SIDE-LIGHTS ON THE PEARY EXPEDITION 71 



was we merely held our own and did not gain on the flying leader. 

 A good rest, and the next day we decided to catch him or 'croak/ 

 and we did without trouble, as he waited. I guess the finish of that 

 Marathon race of four and a half days to catch the main party, 

 which had a head start of more than forty miles, when the Com- 

 mander came out to shake me by the hand, was the best day of 

 my life. 



"MacMillan, my roommate, went back from here with a badly 

 frozen heel; the doctor, too. I went on five more marches to about 

 85 degrees 23 minutes, or about one hundred and thirty-six knots 

 from tta land, when I was sent back in command of the second 

 supporting party. On reaching the shore, in spite of two cripples, 

 I went a hundred miles west to lay down a cache, in the eventuality N 

 of the Commander being driven to the west. Then I headed for the 

 ship, fair heel-and-toe walking every bit of the way, covering about 

 eight hundred miles. 



"I stayed on board seven days, when the remnants of the ill- 

 fated third supporting party came in. As a rule the sledges come 

 in at full speed, but these came in at a funeral gait, and Marvin 

 nowhere to be seen. The first words of his two Eskimos were 

 enough: 'Marvin gone young ice.' The poor fellow was dead. 

 The shock was pretty fierce, you bet. He was a dandy man, a fine 

 leader, and devilish sandy. They came in Saturday at midnight. 



"Now, MacMillan and Marvin were to have gone to the most 

 northern point of Greenland to lay down a line of supplies in case 

 the Commander hit that coast like he did last time. Well, Marvin 

 being gone, I took his place, and after hurrying preparations, Mac- 

 Millan, as cool, nervy, sandy and strong as they make 'em, and I 

 left the 'Roosevelt' in thirty-six hours and reached Cape Morris 

 Jesup, past Lockwood's furthest of 83 degrees 24 minutes, with 

 ease. Here we stayed two weeks, 'Mac' going out to 84 degrees 15 

 minutes to sound, and I making tidal observations, according to 

 orders. Here we lived high, killing forty-seven musk oxen in four 



