i8o RECEPTIONS OF COOK AND PEARY 



claimed her right as his wife to greet her husband before all 

 others, and those in charge of the arrangements acceded to the 

 request readily and graciously. It was arranged that a tug 

 should be secured to transfer Dr. Cook from the "Oscar II" to 

 the "Grand Republic," and that Mrs. Cook, her children, Dr. 

 Cook's two brothers and a few members of the Executive Com- 

 mittee should be the only passengers on this vessel. 



Meanwhile the "Oscar II" was rapidly approaching, and at 

 about three o'clock in the afternoon of Monday, the 20th, she 

 anchored off Fire Island, bringing her eminent passengers prac- 

 tically in sight of home. He was on deck almost constantly, and 

 as sunset approached he watched the brilliant panorama, and 

 conversed with newspapermen with a brief hail in reply to their 

 greetings through a megaphone. 



"I feel anxious to get ashore," he said to those who were 

 grouped about him on the deck. "It seems about ten years since 

 I- left, instead of only two and a half, but I dread the ordeal of 

 landing tomorrow. I would much prefer landing quickly and 

 quietly without a repetition of the scenes at Copenhagen. I hope 

 that I shall be left in peace with my family by tomorrow night 

 at least." 



The first tugs, bearing the advance guard of newspapermen 

 from New York, reached the "Oscar II" that night, but no one was 

 allowed aboard the vessel except Anthony Fiala, the Arctic ex- 

 plorer, who was a friend of Doctor Cook. He swung himself up 

 from a tug, held a brief conversation with the explorer and de- 

 parted. 



To those on the"Oscar II"the night seemed a long and anxious 

 one. With New York but a few miles away and anticipation of 

 the great events of the morrow to keep them awake, it proved an 

 uneasy night for the passengers. The "Oscar II" lay at anchor 

 off Fire Island until shortly after midnight, when she weighed 

 anchor and proceeded to quarantine. There she anchored to 



