268 COOK'S RETURN 



lines of what he had ah-eady jotted down. The chirography was ahnost micro- 

 scopic and often hundreds of words were crowded together Hke a multitude of 

 pigmies taking their morning walk on paper. The scarcity of pages had com- 

 pelled from the Arctic explorer an economy which caused him to rival the in- 

 genuity of those patient men who write the Decalogue on the back of penny 

 postage stamp. 



"That's enough for me," said one hard headed Thomas, who had leaved 

 over the record. "No man alive would sit up nights doing this kind of thing 

 for fun." 



Dr. Cook entered the room, where the interviewers were assembled, ac- 

 companied by his secretary, Mr. Walter Lonsdale, of the American Legation in 

 Copenhagen and by his daughter Ruth. The child remained with him a few 

 minutes. 



The explorer said he would prefer to have one man ask the questions, but 

 as all had something on their minds he addressed himself to each interrogator 

 in turn, looking him squarely in the eye and speaking in incisive, clear cut 



sentences. 



"What was the reason," he was asked, "that you imposed secrecy upon 

 Mr. Harry Whitney and young Pritchard on your return from the pole?" 



"I do not think," he answered, "that I was bound to disclose to Mr. Peary 

 the nature of my work, and he might have found out about it on his arrival 

 at Etah. I told Mr. Whitney that he was at liberty to give to the world all 

 that he knew after I had given the announcement first to the world. I knew 

 Mr. Whitney would probably not be back to civilization before the middle of 

 October. The Jeanie, on which he is aboard, is now following out the pro- 

 gramme as I understood it. He told me he was going to the American side 

 and to Hudson Bay to hunt, and the understanding when I started for home 

 was that he was not to write anything which would get to civilization or to 

 Mr. Peary before I did." 



"Why did you not wish Mr. Peary to know ?" was the question. 



"Why should I," was the answer, "give to Mr. Peary any information 

 before I gave it to the world ?" 



"Did you think that Mr. Peary would make any improper use of it?" was 



asked. 



"I don't think so," was the reply. 



Dr. Cook was asked if he had any comment to make on the fact that Com- 

 mander Peary had decided to accept no dinner invitations until the "contro- 



