PEARY'S FINAL DASH 113 



latitude 86 1^4. At that point he turned back, by the Commander's orders. As 

 Marvin's sledge sped away, Peary shouted after him, perhaps with an intuition 

 of what was to come, the warning, "Look out for the leads !" 



And then, while Peary was making his last successful march, Marvin dis- 

 appeared in one of those treacherous patches of water, and was seen no more. 



To return to the dash for the pole : 



Borup had turned back at latitude 85 134. With his departure and that of 

 Marvin, together with their Eskimos, the party consisted of Peary, Bartlett, 

 Matthew Henson; the colored man who has been Peary's personal assistant on 

 so many of his expeditions; the Eskimos, seven sledges and sixty dogs, and the 

 journey northward was resumed. The ice was perfectly level as far as the eye 

 could see. Bartlett took the observation on the 88th parallel, leaving Peary, 

 rHenson and four Eskimos, with provisions for forty days, to make the final 

 dash to the pole. 



And now was to come the final test of Peary's courage ; the supreme hours 

 in his life. He had already passed beyond his own northern record, and had 

 outstripped all others as well. He stood on the very threshold of success. The 

 next few hours were to tell whether the summit of all polar ambition was to 

 be his. One must fancy him, on that last pause before the ultimate effort, 

 solemnly wondering what was to be the end. 



But the conditions to be faced were too severe to permit of doubt, or even 

 of serious tl]^ught for the future. The weather had thickened ; heavy snows 

 covered the path ahead ; the man and dogs were feeling the strain. Peary found 

 himself constantly inspiring the others from his own limitless stores of courage. 



The reduced party started the morning of April 3. The men walked that 

 day for ten hours and made twenty miles. Tlicy then slept near the 89th paral- 

 lel. While crossing a stretch of ycung ice 300 yards wide the sledge broke 

 through. It was saved, but two of the Eskimos had narrow escapes from 

 drowning. 



The ice was still good and the dogs were in great shape. They made as 

 high as twenty-five miles a day. 



The next observation was made at 89.25. The next two marches were 

 made in a dense fog. The sun was sighted on the third march and an observa- 

 tion showed 89:57. 



The pole was reached April 6 and a series of observations taken at 90. 

 Peary deposited his records and hoisted the American flag and other banners. 

 The temperature was 32 degrees below zero ( Fahrenheit) . The pole appeared 



