THE WINTER JOURNEY 299 
drifts above us. We halted and stood there trying to get 
ourselves and one another out of our frozen harnesses— 
the usual long job. The door opened—‘“‘ Good God ! here 
is the Crozier Party,” said a voice, and disappeared. 
Thus ended the worst journey in the worid. 
And now the reader will ask what became of the three 
penguins’ eggs for which three human lives had been 
risked three hundred times a day, and three human frames 
strained to the utmost extremity of human endurance. 
Let us leave the Antarctic for a moment and conceive 
ourselves in the year 1913 in the Natural History Museum 
in South Kensington. I had written to say that I would 
bring the eggs at this time. Present, myself, C.-G., the sole 
survivor of the three, with First or Doorstep Custodian of 
the Sacred Eggs. I did not take a verbatim report of his 
welcome; but the spirit of it may be dramatized as follows: 
FIRST CUSTODIAN. Whoareyou? What do you want? 
This ain’t an egg-shop. What call have you to come 
meddling with our eggs? Do you want me to put the 
police on to you? Is it the crocodile’s egg you’re after? 
I don’t know nothing about no eggs. You’d best speak 
to Mr. Brown: it’s him that varnishes the eggs. 
I resort to Mr. Brown, who ushers me into the presence 
of the Chief Custodian, a man of scientific aspect, with two 
manners : one, affably courteous, for a Person of Import- 
ance (I guess a Naturalist Rothschild at least) with whom 
he is conversing, and the other, extraordinarily offensive 
even for an official man of science, for myself. 
I announce myself with becoming modesty as the 
bearer of the penguins’ eggs, and proffer them. The Chief 
Custodian takes them into custody without a word of 
thanks, and turns to the Person of Importance to discuss 
them. I wait. The temperature of my blood rises. The 
conversation proceeds for what seems to me a considerable 
period. Suddenly the Chief Custodian notices my presence 
and seems to resent it. 
CHIEF CUSTODIAN. You needn’t wait. 
HEROIC EXPLORER. | should like to have a receipt for 
the eggs, if you please. 
