CHAPTER XXIX 
WAITING 
The days following my arrival at St. MichaePs 
were busy ones for me. My immediate problem 
was to see what ships were available to make the 
voyage to Wrangell Island when navigation 
opened. Not until midsummer would conditions 
be right, and even then, as we had found in the 
Karluk, the time of open water was likely to be 
brief and might be cut short at any moment. I 
received many messages—from my family in New¬ 
foundland, from my friends in Boston and else¬ 
where, from the press and from the authorities in 
Ottawa. I even had a telegram from the adver¬ 
tising department of an enterprising American 
periodical: “Please wire our expense permission 
to use your picture smoking pipe for tobacco ad¬ 
vertisement. What brand do you smoke?” 
From Ottawa I received a message expressing 
the relief of the authorities at news of the Karluk 
—which, I found, had been generally given up for 
lost, with all on board—and asking for advice and 
details regarding arrangements for the rescue of 
the men and the time when ice conditions would 
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