us long
shadows. Above us the sky is blue and bright, bluer than the sky of the
Mediterranean, and the clouds from the silky cirrus mare's-tails to the
fantastic and heavy cumulus are always objects of beauty. This is the
description of fine weather.

Almost any spot would have been a fine one to get a round of views from;
at Cape Sheridan, our headquarters, we were bounded by a series of land
marks that have become historical; to the north, Cape Hecla, the point
of departure of the 1906 expedition; to the west, Cape Joseph Henry,
and beyond, the twin peaks of Cape Columbia rear their giant summits out
to the ocean.

From Cape Columbia the expedition was now to leave the land and sledge
over the ice-covered ocean four hundred and thirteen miles north--to the
Pole!

CHAPTER IX

READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE--THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL

The Diary--February 23: Heavy snow-fall and furious winds; accordingly
intense darkness and much discomfort.

There was a heavy gale blowing at seven o'clock in the morning, on
February 22, and the snow was so thick and drifty that we kept close to
our igloos and made no attempt to do more than feed the dogs. My igloo
was completely covered with snow and the one occupied by Dr. Goodsell
was blown away, so that he had to have another one, which I helped to
build.

The wind subsided considerably, leaving a thick haze, but after
breakfast, Professor MacMillan, Mr. Borup, and their parties, left camp
for Cape Colan, to get the supplies they had dumped there, and carry
them to Cape Aldrich. I took one Esquimo, Pooadloonah, and one sledge
from the Captain's party, and with my own three boys, Ooblooyah, Ootah,
and I-forget-his-name, and a howling mob of dogs, we left for the
western side of Cape Columbia, and got the rest of the pemmican and
biscuits. On the way back, we met the Captain, who was out taking
exercise. He had nothing to say; he did not shake hands, but there was
something in his manner to show that he was glad to see us. With the
coming of the daylight a man gets more cheerful, but it was still
twilight when we left Cape Columbia, and melancholy would sometimes
grip, as it often did during the darkness of midwinter.

Captain Bartlett helped us to push the loaded sledges to Cape Aldrich
and nothing was left at Cape Columbia.

When we got back to camp we found Professor Marvin and his party of
three Esquimos there. They had just reached the camp and were at work
bu