TO get our stiffened mus
cles into working order again Our
feet especially are very painful: the
ankles are swollen and horribly tender.
The pangs OF hunger increase every
minute. For my own part, l can
think of nothing but food. At first my
thoughts dwell upon all sorts OF dishes,
but gradually they concentrate them
selves Upon Observation-Disclosures sand
witches In particular my fancy turns
upon the food that l have seen given
away TO begGars. and 1 grow furious
at the thought OF the contempt with
I'd
gifts.
Gradually the thought takes posses
sion of me that l am walking In the
streets OF Copenhagen. eagerly on the
lookout for sandwiches Suddenly i
spy what l am seeking. a little white
object lying 10 the right of me. turn
TO pick IL up. but as l stop my foot
strikes against a stone. The shock
brings me back to stern reality.
take in my belt and stag-er on again
"Iversen is in no better case. i notice
that he frequently stops and peers
through the fieldglass at something on
ahead: then he lets the glass fall again.
with shake OF the head. Once or
twice I ask what he is looking ut. but
the answer t. always the sane-he
thought he had discovered a case or
provisions. but il turned out to be
rock
According to our reckoning. we
ought To reach IL Kilometer NaesSet
by about in the evening. We keep
sharp lookout for the point and sight
about o'clock that looks
like fl Once more. however, we are
doomed 10 disappointment 1t is not
the point
We pass many old camping places
relics of the Denmark expeditions: but,
although we search long and carefully
among the old tins for any remains of
food we End nothing. In the gather
ing darkness every point we approach
seems TO us the one we seek. Encour
aged 10y the thought OF food. we re-
double our efforts. But when we get
close enough TO see that it Is not the
point our fiickering flame OF energy
dies down. and we stngger sullenly
along with bowed heads.
We have no longer any idea OF our
bouts and IL is indeScribably
uncanny 10 see time after time the |
same headland with the two small hill
locks at its foot. the ghost OF Il Kilo- |
meter Nacsset. About 10 o'clock. half !
mad with hunger and exhaustion. we
give it up and. creeping as close to
rether as possible. try to sleep. But |
the pain I'm lversen's leg is so great |
that he cannot sleep. and he is half out |
Df his mind. He wakes me at mid |
night and becs me to so on.
1t IS bitterly cold. and the wind has
shifted SO that IL Is blowing in our |
faces Staggering unsteadily and feel
Ing our way with our sticks, Off we go |
INTO the darkness.
Finally. after another long march. |
we sight n point that resembles II |
KiIometer Naesset- and this time it is |
20 trick OF the Imagination. The race |
IS won. for at the point we find fuel
and tins OF soup and peas"