NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



fjord in a search for Belknap. By good luck he 

 quickly came in touch with the survey party and 

 returned with them to Camp Lloyd just at the 

 moment that Marius was seen coming up the fjord 

 in his kayak bringing my note. This coming to- 

 gether at Camp Lloyd was most opportune. 

 Quickly attaching the outboard-motor to the 

 Mullins steel boat, Belknap started down the 

 fjord alone to bring in my party, and so we were 

 all back in Camp Lloyd within twelve hours of 

 the receipt of the message from the New York 

 Times. 



Packing my sleeping bag I at once started for 

 Mount Evans, where shortly after midnight a 

 message from Birchall of the Times informed us 

 that Hassell had taken off as intended the morn- 

 ing before (Friday) and had reached Cochrane in 

 Ontario at 12:15 p.m. the same day. Another 

 part of the message seemed hardly credible, for it 

 stated in conclusion that "Hassell should be ex- 

 pected in Greenland about midnight Friday", that 

 is to say, a little before the message was received. 



I hastened to reply: 



Hassell has chosen the worst time for landing here 

 if this is to be midnight of our time, the darkest hour. 

 As I am writing at 1 o'clock the combination of hour 

 with the almost completely leaden skies of heavy clouds 



256 



