THE UNFORTUNATE MIRANDA 



• " What in the name of Hades do you want to go to the 

 North Pole for anyway, when ice is only two dollars a 

 ton in New York?" he shouted. 



Little did he know how dearly ice would cost us later, 

 off the coast of Labrador. When the start was actually 

 made, and the Miranda, instead of backing out as was in- 

 tended, headed directly for the dock, hitting against two 

 or three small craft on her way, this man's delight knew 

 no bounds. 



" Are you going to hunt polar bears in Wall Street?" 

 he queried in high glee. Something unlooked for had 

 happened. The signal wires running into the engineer's 

 room, which had just been renewed, had been unaccountably 

 crossed, and the engineer had received the reverse signal 

 from the one intended. 



It looked for a mniute as if the small craft were doomed 

 to destruction by being jammed against the dock, but 

 after considerable bellowing and shouting and not a little 

 swearing, matters were rectified, and the Miranda backed 

 out, and started on her career, amid cheers, wavings and 

 confused shoutings of farewell from the shore. 



We had not long been out when I had a protracted 

 conversation with the captain of the ship. Conversations 

 with the captain were generally protracted because he stut- 

 tered terribly. He informed me after several attempts that 

 we would have no luck upon this voyage. 



I asked him to explain his gloomy foreboding. 



" Ss-ss-ss-sky pilots," he remarked, indicating with a 

 gesture two reverend gentlemen who accompanied the 

 expedition. I knew of this superstition among sailors and 

 did not endeavor to combat it. Argument amounts to 

 nothing when opposed to superstition. 



It took a little time for the members of the expedition 

 to get acquainted with each other, for there were fifty-two 

 members all told, and they represented a large variety of 

 professions and characters. There were doctors of divinity 

 and doctors of medicine, college professors and students — 

 Harvard, Yale and Oberlin Colleges being particularly 

 well represented — business men, sportsmen and explorers, 

 an artist, photographer, and a couple of " d — d literarv fel- 

 lows." 



273 



