128 THE BATTLE OF THE HEROES 



swain, and how he had cahnly witnessed the sailor bartering Dr. Cook's pro- 

 visions for fox and bear skins for himself. 



'*Dr. Cook also had to put a good face on the unpleasant situation. He 

 had to beg to get into his own house, and had to make a compromise with the 

 boatswain with strong fists. 



"Dr. Cook made a present of the house with all its contents to his two 

 faithful Eskimos, with the provision that Whitney was to have the use of the 

 house as long as his hunting trip lasted, but he was compelled to let the New- 

 foundland boatswain continue his watch. The boatswain, however, received 

 strict orders not to exchange any more of the provisions or guns." 



The other side of this argument was presented by Herbert L. Bridgman, 

 who said : 



"A false light has been put on the account of taking Dr. Cook's stores. I 

 have received documents from Commander Peary which prove that his taking 

 those abandoned stores was right. 



"Rudolph Francke of the Cook expedition came down, Peary took care of 

 him. Peary found at various stations letters from Francke, the most imploring 

 letters filled with wild appeals for aid. 



"Commander Peary took Francke with him to his doctor at Etali. The 

 doctor himself has written me to that effect. Fie found Francke suffering from 

 scurvy. He had him cared for. 



"Then Peary pushed along to the points where he found Cook's stores that 

 he established the year before. He guarded these from bears and gave aid to 

 members of the party. He even offered to send scouts to endeavor to locate 

 Dr. Cook. Nothing more could have been done by mortal man than Peary did, 



"When he found abandoned stores he took them. As an officer of the 

 United States navy he had a right to these. It is quite the common practice 

 among explorers to take all abandoned stores. By his action Peary simply 

 followed custom. All his letters, written long before this controversy arose, 

 prove conclusively that Peary was guilty of no offense against Dr. Cook." 



Still another, from the Peary camp, was that the instruments Dr. Cook 

 had with him were borrowed from Commander Peary for another purpose. 

 This man, who has been among the leaders of those who have insisted that 

 Dr. Cook must submit incontrovertible proof, declares the Brooklyn physician 

 borrowed the astronomical instruments for the purpose of making observations 

 "while on a fishing and hunting trip along the Labrador coast." 



Members of the Peary club also declared the Eskimos used by Dr. Cook 



