y
mind is thoroughly made up now that I wish to go with you into this
enterprise. You know that since my wife died I have done little or
nothing. I have no family to occupy my mind, and this is the first time
since her death that I have felt any interest in anything. It took
something extraordinary, like your scheme, to wake me up. So here I am,
Doctor, yours for the North Pole!"

"Well, old friend, you are a man of the right spirit," said Dr. Jones,
taking him by the hand, "and I am willing to do with you what we can to
get the Government interested in this matter. What shall be our first
move?"

"How can you leave your business or get any time to do anything in this
undertaking?" asked Denison.

"I will tell you: I have been right here, at the old stand, for
twenty-odd years. In all that time I have never taken a vacation of any
sort. I have for years been intending to do so, but something always
prevented. Now I have an opportunity to put a good man into my place,
and I feel the necessity of taking a rest of a year or so. This looks
like just the chance for me. So you may consider that question settled.
Now, what shall be our first move?"

"Since we are each determined to take hold of this venture, Doctor, I
suppose that the first thing will be to get an architect to figure on
the thing, and give us necessary figures and data. And I have just the
man--Will Marsh, office on Main Street. He is an extraordinary fellow, a
real genius, and a gentleman in every sense of the word. Let's see him
right away. I'm catching your spirit of enthusiasm, Doctor, and what
does a man amount to without enthusiasm in this age of the world?"

"Well, of course, the enthusiast is numbered with the cranks," replied
Dr. Jones. "But, Denison, the cranks are the only men who accomplish
anything of note in this world. I have really great respect for cranks,
if they only are honest and not too abusive. So we may as well
anticipate the dear public, and enroll ourselves among the cranks."

"All right," returned Denison, "'Sail on!' as Joaquin Miller has
Columbus say to the faint-hearted sailing master. 'The North Pole or
bust!' is my motto now."

"That's right, that's right," grinned the Doctor, amused to see the
enthusiasm he had aroused in his friend. "And now let's to business. I
am ready to go with you and see the architect."

So together they walked to the office of that gentleman. They found him
in and at leisure, and they immediat