THE STORY OF PEARY'S GREAT EXPLOIT 63 



morning the body disappeared. As is the Innuit's custom, a bag 

 containing Marvin's clothing was left at the edge of the ice." 



"Alas! poor Marvin!" was Peary's answer when questioned 

 about him. He went on to say : 



"All of my parties are composed of one leader, and four or five 

 Eskimos. The leader has breakfast, then goes on ahead, leaving the 

 Eskimos to pack arid break camp. This is what Marvin did. He 

 was several miles ahead of his sledges, when he came to a lead 

 covered with young ice. Either he did not examine it carefully or 

 was incautious, for when his Eskimos came up they found a great 

 hole in the ice, in the center of which they saw Marvin supported 

 by the air in the back of his kapeth, or blue fox coat. He had made 

 a brave fight for his life. He had broken a big circle of ice, but the 

 frigid cold soon chilled him, and his was one more life paid in tribute 

 to the search for the Pole." 



When the Eskimos discovered him in the water they placed all 

 of his clothing behind the pool and then made haste back to the ship, 

 where they reported his death to McMillan and Borup. They made 

 all haste to the scene of the tragedy, but on their arrival the body 

 had disappeared, nor was it discovered. 



In answer to questions of newspaper correspondents concerning 

 his trip, Peary gave the following information: 



"What was it that specially favored you on this trip?" asked 

 one. 



"It was the wind principally, or rather the absence of it," Peary 

 answered. "With no wind one is able to follow up the trail on the 

 way back, and can return in half the time that it takes to go. Wind 

 will shift the trail or fault it, as we say. This makes it necessary to 

 break a new trail or lose time hunting for the old one. Without 

 wind there is no waste of time on the return trip. The dogs and 

 men feel better and the way is easy. They know they are going 

 home, and they will go two miles with the Pole at the back to one 

 while facing it. I make it a rule to travel north until two-thirds of 



