BACK TO LAND 
seamed, his beard was fully an inch in length, 
and his mustaches, which had been closely 
cropped before he left the ship, had again at- 
tained their full flowing length. His fea- 
tures expressed fatigue, but the heart-break- 
ing look of sadness, that had clung to him 
since the failure of the 1906 expedition, had 
vanished. From liis steel-gray eyes flashed 
forth the light of glorious victory, and though 
he always carried himself proudly, there had 
come about him an air of erect assurance that 
was exhilarating. 
When I reached the ship again and gazed 
into my Mttle mirror, it was the pinched and 
wrinkled visage of an old man that peered out 
at me, but the eyes still twinkled and life was 
still entrancing. Tiiis \\dzening of our fea- 
tures was due to the strain of travel and lack 
of sleep; we had enough to eat, and I have 
only mentioned it to help impress the fact that 
the journey to the Pole and back is not to be 
regarded as a pleasure outing, and our so- 
called jaunt was by no means a cake-walk. 
144 
i 
