NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



After what seemed an interminable time our 

 keen-eyed Eskimo visitors using my binoculars 

 were able to make out that the boat had put in on 

 the point of Nakajanga between the two forks of 

 the fjord, and then, a little later that they had put 

 out again and were making for the point where the 

 smoke had been seen. The halt as we supposed, and 

 afterwards confirmed, was to refuel the motor. 



As we afterwards learned also, Etes ran the mo- 

 tor and Stewart held down the bow and scanned the 

 shore for some sign of the missing flyers. In his 

 account Stewart states that he could no longer see 

 the smoke, but as they approached the shore where 

 it had been seen a slow-moving figure was made 

 out clothed in caribou skin, so that his first thought 

 was, "It's only Eskimos after all". But now an- 

 other figure appeared wearing a parka but with- 

 out caribou skin, and there was a wild waving of 

 arms and Etes suddenly yelled, "Fish!" and 

 pointed the boat in toward the shore. 



Etes and "Fish" Hassell were old friends and 

 their meeting was a moving one. "Shorty" Cramer, 

 wearing the long caribou coat in which Eielson had 

 flown to the North Pole with Byrd and with a 

 smile which seldom left his face, presented a strik- 

 ing appearance. The flyers were asked if they 

 wanted any food. Hassell did not feel like eat- 



270 



