RETURN OF THE EXPLORERS 



183 



had so much to tell each other that there was no time or incli- 

 nation for sleep. Mr. Peary recounted to me the events of his 

 journey ; how after he sent Mr. Gibson and Dr. Cook back 

 to RedcIifTe from the Humboldt Glacier, May 24th, he and 

 Astrup marched on da}' after day, with their magnificent team 

 of ICskimo dogs, which Astrup learned to handle as well as a 

 native driver. 



They encountered storms which kept them buried in the 

 snow for days at a time, but their worst enemies were the 

 snow-arched crevasses which they 

 met just before reaching the lati- 

 tude of Sherard Osborne Fjord. 

 These arches were so treacherous 

 that more than once they were on 

 them before they were aware of 

 it, and old Lion came very near 

 ending his journey 

 by breaking through 

 one of them and 

 being precipitated 

 the full length of 

 his trace into the 

 yawning chasm. 

 Fortunately the 



trace was strong 

 enough to hold his 

 weight, and he was The First Musk-..x. 



