RECEPTIONS OF COOK AND PEARY 181 



await the inspection of the health officer at 6 o'clock. At sunrise 

 the ship was dressed with flags and preparations were made to 

 receive the explorer's wife and children and the Reception Com- 

 mittee of city officers and friends of Dr. Cook on the "Grand Re- 

 public." 



From five o'clock in the morning the explorer paced the deck 

 watching every vessel which approached to see whether it bore 

 his wife. One moment he thought he saw her and waved his 

 hat. Then he dashed down to the waist of the ship, where a tem- 

 porary companionway had been rigged to permit him to descend 

 to the tug bearing his wife. It was a false alarm, and the ex- 

 plorer returned to pace the deck and wait. 



At last the right tug was dimly outlined in the mist, and Dr. 

 Cook was down the ladder before it came alongside. The sea 

 was running at a good rate, and as the tug threw her line aboard 

 her beam crashed into the companionway and forced the explorer 

 to beat a hasty retreat. Then he ran down once more, leaped 

 across the intervening stretch of water to the tug, dashed up to 

 the hurricane deck, where his wife was waving the Stars and 

 Stripes, and folded her in his arms. He held her thus without a 

 single word being uttered. 



Then he broke the silence. 



"Where are the children?" he said. 



His wife did not reply, but led him to them a few steps away. 

 He kissed his elder daughter, then seized the younger one in his 

 arms and raised her to his shoulder. At this the spectators broke 

 into cheers. 



"Bravo, Cook." "Welcome home." "We're proud of you," 

 ran out across the water. Then the song "For He's a Jolly Good 

 Fellow," was sung by Doctor Cook's fellow passengers on the 

 "Oscar II" as the tug left the ship's side. 



Doctor Cook was transferred quickly to the Grand Republic, 

 which was lying a quarter of a mile away. Cinematographs and 



