THE FINDING OF THE RIGEL. 201 



style as Governor Bistrup, at Sukkertoppen, with all modern 

 conveniences, from a beautiful upright piano down to a snap- 

 shot camera. 



To return to the mission nearest our hearts. The climax 

 came the second evening, August 1C, while we were in the 

 governor's study. There was a commotion at the wharf, and 

 some urchin ran in sputtering something about strangers at the 

 dock, and we all rushed to the gate at the brow of the hill to 

 see what the matter was. Coming up the narrow path was a 

 sight which moved me, and I believe the rest of our little band, 

 more than any other event of the trip, not even excepting the 

 accident. 



Swinging from side to side, and clad in their oilskins and 

 sou'westers, were five Gloucester fishermen. They had heard 

 of our mishap, and had come post-haste to Holsteinborg in a 

 dory. The spokesman, a man whose name is now a house- 

 hold word in many homes, was taken into the governor's house 

 and our case was laid before him, and very soon we saw how 

 matters stood. The noble fellow was standing between sym- 

 pathy and duty. In justice to his crew and the owners of his 

 vessel, he could not abandon his cruise for the sake of a party 

 of unfortunate strangers. Yet such was his love for human- 

 ity, seeing that we were staring the prospects of a winter 

 in Greenland in the face, he felt what he would want another 

 man to do if he were in our place. He left us with these 

 words : " I must see my crew. If you see my vessel in the 

 offing to-morrow morning flying her flag you will understand 

 that I have decided to take you to your friends at Sukker- 

 toppen/' 



The morning came, and with it the schooner. All that 

 which follows is an old story ; that is, after we reached 

 our party on August 20. We rowed to the schooner, our 

 effects were put aboard, and our crew of faithful, dirty Hus- 

 kies left us with the whale-boat to make their way to Sukker- 



