202 NORTHWARD 



and sailmakerRonne's fashionable Burberry caps figured 

 on most heads. Even Lindstrom, who up to date had 

 held the position among the land party of being its 

 heaviest, fattest, and blackest member, showed unmis- 

 takable signs of having been in close contact with 

 water. 



Meanwhile we were nearing a pilot station, and a 

 bustling little motor launch s^vung alongside. " Want 

 a pilot, captain?" One positively started at the sound 

 of the first new human voice. Communication ^vith the 

 outer world was again established. The pilot — a brisk, 

 good-humoured old man — looked about liim in surprise 

 when he came up on to our deck. " I should never 

 have imagined things were so clean and bright on board 

 a Polar ship," he said ; " nor should I have thought from 

 the look of you that you had come from Antarctica. 

 You look as if you had had nothing but a good time." 

 We could assure him of that, but as to the rest, it was 

 not our intention just yet to allow ourselves to be 

 pumped, and the old man could see that. He had no 

 objection to our pumping him, though he had no very 

 great store of news to give us. He had heard nothing 

 of the Terra Nova; on the other hand, he was able to 

 tell us that Dr. Mawson's ship, the Aurora, commanded 

 by Captain Davis, might be expected at Hobart any day. 

 They had been looking out for the Fram since the 

 beginning of February, and had given us up long ago. 

 That was a surprise, anyhow. 



