NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



route ahead. With relatively light packs the rest 

 of us under Abraham's lead took to the trail. 



When we of this trekking party had reached the 

 head of the lake we climbed a point rising to about 

 1,000 feet altitude and were able to make out some- 

 thing of the country east of us and a considerable 

 stretch of the inland-ice far in the distance. Church 

 and I then made camp and prepared a supper of 

 erbswurst and tea, keeping the soup hot for the 

 others, who might come in at any time or might be 

 late, since their mission was a very important one. 

 I was now to have another proof that a little 

 knowledge is a dangerous thing. To Abraham I 

 attempted to explain in pantomime that I had sent 

 Gould and Belknap out to find a good path, 

 making use of the Eskimo word for path or trail. 

 Alas! He misunderstood me. He brought out his 

 antiquated spy glass which he pronounced "no 

 good", and having obtained my binoculars he 

 rushed off on the trail. I called him back, for it 

 was now clear that he thought I considered Gould 

 and Belknap lost and that I wanted him to find 

 them. 



On the next day, the thirtieth of July and the 

 fifth day of the expedition, Gould and I took the 

 canoe down the lake to bring up another cargo, 

 after which we set out toward the chain of lakes 



74. 



