First at the North Pole Part 14

"About six hundred and fifty."

"After Kane," continued Barwell Dawson, "Commodore John Rodgers commanded an expedition that went through Bering Strait and reached Herald Island, at 71 18' N. lat. Then, in 1860, Isaac L. Hayes reached Grinnell Land, at Cape Joseph Goode, and from 1860 to 1869 Charles F.

Hall explored the c.u.mberland Gulf, and reached the Polar Sea northwest of Greenland, in 82 11' N."

"That was crawling a little closer," was Andy's comment.

"After that, explorations were made by Lieutenant P. H. Ray, Lieutenant G. A. Doane, and Commander George W. De Long, all of the government service. The latter explored the Arctic Ocean to the coast of Asia. Then followed the International Polar Expedition, under Lieutenant, afterwards General, A. W. Greely, of the United States Army. This expedition reached a point north of 83 24'."

"What about Peary?" asked Chet. "I know he is a great polar explorer."

"I was going to speak of him," answered Barwell Dawson. "Commander Robert E. Peary is the greatest Polar explorer we have had. He has been at it since 1892, and during that time he has covered the entire northern portion of Greenland, the northern portion of Grinnell Land, and a goodly portion of the Arctic Ocean. On April 21, 1906, he managed to reach 87 6' N. lat.,--within less than two hundred miles of the Pole."

"It's a pity he couldn't make the two hundred miles--after going so far,"

was Andy's comment.

"He is now fitting out another expedition," said Professor Jeffer. "I believe he will keep at it until he gains the Pole."

"There have been numerous other expeditions, under Walter Wellman, Robert Stein, A. P. Low, E. P. Baldwin, and some Canadian explorers,"

continued Mr. Dawson, "but n.o.body has been able to equal Commander Peary's record."

"It's a wonder that somebody doesn't try to reach the Pole with an airs.h.i.+p," said Chet.

"One explorer intends to try that. A European explorer, Andree, once went up from Spitzbergen in a balloon, and he was never heard of again.

It's a dangerous piece of business, for one cannot tell where one is going to land, and to get much in the way of supplies in that forsaken portion of the globe is out of the question."

"Maybe somebody will reach the Pole with an aeroplane," suggested Andy.

"Not all the exploring has been done by the Americans," resumed Barwell Dawson. "One of the greatest foreign explorers was Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian. He made a memorable voyage in a vessel named the _Fram_, and managed to reach 86 14' N. lat."

"Almost as high as Commander Peary got," cried Chet.

"Another explorer of note was the Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian, who sailed for Franz Josef Land and wintered at Teplitz Bay, in 1899 and 1900. The Duke managed to reach 86 33' N. lat., thus doing a trifle better than Nansen."

"Good for the Duke," said Chet.

"You certainly know a lot about the Pole," said Andy, admiringly.

"You've got it on your fingers' ends."

"Ever since I took the question up seriously I have read everything I could find on the subject," answered Barwell Dawson. "I do not intend to go at this in a haphazard fas.h.i.+on. My s.h.i.+p is going to be fitted out with the best possible care,--reenforced throughout the entire hull to resist the ice pressure,--and I shall pick my crew from among the strongest and bravest fellows I can find. To take a weakling on board would be foolhardy, for he could never stand the cold."

"I suppose it is much colder than here in Maine," said Chet.

"Yes, although not always. Even in upper Greenland the weather is at times comparatively mild. The worst time is the Long Night, as it is termed. Then, it is not only bitterly cold, but darkness is apt to take the heart out of a fellow. Some men cannot stand the night at all, and nearly go crazy, but I have never been affected that way."

"Give me a good lamp and I shall not mind it," said Professor Jeffer. "I would spend the time in profitable reading, or in writing a book or magazine article."

"When you were up there hunting, did you sail along the Greenland coast?" asked Chet, suddenly.

"Of course."

"Did you ever meet any whalers?"

"Oh, yes, quite a number. Some of them go north quite a distance. They have to sail many miles to get the right kind of whales."

"Did you--did you ever meet a whaler named the _Betsey Andrews_?"

"The _Betsey Andrews_?" mused Barwell Dawson. "Where was she from?"

"From New Bedford, Captain Jacob Spark."

"Why, yes, I did. What do you know of her?"

"I don't know much, excepting that my father sailed on her some years ago, and the vessel has failed to come back--so far as I know."

"That's too bad. So far as I can remember, the s.h.i.+p was all right when I saw her. If I remember rightly, however, our captain said he thought she was pretty far north for a whaler."

"Do you think she was wrecked in a storm?"

"I don't know. We did have some pretty fierce storms just before I landed to go hunting. I know one storm came up right after a dense fog, and it nearly ran us into a tremendous iceberg.

"Maybe an iceberg sunk the _Betsey Andrews_," said Chet, and his voice quivered a little in spite of his effort to control himself.

"Have you made inquiries about the whaler lately?" asked Professor Jeffer. "You know there is a regular record kept of all marine disasters."

"I didn't know where to go--or who to write to," answered Chet. "I hated to bother strangers."

"But you want to find your father, don't you?" asked Barwell Dawson.

"Oh, very much!"

"Then we'll have to look into this matter--when this storm clears away, and we are able to get out of here."

After that the hunter questioned Chet about his parent, and the youth told him how his father had s.h.i.+pped aboard the whaler. He did not mention that Tolney Greene had disappeared under a cloud, as it did not seem necessary, and Chet wanted to avoid anything that was so unpleasant.

Following this, Barwell Dawson told more of his proposed trip north. Now that he had revealed what was on his mind, he was very enthusiastic, and he communicated a great deal of his enthusiasm to his listeners.

"You must take me along!" cried Professor Jeffer. "I will pay my way--that is, so far as I am able,--and I will promise not to be a hindrance. You'll certainly want one scientist on your expedition, even though it is not what you might term a scientific expedition."

"I will give the matter every consideration," answered Barwell Dawson, "and if I can possibly arrange it, you shall become one of the party."

"How many will there be?" asked Chet.

"Outside of the captain and the crew, I do not expect to carry more than five or six men. Of course, up in Greenland, I shall hire a number of Esquimaux, to do some hunting for me, and to manage the dogs and sledges."

Chet said no more just then. But he was wondering if it would aid him to find his father if he should join this expedition to the frozen north.

"I'd be willing to suffer anything--if only I could learn where dad was,"

he told Andy, afterwards.