120 PEARY'S FINAL DASH 



"All I shall say concerning Mr. Cook," said Mr. Peary, with some show 

 of irritation, "is contained in two telegrams." The telegrams were as follows: 



"Cook was not at the North Pole on April 21, 1908, or at any other time. 

 This statement is made advisedly." 



Following an abrupt pause, a gentle youth on a box of salt at the further 

 end of the loft put this question : 



"How cold was it at the pole ?" 



Instantly the tense face of the explorer relaxed. 



"Not so cold as you sometimes get it in the Adirondacks," he answered. 

 "The maximum temperature was 1 1 below and the minimum 32 degrees below, 

 Fahrenheit. My last preliminary observations before reaching the pole were 

 at 89.57 with a sextant and artificial horizon. Of my observations at the 

 pole I shall say more later." 



When a remark was made concerning the rapidity of his return march 

 he replied : 



"Our speed was not unusual when you consider the favorable weather with 

 which we were blessed. We were not vexed with cross winds. Instead of 

 blowing east or west and filling up the trail, so as to impede the retreat they 

 came almost continually from the north. They packed the ice still harder 

 against the land on the southern shores of the Polar Sea and held it firm. We 

 were not carried away from our course by the eastward drift as on previous 

 expeditions. 



"Our new type of sledges also helped greatly. One which reached the pole 

 was named the Morris K. Jesup. They cut down the strain on the dogs one- 

 third and on the men nearly one-half. Without them I should never have 

 reached the pole." 



"Do you ride on the sledges ?" asked somebody. 



"Ride?" inquired the bronze-faced Peary, astonished. "Sir, in Arctic 

 expeditions a man is lucky if he is able to walk without pushing his sledge. 

 Usually he may grip the rear and thrust it ahead. It is like guiding a breaking 

 plow drawn by oxen. You must also expect at any moment that the sledge may 

 strike some pressure ridge that will wrench you off your feet. 



"My return trip was twice as rapid as the advance, for the further reason 

 that our equipment grew lighter and lighter. In going north we had used up 

 two-thirds of the rations. The cracking of the ice and the formation of open 

 leads or lanes of water were not as formidable as on previous expeditions. 

 This good luck was also the result of favorable winds," 



