forty-eight hours we will be within the Arctics at this rate of
speed," cried Dr. Jones, rubbing his hands with delight.

The face of the country was so uninteresting and monotonous, covered
more or less with snow, that the voyagers became tired of looking at it,
and turned their attention to various pursuits within the cabin.
Becoming tired of music, they read, played games, conversed, etc.

The Doctor and Professor were each expert chess players, and their games
were long and closely contested. Victory perched about as often upon the
banner of one as the other.

Fred worked daily upon a composition which he entitled "The North Pole
March," and declared that the music should be played by himself, while
the rest of the company marched around the aluminum flagstaff, after its
erection at the summit of the earth, the North Pole. The two ladies were
greatly interested in Fred's composition, and hummed and sang it with
him, offering suggestions here and there that were of more or less
benefit to him.

Denison and Will spent their time attending to the springs, watching the
thermometers and barometer. This, however, occupied but little of their
leisure, and they played many games of checkers and backgammon. Will
took an occasional snapshot with his camera when he saw anything of
interest. He had taken some excellent photographs of Silver Cloud and
company, which he had left with the Barton family. Who can doubt that
they were an unfailing source of delight and tender remembrance to this
intelligent and interesting family, as they sat about their great
fireplace during the long winter nights. And the artist had taken some
sketches of Constance House and inhabitants, which he had brought with
him. He had converted one of the spare bedrooms into a studio, and spent
an hour or two daily upon a portrait in oil of Jennie Barton. The fact
of the matter is, the unadorned beauty and grace of the lovely Jennie
had touched his artistic taste beyond anything that he had ever
experienced in his life. And away deep in his heart, almost unknown to
himself, was a determination to spend a summer season at Constance
House, as soon after their return from the Pole as possible.

Silver Cloud all this time was hastening with the speed of a carrier
pigeon, nearly due north. Dr. Jones and Professor Gray could not repress
their satisfaction each day as their observations showed them to be
moving straight as an arrow toward the object of their j