nded, almost idiotic, man to behave
himself in such an imbecile fashion, he suddenly blazed out:

"Imbecile!" he cried. "Weak-minded! If it had not been for that accursed
sledge, I would have shown you what sort of an imbecile I am. I can't
get away now, and I will tell you how I would have been an idiot. I
would have gone back to the pole, at least to the little house, where,
like a fool, you left the end of your cable open to me, open to anybody
on board who might be brave enough to take advantage of your imbecility.
I had food enough with me to last until I got back to the pole, and I
knew of the 'cache' which you left there. Long, long before you ever
reached Cape Tariff, and before your master was ready to announce your
discoveries to the world, I would have been using your cable. I would
have been announcing my discoveries, not in a cipher, but in plain
words; not to Sardis, but to the Observatory at St. Petersburg. I would
have proclaimed the discovery of the pole, I would have told of your
observations and your experiments; for I am a man of science, I know
these things. I would have had the honor and the glory. The north
pole would have been Rovinski's Pole; that open sea would have been
Rovinski's Sea. All you might have said afterwards would have amounted
to nothing; it would have been an old story; I would have announced it
long before. The glory would have been mine--mine for all ages to come."

"But, you foolish man," exclaimed Mr. Gibbs, "you would have perished
up there--no fire, no shelter but that cabin, and very little food. Even
if, kept warm and alive by your excitement and ambition, you had been
able to send one message, you would have perished soon afterwards."

"What of that?" said Rovinski. "I would have sent my message; I would
have told how the north pole was found. The glory and the honor would
have been mine."

When Mr. Gibbs related what was said at this interview, Sammy remarked
that it was a great pity to interfere with ambition like that, and Sarah
acknowledged to her husband, but to him only, that she had never felt
her heart sink as it had sunk when she saw Mr. Marcy coming back with
that black-faced and black-hearted Pole with him.

"I felt sure," said she, "that we had got rid of him, and that after
this we would not be a party of thirteen. It does seem to me as if it
is wicked to take such a creature back to civilized people. It's like
carrying diseases about in your clothes, as