Part 16 (1/2)
Away they went, but it was impossible to scrutinize carefully a track of two miles, and no trace of the ene?” said Altaain
His friend was very unwilling to delay, but yielded the point at last, and returned to the fort
[Illustration: ]
As on the preceding night, each man took his hour's watch on the upper plateau When it caone out to relieve Bell, Hatteras called his old companions round hi, and hastened to their captain's side, supposing he wanted to talk over their perilous situation; but Hatteras never gave it a thought
”My friends,” he said, ”let us take advantage of the As which cannot concern him, and hich I do not choose him to meddle”
Johnson and Clawbonny looked at each other, wondering what the captain was driving at
”I wish,” he continued, ”to talk with you about our plans for the future”
”All right! talk ahile we are alone,” said the Doctor
”In adistant excursions will coht of e had better undertake in summer?”
”Have you, captain?” asked Johnson
”Have I? Iinyou intends to retrace his steps?”
No one replied, and Hatteras went on to say--
”For o alone, I will push on to the North Pole Never were men so near it before, for we are not more than 360 miles distant atevery atteh it be an impossibility What are your views, Doctor?”
”Your own, Hatteras”
”And yours, Johnson?”
”Like the Doctor's”
”And yours, Bell?”
”Captain,” replied the carpenter, ”it is true we have neither wives nor children waiting us in England, but, after all, it is one's country--one's native land! Have you no thoughts of returning home?”
”We can return after we have discovered the Pole quite as well as before, and even better Our difficulties will not increase, for as we near the Pole we get away froreatest cold We have fuel and provisions enough There is nothing to stop us, and we should be culpable, in my opinion, if we allowed ourselves to abandon the project”
”Very well, captain, I'll go along with you”
”That's right; I never doubted you,” said Hatteras ”We shall succeed, and England will have all the glory”